A few months ago this would hardly have been considered newsworthy, as Blizzard had already unofficially confirmed the release of its highly anticipated Sci-Fi RTS. However, as the months drag on and Blizzard remains relatively quiet, whisperings of a 2010 release have escalated.<\/p>\n
However, Blizzard president Mike Morhaime announced yesterday via a pre-E3 conference call that Blizzard is still aiming for a late 2009 release.<\/p>\n
“We’re targeting an end of year release–this year–for StarCraft 2,” said Morhaime. “But as always, we won’t release it until it meets our standards and the expectations of our players.”<\/p>\n
While Morhaime’s first statement sounds relatively confident that the game will make it out before the end of the year, the second clause adds an element of doubt. Blizzard has made the “when it’s done” game scheduling philosophy famous.<\/p>\n
Blizzard is currently accepting signups for the Starcraft 2 closed beta which should begin in the next few weeks. StarCraft 2 lead developer Dustin Browder confirmed in February that StarCraft 2 is in its final stretch.<\/p>\n
Starcraft 2 will be launched in three parts, starting with Terrans: Wings of Liberty later this year. Terrans: Wings of Liberty will allow players to experience the Terran single player campaign, and will also allow players to participate in the full multiplayer component.<\/p>\n
Zerg: Heart of the Swarm will follow Terrans: Wings of Liberty, and may be released as much as an entire year later. Finally, Protoss: Legacy of the Void will be released as much as a year after Zerg: Heart of the Swarm to finish off the trilogy.<\/p>\n
Each chapter will bring with it a faction specific single player campaign and will also expand on the game’s multiplayer.<\/p>\n