Jump to content
FORUMS
Sign in to follow this  
Starym

StarCraft 2 Goes Free to Play on Nov 14

Recommended Posts

WYQsLth.jpg
 

The base StarCraft 2 game, aka Wings of Liberty, will be free to play from November 14th, as just announced by Mike Morhaime in the BlizzCon opening ceremony! In case you already own Wings of Liberty, you'll be getting the first expansion, Heart of the Swarm for free. No news on what happens to Heart of the Swarm owners or those that have all expansions, but we did get word of a new commanders for the game's co-op mode, Matt Horner and Mira Han, as well as a new co-op mission!
The competitive ladder will also be part of the free to play version.

 

Blizzard LogoStarcraft 2 (source)

Hello and welcome to the Koprulu Sector!

We recognize that you might have found your way here after hearing the news that StarCraft II is going free-to-play very soon—on November 14, to be exact. Curious what that actually means? We know “free-to-play” can mean a lot of things for different games, but we’re here to assure you that when we say that we’re making StarCraft II free-to-play, we really mean it.

Starting November 14, you’ll have free access to the original Wings of Liberty single-player campaign and every Co-op Commander, and will be able to unlock access to StarCraft II’s competitive multiplayer content for free. Here is a specific rundown of everything that will be available to you for free:

  • The original Wings of Liberty campaign. Experience the original epic campaign that kicked off the StarCraft II saga! If you picked up Wings of Liberty previously but haven’t come back to StarCraft II in a while, we’ve got good news for you too—if you already own Wings of Liberty, you’ll receive the second installment in StarCraft II’s campaign, the zerg-focused Heart of the Swarm, for free. Make sure to log in between November 8 and December 8 to claim it.
  • You will be able to access the ranked multiplayer ladder to compete with other players to become the best of the best, complete with all of the multiplayer units from Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void. All you have to do to unlock it permanently is earn 10 First Wins of the Day in Unranked or Versus A.I. play—our way to preserve the quality and integrity of the ranked experience.
  • Current and upcoming Co-op Commanders are available to play for free up to level five, and the level restriction for weekly mutations has been removed. You’ll be able to tackle these extra challenging missions with your friends right away. The Co-op Commanders Raynor, Kerrigan, and Artanis will remain completely free, meaning that you can keep leveling them to your heart’s content.

In other words, you can now play all of StarCraft II’s multiplayer, every Co-op Commander, and the entire first campaign in the single-player story, for free.

If you play through Wings of Liberty and want to see how the rest of the epic single-player saga unfolds, all the other single-player campaigns—Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, and Nova Covert Ops will be available to purchase individually for $14.99 or as a bundle for $39.99. We will also continue to offer premium upgrades like announcer packs, special skins, and new Co-op Commanders to enhance your StarCraft II experience in a number of different ways. As with the existing line-up of Co-op Commanders, however, you will be able to play upcoming new Co-op Commanders who are released for free until they reach level 5. You can also purchase any of the campaigns or a seasonal War Chest to gain immediate access to ranked play if you desire.

For those of you who have already purchased any of the three campaigns as of October 31, we’ll soon be sending you a small thank-you in the form of an exclusive Ghost skin as well as three new portraits.

PE2YKIACTLK51509583921042.jpg

Welcome to the StarCraft community, and we hope you enjoy diving into the game anew—or for the first time—with all these exciting new changes! 

 

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Does that mean we will cover WoW Classic? Wait, wrong thread. Jokes aside, I was considering buying Starcraft II to complete my Blizzard games collection, but looks like I was lucky not to rush the decision.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, Starym said:

For those of you who have already purchased any of the three campaigns as of October 31, we’ll soon be sending you a small thank-you

This thank-you is really small. I got three addons (besides Nova's) and would be glad to have Nova's for free but I won't, I suppose.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
2 hours ago, HenrySteinway said:

This thank-you is really small. I got three addons (besides Nova's) and would be glad to have Nova's for free but I won't, I suppose.

Well better than nothing right. We paid to play the game 7 years earlier before it turns f2p so that's hell of a time. Can't really be angry and beg for a refund. Giving game for free is more like good will than punishing those who bought it

Edited by Kaelos
  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Han and Horner combo is brilliant. 

