StarCraft II will be available as a free-to-play game on November 14th, the news was shared by Blizzard during their annual BlizzCon presentation.
StarCraft II appeared in 2010 and was sold millions of times. Starting November 14, players will have free access to the original Wings of Liberty campaign. People who already have these missions will receive the Heart of the Swarmfollow-up campaign for free.
In addition to singleplayer missions, so-called “Co-op Commanders” are also available for free to play with friends. It is possible to reach this level for these characters, after which they have to be paid to play, with the exception of three characters that remain completely free.
Furthermore, the competitive online multiplayer can also be played for free. However, it must be unlocked first by winning ten days in pots that do not count for the rankings or against the computer. Blizzard hopes to maintain “the quality and integrity of competitive play”.
Those who wish to experience later chapters in the StarCraft II story can purchase the additional single-player campaigns, Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, and Nova Covert Ops, individually ($14.99 USD each) or together in the Campaign Collection ($39.99) through the online Blizzard Shop. For a limited time, players who already own Wings of Liberty (as of October 31, 2017) but have not yet purchased Heart of the Swarm will be able to get the latter campaign free by logging in to the Blizzard Battle.net desktop app and claiming their free Heart of the Swarm gift between November 8 and December 8, 2017.
As a thank-you to the dedicated StarCraft II player community, those who already own any version of StarCraft II prior to October 31, 2017 will receive a special Eidolon Ghost skin and three portraits commemorating their founder’s status in the game after StarCraft II goes free starting on November 14.
StarCraft II is available today for Windows and Mac PCs fully localized into English, Brazilian Portuguese, European and Latin American Spanish, French, German, Italian, Polish, Russian, Korean, and simplified and traditional Chinese. Learn more about the game at www.starcraft2.com .
Access to ranked ladder granted after earning first 10 wins of the day in Unranked mode or Versus A.I. mode, or upon purchase of any campaign, the Campaign Collection, or the War Chest. Co-op Commanders available for play free of charge through level five. Purchase required to advance a Co-op Commander beyond level five-with the exception of Raynor, Kerrigan, and Artanis, which are free to play up to and beyond level five.
