Battle.net

The Patch 1.5.0 Beta introduces an entirely new Battle.net experience: the Arcade. The Arcade offers exciting new ways to find and play your favorite custom games -- and discover new favorites too -- with the option to search for games based on categories including genre, star ratings, release date, and more. After you’ve found a game that you’re interested in, the new Game Info page will provide you with all the information you need to know before you dive in, including a description, screenshots, instructions, patch notes, tutorials, as well as star ratings and reviews provided by your fellow players. The Open Games list will help keep wait times down by displaying games that are waiting for players too.

Patch 1.5.0 also introduces a new streaming launcher that should make download, installation, and patching times shorter than ever before, as well as an incredible array of editor changes and improvements.

When you log into the beta, you’ll find the Arcade has games available to play, because the industrious StarCraft II custom gaming community has already been hard at work crafting, refining, and posting their creations.

Now’s your chance to explore the Arcade Beta to play, rate, and review their contributions. To access the new beta test, just visit your Battle.net account management page and install the Arcade (1.5) Beta that you’ll find in the Game Accounts section. Your feedback is an important part of the beta process, so after you’ve played some games, rated them, and written a review or two, please visit the official forums to share your opinions on the new Arcade Beta General Discussion forum, or report any bugs you’ve discovered on the Arcade Beta Bug Report forum.

Visit our forums to read the full patch notes for the Arcade Beta.

Please note: While the beta installer is available to all players, the Patch 1.5.0 Arcade Beta will only be available in the following client languages: English, German, French, and Korean. The final patch release will be available in all languages as usual.