Report: Legacy of The Void Beta Coming This Month

[Steven Bogos]

Report: Legacy of The Void Beta Coming This Month

Blizzard has asked outlets to issue requests for Legacy of The Void Beta Keys, which usually means the Beta will launch within a month.

Blizzard may seemingly have its hands full with new releases Legacy of The Void [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/tag/view/hearthstone], and now it looks like it may be just around the corner. Reports are coming in from various eSports and media outlets that the title's Beta may launch within the next few weeks.

Essentially, Blizzard has asked these outlets to put their requests in for Legacy of The Void beta keys, which usually means the launch is imminent. One source told The Daily Dot [http://www.dailydot.com/esports/legacy-of-the-void-beta-release-date/] that last time a request was issued for a Blizzard title "the keys arrived about three weeks later."

An eSports specific outlet added: "Blizzard will be aiming for an end of March or early April release. It's great timing for them. WCS Season 1 will be all but over and this will give players plenty of time to stream the beta and generate some excitement. As things stand the beta is pretty much ready to launch with the balance team just tweaking a few units."

It is likely that Legacy of The Void's beta will roll out in a similar fashion to Heart of The Swarm - initially closed with access to the pros, the press and people's machines that fit a certain type of spec, and gradually ramping up to include more and more players.

Considering StarCraft II launched all the way back in 2010, fans have been waiting a good five years to finally get the conclusion of Raynor, Kerrigan, and Zeratul's story. Hell, it's about time.

Source: The Daily Dot [http://www.dailydot.com/esports/legacy-of-the-void-beta-release-date/]

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[gardian06]

got dang Blizzard has now counted to 3 twice before Valve has counted to 3 once. everyone at Valve is a "specialist"

OT: isn't the beta usually just multiplayer, so technically this only really effects the hardcore audience, but technically this could also mean that they are looking for a holiday release of the retail version.

 

[Aussie502]

OT: isn't the beta usually just multiplayer, so technically this only really effects the hardcore audience, but technically this could also mean that they are looking for a holiday release of the retail version.

Yes, the beta will be exclusively for multiplayer and I for one absolutely cannot wait for this. Blizz has been teasing the beta since Blizzcon and the changes they're introducing make me extremely optimistic for the future direction of the game.

Also I believe they will release the expansion possibly in November or early December. There's no chance that the expansion will be released before the conclusion of the WCS (World Championship Series) at Blizzcon. I expect it to release around the same time WoD released, a few weeks after Blizzcon to really bring the hype.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

Who needs that when I can play Starbow?

 

[DSK-]

There's a typo on "Zeratual". It should be "Zeratul"

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Oh! OH! I wonder if they'll spend all the campaign reversing everything we did in the previous campaign! Because I've always said nothing keeps me coming back to a franchise like knowing absolutely nothing that happened in the previous games matters.

 

[Gizmo1990]

Oh! OH! I wonder if they'll spend all the campaign reversing everything we did in the previous campaign! Because I've always said nothing keeps me coming back to a franchise like knowing absolutely nothing that happened in the previous games matters.

Just sumed up my biggest problem with HotS. Hell I did not even finish it, I looked up what happened later on the wiki but that was more due to the fact I HATE playing Zerg. Not sure about LotV either. Protoss are my favorites and I was super excited when it was said that the focus would be on Zeratul but now that not only is the game no longer focusing on him but the trailers make it look like he will die very early in the game so I might not get it at all.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Oh! OH! I wonder if they'll spend all the campaign reversing everything we did in the previous campaign! Because I've always said nothing keeps me coming back to a franchise like knowing absolutely nothing that happened in the previous games matters.

Just summed up my biggest problem with HotS. Hell I did not even finish it, I looked up what happened later on the wiki but that was more due to the fact I HATE playing Zerg. Not sure about LotV either. Protoss are my favorites and I was super excited when it was said that the focus would be on Zeratul but now that not only is the game no longer focusing on him but the trailers make it look like he will die very early in the game so I might not get it at all.

Isn't it about Artanis? That one Scout flyer dude from Brood War? I always read he was the main focus and that this game, specifically, only ties up the Starcraft 2 plot.

As in it'll be a giant 'To be continued!' at the end. Absolutely nothing of substance will have changed over the course of three games, save for the death of that one dude. Might as well have saved all the time, effort and money needed to create these games and simply released a two minute clip of the dude dying and posting it on YouTube. At least then they can only was a few moments of my time.

