Blizzard recently confirmed that they will be launching the closed beta for StarCraft II sometime this month. There is still a lot of confusion surrounding the beta, with thousands of gamers clamouring to get involved.
Blizzard has kindly posted a set of frequently asked questions, as well as their answers, on the official Battle.net forums.
Questions
How do I sign up for the StarCraft II beta test?
In order to sign up for the StarCraft II beta test or future Blizzard Entertainment beta tests, you first need to create a Battle.net account. You can then opt in to the beta for StarCraft II, as well as betas for future Blizzard Entertainment games, through the beta opt-in process. To get started, simply click Beta Profile Settings in Battle.net Account Management. Please note that opting in to a beta test through this method does not guarantee that you will be selected.
If I opted in to the StarCraft II beta, how will I know if I’ve been selected to participate?
If you are selected, you will receive an email from Blizzard instructing you to log in to your Battle.net account at www.battle.net. You will be able to download the client directly from within Battle.net Account Management. We plan on inviting players in waves, so if you do not receive an invitation in the beginning of the testing period, there’s a chance you might receive one in a later wave.
How long will the beta test last?
We have not determined an exact date for the end of the beta test. We will notify participants when the beta test is nearing completion.
How many players do you plan to invite to the beta test?
The number of players we invite will be based on our testing needs. If during the course of testing we determine we need more players to participate, we’ll invite more.
How are beta test participants selected from the opt-in pool?
Beta testers are chosen according to their system specs and other factors, including luck. Our goal is to have a good variety of system types to best test compatibility.
What game modes are available in the StarCraft II beta?
StarCraft II beta testers will be able to play a number of ranked multiplayer modes, include multiplayer ladder quick match, which has 1v1, 2v2, and free-for-all (FFA) modes. In addition, testers will be able to play unranked custom matches. We are not testing the single-player campaign of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty during the beta period.
For more technical questions and answers visit the StarCraft 2 forums.