 

There aren't as many iconic Terran characters left to act as a stand alone commander (except for Tychus, who I expect last), so putting two in one package is great; especially these two, given their relationship.  I can't wait to here the in game banter between them.

 

I also love the mercenary and elite units force they are giving the pair.  It feels almost like a coin flip, and unique among all the commanders so far.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 hours ago, Kaelos said:

Giving game for free is more like good will than punishing those who bought it

It has nothing to do with good will. It's pretty obvious, give out the first campaign for free to tease new players to buy the rest, by now there are a lot of cosmetic items for purchase and why only make them available for ppl who bought SC2 if you can make a lot more ppl throw their money out for it as well as the Co-Op commanders limited to level 5 is making ppl buy the game to unlock further levels.

Edited by Caldyrvan

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest
3 hours ago, Caldyrvan said:

It has nothing to do with good will. It's pretty obvious, give out the first campaign for free to tease new players to buy the rest, by now there are a lot of cosmetic items for purchase and why only make them available for ppl who bought SC2 if you can make a lot more ppl throw their money out for it as well as the Co-Op commanders limited to level 5 is making ppl buy the game to unlock further levels.

Sure they want to get some money out of it - and why not?

Nobody is forced to buy cosmetic stuff or the expansions. (Hell, I bought SC 2 + Heart of the Swarm - but never legacy of the void, because HotS sucked so hard. And I didn't spent a single buck on cosmetics / coop commanders)

The SinglePlayer campaign of Wings of Liberty is not bad and worth a play.

 

We have a LAN each year and I know of some guys who don't own SC2. They definitly profit from this new play for free. They will install it and then they can join in a few games on our LAN.

They definitly won't spend 1 Cent on anything else, but they profit nicely for the few days the LAN lasts.

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I didn't want to say it's something bad, ofc there will be player who will be able to enjoy the game without spending money and that's great but their reason to make it F2P is not to make people happy who won't/can't spent money :D

Edited by Caldyrvan

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I bought Wings of Liberty and Legacy of the Void almost right as they came out, for Heart of the Swarm I waited for it to become cheap (really hate the zerg). Also got Nova missions (did the preorder thing to save munniez). Feels kinda bad there's not something for people who did that but nevertheless, nice gesture from Blizzard.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
On 11/6/2017 at 2:11 PM, Brutalis said:

At least there's no loot boxes.

NEW ADDITION: PORTRAIT BOXES.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Am I stupid? I just checked the shop and now that Wings of Liberty is F2P they increased price for the other two campaigns as well as the battle chest, damn smart money making minds there.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
30 minutes ago, Caldyrvan said:

Am I stupid? I just checked the shop and now that Wings of Liberty is F2P they increased price for the other two campaigns as well as the battle chest, damn smart money making minds there.

I didn't see the prices beforehand, but I can't find any mention of it on the SC reddit or something. I would have expected at least someone to go crazy if they had increased it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

hm .. I was sure the price was lower before, without any special discount or offers.

Doesn't matter to me I have all the stuff. Just strange.

Edited by Caldyrvan

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, Caldyrvan said:

hm .. I was sure the price was lower before, without any special discount or offers.

Doesn't matter to me I have all the stuff. Just strange.

It definitely could have, I'm really not sure!