Seriously, what a miserable, shit-awful job they did writing these stories. They're on par with comic book writing, where everything has to go back to the status quo by the last page, or its an alternate universe.

 

[Gizmo1990]

Oh! OH! I wonder if they'll spend all the campaign reversing everything we did in the previous campaign! Because I've always said nothing keeps me coming back to a franchise like knowing absolutely nothing that happened in the previous games matters.

Just summed up my biggest problem with HotS. Hell I did not even finish it, I looked up what happened later on the wiki but that was more due to the fact I HATE playing Zerg. Not sure about LotV either. Protoss are my favorites and I was super excited when it was said that the focus would be on Zeratul but now that not only is the game no longer focusing on him but the trailers make it look like he will die very early in the game so I might not get it at all.

Isn't it about Artanis? That one Scout flyer dude from Brood War? I always read he was the main focus and that this game, specifically, only ties up the Starcraft 2 plot.

As in it'll be a giant 'To be continued!' at the end. Absolutely nothing of substance will have changed over the course of three games, save for the death of that one dude. Might as well have saved all the time, effort and money needed to create these games and simply released a two minute clip of the dude dying and posting it on YouTube. At least then they can only was a few moments of my time.

Seriously, what a miserable, shit-awful job they did writing these stories. They're on par with comic book writing, where everything has to go back to the status quo by the last page, or its an alternate universe.

Yes the main protagonist is Artanis but originaly they said that it would be Zeratul. As for the To be Continued ending, I thikn it will have one. Don't think they really give a shit any more as long as they can keep the multiplayer alive.

 

[loa]

I dunno, the singleplayer of hots was so gimmicky and shallow, it made the wings of liberty campaign look like an actual preparation for how the real game actually plays.
I mean what the fuck was up with those queens, their off-creep movespeed, autocast heal and removed egg sneeze?
It's like their idea of the campaign is that people either only give a shit about the story or play it to "feel powerful" instead of introducing people to the goddamn actual game.

If they keep this up, your gateways will autobuild one of each unit you can build for free every 30 seconds, probes instabuild buildings at any place, pylons are also cannons and have 3x the radius, zealots are strong vs air units and you can spam motherships that have cooldown based abilities instead of energy which, of course, work completely differently compared to multiplayer motherships.
Like they have a "murder everything kthx" ability that is on autocast or something.
Not that it matters since the campaign will dangle the Gimmick Of The Day in front of you as soon as you dare to do anything resembling things like base building or some of these things.

And then there's blizzards obsession with even more goddamn micromanagement.
Ruining voidrays with that activatable ability wasn't enough, immortals need a "select me in the middle of a frantic battle and click this so I don't die kthx" button and the roach evolution also has an ability you need to micro.
It's terrible.

Oh. Yeah. FUCKING LURKERS.
Made everyone wait 5 GODDAMN YEARS until they finally put FUCKING LURKERS WHICH HAVE BEEN IN THE GAME ALL ALONG back into official multiplayer and now they count that as a "new unit".
Fucks sake.

Yeah, I'm a little bitter here.
Fuck you blizzard.

 

[Ticklefist]

Aw hell yeah. Time to suck at Starcraft II all over again.

 

[Alar]

How about guaranteed beta keys for your loyal PubClub members, Escapist? ;D

 

[Pyrian]

It's like their idea of the campaign is that people either only give a shit about the story or play it to "feel powerful" instead of introducing people to the goddamn actual game.

For many of us, the campaign IS "the goddamn actual game" and we don't give a shit about multiplayer, and we certainly wouldn't want the campaign to be relegated to an oversized tutorial for people who apparently can't deal with the fact that multiplayer isn't exactly the same as single-player.

 

[loa]

For many of us, the campaign IS "the goddamn actual game" and we don't give a shit about multiplayer, and we certainly wouldn't want the campaign to be relegated to an oversized tutorial for people who apparently can't deal with the fact that multiplayer isn't exactly the same as single-player.

Yes your highness only plays strategy games once for the story and never plays skirmish matches, I got that.
Whatever.
It's not like turbo hatcheries or units you can never actually play with outside of easy mode campaign add anything to the game other than frustration and confusion.
Why show me those freaking hovertanks if I can never use them outside of this heavily scripted campaign?
Why completely alter queens if it doesn't reflect a change to actual queens you play with in skirmish mode?

