StarCraft II pre-Heart of the Swarm patch coming early next week

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Blizzard is preparing to deploy the 2.0.4 patch for StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, the last major patch before Heart of the Swarm, which will implement many of the changes teased for the expansion. A new interface, the new training modes, and the new replay features will all become available. Basically, everything except the new campaign, the new XP system, and the actual HotS multiplayer units will be included. Read on for specifics.

  • An all-new user interface with new menu screens.

  • The launch of in-game Clans and Groups.

  • New Replay features, such as Watch with Others and Take Command.

  • A multitude of Editor improvements.

  • New matchmaking options: Training Mode, Vs. AI Mode, and Unranked Play.

  • All-new AI Options, including AI Communication.

  • Players Near You, so you can find other StarCraft II players on your local network.

  • New customizable Observer UI.

The patch is set to go out "in a few days," which would mean sometime early next week. If you're still not sure what to expect, have a look at our previews of the new interface and the new matchmaking tools .

Len Hafer
Contributor

Len Hafer is a freelancer and lifelong PC gamer with a specialty in strategy, RPGs, horror, and survival games. A chance encounter with Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness changed her life forever. Today, her favorites include the grand strategy games from Paradox Interactive like Crusader Kings and Europa Universalis, and thought-provoking, story-rich RPGs like Persona 5 and Disco Elysium. She also loves history, hiking in the mountains of Colorado, and heavy metal music.