  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
Sign in to follow this  

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

  • Similar Content

    • By Staff
      Blizzard just announced there will be no in-person BlizzCon this year.
      If you've planned on attending BlizzCon 2024, we've got bad news for you. The event will not be held this year. Here's what Blizzard had to say about its cancelation:
      (Source)
      After careful consideration over the last year, we at Blizzard have made the decision not to hold BlizzCon in 2024. This decision was not made lightly as BlizzCon remains a very special event for all of us, and we know many of you look forward to it. While we’re approaching this year differently and as we have explored different event formats in the past, rest assured that we are just as excited as ever to bring BlizzCon back in future years.
      Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing more details about our launches coming later this year, including World of Warcraft: The War Within and Diablo IV's first expansion, Vessel of Hatred. To celebrate these upcoming releases and to bring our communities together in new and special ways, we will soon share some exciting plans for other industry trade shows and conventions like Gamescom. We can’t wait to tell you more about those plans soon. We’re also looking forward to the Overwatch Champions Series’ stops at both Dreamhack Dallas and Dreamhack Stockholm. And we’re thrilled to be planning multiple, global, in-person events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Warcraft, which will be held in addition to the in-game celebrations across our Warcraft games throughout 2024. While these events are distinct from BlizzCon, we’re harnessing all of our creativity and imagination to ensure that they carry the same spirit of celebration and togetherness. 
      Our hope is that these experiences – alongside several live-streamed industry events where we’ll keep you up to date with what’s happening in our game universes – will capture the essence of what makes the Blizzard community so special.
      No matter how you choose to connect with us at these events this year – whether it be in person or virtually – we can’t wait to see you there!
    • By Staff
      We're 2 hours away from this year's opening ceremony at BlizzCon and the community is already guessing what will be announced today, so we're taking a look at some bingo cards for the event!
      Bingo Card 1
      The first bingo card talks about Thrall, Metzen, and of course "Storm" in the expansion name. Interestingly, it mentions Path of the Titans, a feature that was planned for Cataclysm but ultimately abandoned.

      Source: Reddit
      Bingo Card 2
      The second bingo card includes guesses like Dragonriding everywhere, WoW on game pass, and more.

      Source: Reddit
      Bingo Card 3
      The third bingo card boldly mentions a new expansion for Diablo 4! 

      Source: Reddit
      Bingo Card 4
      The fourth bingo card includes guesses like Cataclysm Classic, Classic+, no Patch 10.3, and more.
       
      What are your predictions for this year's BlizzCon? Let us know in the comments!
    • By Staff
      Blizzard has released the broadcast schedule for BlizzCon 2023!
      The event is free to watch for everyone and you don't need to buy a Virtual Ticket this year!
      The opening ceremony on November 3 starts at 11 AM PDT or 8 PM Paris time.  The next WoW expansion will be unveiled at 1:30 PM PDT or 10:30 PM Paris time. We'll hear more about what's to come for Classic at 3:30 PM PDT or 12:30 AM Paris time. A deep dive for WoW takes place on November 4 at 12 PM PDT or 9PM Paris time. We'll have a Diablo 4 Campfire Chat at 2:30 PM or 11:30 PM Paris time! (Source)
      BlizzCon 2023 is almost here! For those tuning in from home, we’ll be streaming all BlizzCon Arena content for free. Whether you plan to join in person or virtually, we wanted to share a first look at all the events in store. Visit Blizzard’s YouTube channels or Twitch on November 3-4 to catch all the panels and programming below. BlizzCon is for the community, so feel free to share it with yours by co-streaming.

      BLIZZCON BROADCAST SCHEDULE
      November 3 11AM – Opening Ceremony 1:30PM – World of Warcraft: What’s Next 2:30PM – Overwatch 2: Deep Dive 3:30PM – World of Warcraft Classic: What’s Next 4:30PM – Hearthstone: What’s Next 5:30PM – Warcraft Rumblings November 4 12PM – World of Warcraft: Deep Dive 1:30PM – Overwatch 2: What’s Next 2:30PM – Diablo IV Campfire Chat 4:45PM – Community Night 6:15PM – LE SSERAFIM Appearance Live streaming on Blizzard’s YouTube and Twitch channels; all times are listed in PDT.
      For those of you planning your in-person BlizzCon experience around your game of choice, check out the on-site schedules for:
      World of Warcraft Diablo IV Hearthstone Warcraft Rumble BlizzCon Collection – on sale now
      Virtual attendees can also pick up the BlizzCon Collection, a new set of digital goodies and in-game items, in the Battle.net Shop now. These bundles are a must-have for any player journeying through World of Warcraft, Diablo IV, Overwatch 2, Hearthstone, and Warcraft Rumble. Whether you’re a seasoned hero or just starting your adventure, don’t miss out. Visit the Battle.net Shop to purchase.

