The closed beta that begins today for Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void will give fans and professional players their first close look at new multiplayer units and a new game mode.
Blizzard made the decision to release the sequel to Starcraft in three parts, one release for each of the three main factions. Wings of Liberty and Heart of the Swarm are contained the Terran and Zerg single-player campaigns respectively. Legacy of the Void will tell the story of the Protoss. The closed beta for Legacy that begins today is concerned only with the multiplayer mode, with a focus on how new Starcraft 2 units could evolve competitive play.
Closed beta participants will also be able to try Archon mode, which allows two players to control a single army. Blizzard touts Archon mode will allow StarCraft 2 players to engage in more complex battles than a single player in charge of an army could handle. It could also serve as a teaching tool for new players.
In the post on the Starcraft 2 forums announcing the start of the closed beta, Blizzard gives explicit permission for anyone in the beta to stream gameplay, as long as the streams are clearly marked as “closed beta” footage. Even if some competitive Starcraft 2 players don’t have access to Legacy of the Void, everyone can see how the new units work and start thinking about new strategies for their matches.
Blizzard also supports the closed beta being freely used in the tournament scene, as long as total prizes given out at the tournament are less than $10,000. For events with larger prize purses, or that would be held as onsite events, Blizzard wants organizers to contact its esports team at esportsteam@blizzard.com.
Anyone who bought tickets to Blizzcon 2014, the Starcraft 2 WCS 2014 Global Finals, or BlizzCon 2014 Virtual Ticket, are at the front of the line for access to the closed beta. Anyone else who would like access can check the box for the StarCraft universe in their Battle.net Beta Profile Settings.
Players without guaranteed access will be invited to the closed beta based on availability, PC specs, activity in StarCraft 2, and luck. Blizzard also announced that promotions to grant access are on the way.
Screengrab via StarCraft/YouTube
