Blizzard announced earlier this month that it will be making its popular strategy title, StarCraft II, free to play. And right on schedule, the game is now free to download and play via Battle.net, giving players access to the Wings of Liberty campaign and the game's acclaimed multiplayer portion.
Blizzard = Awesome. What a great way to say thank you to all the loyal Starcraft fans from all these years. Hopefully this free version will bring a whole new generation to the battlefield:-) Knowing what 'zerg rush' means is totally different than the horror of being on the receiving end or the glee and maniacal laughter that comes with unleashing one:-). StarCraft Remastered Out Now With 4K Support Blizzard still offers the original version for free, but the new remaster provides enhanced visuals and audio, among other things. Aug 14, 2017 3:06pm.
However, free-to-play players will only be able to access the ranked ladder in multiplayer if they achieve ten 'First Wins of the Day' in unranked multiplayer or against AI opponents. After which, the ranked ladder is unlocked permanently without any caveats.
Beyond that, the game's co-op mode is also free for all players, with Raynor, Kerrigan, and Artanis playable to their max levels, while other co-op commanders will need purchasing after level 5. The official StarCraft Twitter account celebrated the free-to-play transition with some digs at EA regarding the current Star Wars: Battlefront II debacle, seen below.
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However, free-to-play players will only be able to access the ranked ladder in multiplayer if they achieve ten 'First Wins of the Day' in unranked multiplayer or against AI opponents. After which, the ranked ladder is unlocked permanently without any caveats.
Beyond that, the game's co-op mode is also free for all players, with Raynor, Kerrigan, and Artanis playable to their max levels, while other co-op commanders will need purchasing after level 5. The official StarCraft Twitter account celebrated the free-to-play transition with some digs at EA regarding the current Star Wars: Battlefront II debacle, seen below.
Number of hours before you can play ANY Co-op Commander in StarCraft II: 0
— StarCraft (@StarCraft) November 14, 2017The Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, and Nova Covert Ops, single-player campaigns are still available for purchase in the Blizzard shop at $14.99 each or as a bundle in the $39.99 Campaign Collection.
Meanwhile, for those who purchased Wings of Liberty before October 31, 2017, Blizzard is giving away the second expansion, Heart of the Swarm, for free. Eligible players will the expansion waiting for them in the Gifts section in Battle.net until December 8.
Source: StarCraft 2 Free family feud.
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Blizzard knows what's up. A few days ago it announced that it's developing Starcraft: Remastered, a remake of the original game from 1998 that pumps up the graphics, slated for this summer. To stoke expectations, they've just released nothing less than a new patch for the first game, with the main change being that besides updating the compatibility to suit modern machines, it's now being distributed as a completely free title. You can download it without paying a dime, even if you don't have a BattleNet account.
The game, which upon installation takes up 1.6GB, includes both the original Starcraft and its Brood War expansion, and you can play the original story mode campaign for each of the races plus the online mode with no restrictions, though to play the latter you will need to create a (free) account with Blizzard.
It's a bit hard to do justice to a game that both revolutionized real-time strategy and laid the groundwork for competitive RTS, to the point that today it remains a point of reference for eSports in several Asian countries. Obviously the passing of time has done a bit of a number on the aesthetics, but it's still as fun and accessible as ever, though these days the impetus to dust off your Starcraft hat probably comes more from nostalgia than gaming chops.
Starcraft for Windows on Uptodown | Download
Starcraft Is Free Now Full
Official webpage | Blizzard