      Whether you will be joining us in person or online, we can’t wait to see you! To stay up to date with all things BlizzCon, be sure to follow us on social media, and head to BlizzCon.com for everything you need to know about the show.
    • By Staff
      The BlizzCon collection has been revealed, with a whole bunch of goodies for Blizzard games. As the stream is completely free this year, this replaces the Virtual Ticket and the rewards usually associated with it. Let's take a look at the two packs on offer! 
      We now know the mount we previously saw for WoW is called the Bound Blizzard, with Ysergle the pet in there as well as a banner, while Diablo players get a full mount set, and the Premium battle Pass and Overwatch players get a skin, charm, credits and the S7 Battle Pass. Heartstone gets a new cardback, 5 packs and a legendary, while Warcraft Rumble gets a couple of skins.
      BlizzCon (Source)
      To celebrate the return of BlizzCon®, we’re rolling out a new set of digital goodies for World of Warcraft and other Blizzard games called the BlizzCon Collection. All in-person attendees will receive the Legendary Pack of items below included with their purchase of admission. BlizzCon Collection codes are now going out to BlizzCon in-person attendees starting today, with our goal to have them to all BlizzCon in-person attendees by November 4. Remember, if you can’t make it to the show in person, BlizzCon 2023 will be live streaming all content from the BlizzCon arena for free! 
      These bundles are a must-have for any player journeying through the immersive worlds of World of Warcraft®, Diablo® IV, Overwatch® 2, Hearthstone®, and Warcraft RumbleTM. Whether you’re a seasoned hero or just starting your adventure, don’t miss out! Visit the Battle.net store to purchase.

      Epic Pack ($29.99 USD)
      Enjoy these items from multiple games in addition to receiving a 10% discount off one item in the Blizzard Gear Store (restrictions apply):
      World of Warcraft: Dragonflight: new Ysergle pet and the Chilling Celebration Banner toy Diablo IV: the ferocious Lapisvein Mount, the Cobalt Ensign Mount Trophy, and the Demon-Mother Countenance Mount Trophy* Overwatch 2: 1,000 credits, a Murky weapon charm, and a mystery name card** Hearthstone: a BlizzCon 2023 cardback, 5 Standard packs, and 5 Golden Standard packs Warcraft Rumble: the Murloc Kobold portrait and skin Legendary Pack ($49.99 USD)
      Level up to this bundle to get everything in the Epic Pack plus:
      World of Warcraft: Dragonflight: the Bound Blizzard flying mount Diablo IV: the fearsome Midnight Harness Mount Armor* and a Premium Battle Pass redeemable for any one season* Overwatch 2: the Drowned Warrior Sigma Epic skin as well as a Season 7 Premium Battle Pass Hearthstone: a mystery Signature Legendary card*** Warcraft Rumble: the Murloc Tower skin  
      *Limitations apply. See the Battle.net store page for more details.
      **Available starting November 3
      ***Available in November
    • By Staff
      Blizzard has unveiled the BlizzCon 2023 floor map. The event's taking place between November 3-4 in Anaheim, California.
      (Source)
      Blizzcon 2023 Floor Map

       
      The BlizzCon® 2023 experience extends throughout the Anaheim Convention Center. Be sure to check out:
      BlizzCon Arena: Opening Ceremony on the Main Stage along with ongoing panel discussions and Community Night (also simulcast throughout the venue) Hall A: All things Diablo® including the Wings of Inarius Photo-Op, the Horadric Library, the Diablo Cathedral Art Experience, the Fat Goose Inn, the Tree of Whispers, and Hells Ink Tattoos Hall B: Wall-to-wall Overwatch® World Cup esports competition in the Overwatch Arena Hall C: The Watchpoint Gibraltar Immersion including the Watchpoint Auditorium and the HTC Overwatch Experience Hall D: World of Warcraft®, Hearthstone®, and Warcraft Rumble® including: the WoW Corridor of Time, the Warcraft Tavern, Rumble: In the Machine, the WoW Guild Clash, the Hearthstone Artist’s Nook, Hearthstone Duel-a-Dev, and the Darkmoon Faire Level 3: The Portal Pass Lounge and Portal Pass Theater (requires Portal Pass ticket) Arena Lobby: The BlizzCon Inclusion Nexus North Hall: BlizzCon Registration and the BlizzCon Store (merchandise pickup)
×
×
  • Create New...