While we have yet to get an official release date for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the beta program has been up and running for quite some time now. With Activision/Blizzard, you can pretty well guarantee that it will be available during 2010 (likely holiday).
StarCraft II will once again center on the clash between the protoss, terrans, and zerg, with each side deploying favorite units from the original StarCraft, along with numerous upgraded and brand-new units and abilities that allow for fresh tactics and strategies. The game's new 3D-graphics engine maintains the speed and responsive control of its predecessor while rendering hundreds of units onscreen for massive battles.
Players will be able to tailor the experience, choosing their own mission path and selecting technology and research upgrades to suit their playing style throughout the 29-mission campaign. Several challenge-mode mini-games will also be included, with focused goals designed to ease players into the basics of multiplayer strategies. In addition, dozens of multiplayer maps will be available for competitive play through the new version of Battle.net, which is launching alongside StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. This new version of the service has been built from the ground up to offer an unparalleled online play experience, with new features such as voice communication, character profiles and achievements, stat-tracking, ladders and leagues, cloud file storage, and more.
With that being said, pre-orders for both the regular and limited edition have kicked off over the last few weeks. The latest pre-order offers include free access to the uber-addictive beta as well. Both Gamestop and Amazon are currently offering beta codes, with more retailers to follow.
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