Blizzard Deploys StarCraft Sequel

At last, the speculation can end. First screens.

Many Blizzard fans will have one question for the company on their minds on Monday: What took you so long?

At a special event in South Korea over the weekend, Blizzard finally announced a sequel for its 1998 hit real-time strategy game StarCraft.

Unlike Warcraft, which made the jump to massively multiplayer online game for its latest incarnation, StarCraft II is still very much an RTS.

It's no coincidence that Blizzard chose its 2007 Worldwide Invitational event in South Korea for the reveal. StarCraft has become something of a national sport in the country, with the best players leaping into the public spotlight and matches televised across the nation on dedicated channels.

So what can players, professional and amateur, expect? Right now, Blizzard isn't venturing too far from the obvious in its descriptions of the game.

The company said in a statement that all three races - Protoss, Terran, and Zerg - will return, each with new units and other enhancements. There's also a beefy singleplayer to complement the Battle.net-based online play.

"We recognize that expectations are high following the long-running popularity of the original game, but we plan to meet those expectations and deliver an engaging, action-packed, competitive experience that StarCraft players and strategy gamers worldwide will enjoy," said Blizzard cofounder Mike Morhaime.

There's no release date yet but Blizzard did confirm that both PC and Mac gamers would be supported.

For more on the game, visit the official StarCraft II site.

Alex Wollenschlaeger
Editor, Kikizo