Zerg is my favourite race and I was looking forward to a campaign in which I can play zerg.
I did not get to play zerg in hots.
If protoss is your favourite race, you will not get to play protoss in the next expansion but some alternate modded to hell and back to "streamline" the strategy part of this strategy game fantasy race.

 

[Hawki]

I'd be surprised if beta did come out this early. They've only just canceled the HERC and there's another gateway unit looming.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to LotV. Campaign looks a hell of a lot of fun to play (as always), and while HotS had shortcomings with story, I still enjoyed it. I'd rather play as Zeratul rather than Artanis, but, well, go figure.

 

[Pyrian]

Yes your highness...

Keep in mind that I'm merely reflecting on your own attitude, here. If you think it makes me seem like I'm demanding royal treatment, then you need to take a hard look in the mirror. You're the one demanding that my side of the game exist only to serve your side of the game - I'm not demanding that multi-player bow to the campaign mode.

Yes your highness only plays strategy games once for the story and never plays skirmish matches, I got that.

Do you? Because I don't think you did.

It's not like turbo hatcheries or units you can never actually play with outside of easy mode campaign add anything to the game other than frustration and confusion.

What frustration and confusion?

Why show me those freaking hovertanks if I can never use them outside of this heavily scripted campaign?

Oh, that frustration and confusion. The one that doesn't apply to me. Which you said you got. But you didn't.

Why completely alter queens if it doesn't reflect a change to actual queens you play with in skirmish mode?

Why not? Why is that the standard? Why is that a standard at all?

 

[loa]

Keep in mind that I'm merely reflecting on your own attitude, here.

Oh do you now.
Cause I speak for myself you know.

I have no idea what you're even arguing for.
Like you said, change on this matter in any direction doesn't even apply to you since you have no frame of reference.
You wouldn't even notice.

There is no demand for one side of the game "bowing" to the other in asking for some consistency.
That's a false dichotomy.

 

[Hawki]

Oh boy, here we go.

I'm with Pyrian. Singleplayer shouldn't be dependent on multiplayer, and vice versa. Since the Diamondback has been brought up, yes, why not use it in the campaign? The campaigns are their own thing with their own design. Something I love about the gameplay of both is the level of army customization, and mission variety. HotS was just the same, how we could evolve the zerg how we wanted, and choose between traits on a by-mission basis, working in game terms, and serving as a case of gameplay/story integration (fitting the zerg, given how fast they adapt/evolve). It's why in gameplay I'm definately looking forward to LotV, given that a) we'll have the customization and unique units, and b) it's fitting in with the protoss with the branches concept for the Khalai, Nerazim, and...something else (Tal'darim, I'm guessing), and c) mission design.

So no, these things shouldn't be in multiplayer, due to the amount of overlap and balancing issues. So on one hand, multiplayer gets to be balanced, and on the other, singleplayer gets to be its own thing. Best of both worlds.

 

[ecoho]

all I got to say is those who are pissed about the lore, GO READ THE FUCKING CANNON BOOKS!!!!!

I mean seriously if you care that much why didn't you read any of the books which covered why rainer and kerigan were a thing or paid attention when they explained that the queen of blades needed to return or all was lost. more importantly you did change things by turning her human again she regain control of herself then made herself stronger then she was before in order to combat the new much stronger threat.

TLDR: read the lore, and by the end of the two games you've made Kerrigan more human then she was before and that's a big deal.

 

[Hawki]

Ideally you shouldn't have to read the books to understand the story. Halo 4 has a similar problem.

But it's a moot point, since RaynorxKerrigan was a thing in SC1 by itself anyway. And her change in HotS...I like it, but more in the thematic sense. It's less about the power she gains, and more by the fact that in HotS, she's truly independent for the first time, standing in contrast to the Confederacy, the SoK, and the zerg. Yes, I say zerg, because even though Kerrigan was in control of her faculties, her transformation is an example of character change, rather than character development. That Kerrigan is more powerful in primal form isn't the point. What IS the point is that unlike when she was put in the first chrysalis, she chose who she wanted to be (echoing WoL0. She never chose what the Overmind did to her any more than the Ghost Program.

Or at least that's me. HotS is a game I'm conflicted about storywise, because practically every aspect of its story is something I can view positively and negatively, and that includes Kerrigan herself. It's not the worst SC game storywise IMO (that would be Stellar Forces), but it's not the best either (which would be WoL).