Battle.net

It doesn’t seem like that long ago that StarCraft II was announced. It’s been just over three years since that news broke, but the game has been through various concepts and stages of development for far longer. We’ve seen StarCraft II mature and grow throughout its infancy, and now it's almost ready to be released into the world. No part of this process has been more exciting and demanding than the extensive beta testing we’ve been conducting since February of this year. With the release of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty rapidly approaching, let’s take a casual look back at some beta highlights. Slippers are suggested footwear for reading this article.

When the beta test first began, demand for keys was high. Enthusiasts were invited to participate in the beta test through many different methods, whether opt-in or via promotional opportunities. Let us look back with nostalgia on the key grab which took place on the StarCraft Facebook page. While it wasn't the most exhilarating promotional method at first (with only a few given out each day), that was quickly rectified with a relaunch of the contest, which then resulted in the distribution of many more beta invites. With a great deal of anticipation, excitement, and momentum from the community of testers we’d assembled, we were very quickly under way. Players began giving feedback on everything from the user interface, new Battle.net design, and leagues and ladder functionality, to art direction, unit types, and game balance. Optional surveys linked to from within the game delivered us responses from tens of thousands of testers.

Of course, not everything was perfectly balanced and many changes were made along the way. Who could forget about the epic mothership or planetary fortress rushes destroying just about everything in their wake? And what good was a force of battle-hardened units when SCVs could get the offensive job done just fine? Oh and yes, honey, we shrunk the Thor. Watching battles play out with that behemoth hogging the map was certainly interesting, so much so that the terrans had to make some budget cuts and buy smaller parts.

One real game changer was the long-awaited introduction of the StarCraft II Editor. Custom map creation was available in late April, and map publishing became available approximately a month later. Committed testers painted the Internet red with footage of their unique maps, match shoutcasting, and live game streams. Some of the more popular videos racked up hundreds of thousands of views. There are still a great many gems out there if you haven't taken the time to check them out.

It’s been a true pleasure to present years of work to our playerbase through the beta test. The beta has come to a close and the full game, including the single-player campaign, will hit stores shelves next week. As you’re installing your copy, don’t forget to reflect on all of the information we’ve released about StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the quirky bugs and balance issues tackled during testing, and last but not least, all of the blood, sweat, and tears of our testers -- your help was invaluable in making this the best game possible! Until then, we’d love to hear your reflections on all things StarCraft II, from the initial announcement, to any beta testing experience you had or videos you've watched.

Cheers!

P.S. In before “yo mommaship.”