StarCraft 2 season five lock incoming, season six to start later this month
StarCraft 2 season five is drawing to a close. The leaderboards will go into lockdown on Tuesday February 14, so you’ll want to make that final push for the top spot pretty soon. You’ll still be able to play during the lock down of course, and your wins and losses will be tracked, but your wins won’t affect your final season five placement.
Why Blizzard invited the world’s best StarCraft: Brood War players to Blizzcon 2011
Jaedong, Fantasy, Bisu, and Jangbi are some of the world’s premier StarCraft: Brood War players. This year, these four StarCrafting superstars were invited to Blizzcon.
But why were they there? Sites like Teamliquid swirled with rumours prior to the event: they were there to perform show matches, playing 1998′s Brood War on the big screen to foreign fans. They were there to test out the next StarCraft II expansion, Heart of the Swarm. They were there to mark their transition from professional Brood War – still the majority esports share in Korean viewing schedules – to StarCraft II. But Blizzcon came and went, and the four players were absent from headlines outside of citizen-papparazzi snaps and videos. Why were they there, flown out to Anaheim from their Korean home? The answer is simpler than you might expect. Read on to find out why.
StarCraft 2 tournaments will move over to Heart of the Swarm “when the community decides”.
Just when you think you’ve finally got your head around defending a 1/1/1 push and locked down your warp prism/immortal micro, Blizzard are adding a set of new units to StarCraft II’s multiplayer armies. But what happens to SC2 tournaments like MLG and the GSL who’ve built their empires around Wings of Liberty’s multiplayer? Will they be forced to move over to Heart of the Swarm half way through their season?
Blizzard three year schedule reveals plans for two World of Warcraft expansions
Gamespot bring us some news from the Citi Technology conference, where Activision Blizzard COO Thomas Tippl has said that Blizzard will be producing six “proven property” games/expansions over the next three years.
The announcement reveals plans for two more World of Warcraft expansions over the three years. Could one of these be the Mists of Pandaren expansion we’ve previously heard rumours of? In addition, the first expansion to Diablo 3 will be expected by the end of 2014. The two planned Starcaft 2 expansions, Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void, are expected in the same period.
By choosing to refer only to ‘proven properties’ Blizzard have left the door open for a new ‘unproven property’ to be released in that same period, such as the long rumoured Project Titan.
PC Gamer US, September issue: BioShock Infinite
BioShock Infinite stole the show at E3, and now it steals our September issue cover with an in-depth look at the high-flying shooter sequel and interviews with Ken Levine and his team at Irrational. We also got hands-on with two real-time strategy heavyweights, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm and Age of Empires Online, took an exclusive look at Diablo III’s followers, and reviewed indie tactical strategy hit Frozen Synapse and gorgeous racer DiRT 3. Oh, and we show you how you can strap a heavy machine gun to a cow in Arma 2.
Nerd chills—watch this StarCraft 2 esports sizzle reel
This commemoration of StarCraft 2′s first year of release, entitled “One Year Down,” has got it all; the highs of tournament success and worldwide recognition, the lows of crushing defeat and near misses. Praise be to Laxx for putting it all together, and kudos to the SC community for embracing their passion.
Hm? No, I’m not crying. I just got something in my eye, that’s all.
DreamHack Summer 2011 recap: The Promised LAN
DreamHack Summer 2011 has come and gone, leaving a rush of exciting replays and up-and-coming teams in its wake. But what if you weren’t fortunate enough to make it out to Sweden and see LAN-party Mecca for yourself? We’ve got an in-depth recap of the electrifying event from Borderland Gaming’s own Kast, who commentated at the event and lived to tell about it.
Diablo 3 and StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm playable at Gamescom 2011
A post on Battle.net Poland, spotted by CVG, has outlined Blizzard’s line-up for their Gamescom showing in Cologne next month. StarCraft 2′s first expansion, Heart of the Swarm, will be available for attendees to play on the show floor for the first time in Europe, and fans will get their hands on Diablo 3 as well.
Still a prince: an interview with StarCraft 2 icon Lee Jung Hoon, aka MarineKingPrime
In any sport, there’s a loser for every winner. Every time a champion is showered in champagne (or Diet Coke, if they’re underage) and raises a trophy to a screaming crowd, there’s a player who stands silently to the side, humbled, overshadowed and defeated. Lee Jung Hoon has been this player four times. At 17 years old, he’s a StarCraft veteran, one of the best Terran players in the world, and he’s incredibly successful. His fans rank among the most passionate, his games as the most exciting. Jung Hoon is well-mannered, exciting, emotional, a little bit shy, all while maintaining his status as one of the most dynamic figures of StarCraft 2. Yet he’s never won a major tournament.
MLG Columbus StarCraft 2 – championship day livestream
The final rounds of Major League Gaming’s StarCraft 2 Columbus tournament are underway and streaming live. The high-quality video stream is also free. Pop some corn and tune in to watch the surviving players duel for the championship.
StarCraft 2′s biggest upsets
In the still-early life of competitive StarCraft 2, we’ve seen hundreds of incredible, memorable matches. Many professional players’ fame or infamy has been earned by toppling the giants who came before them. That shift in attrition, that expert pivot of micro-management or creativity in a single match can surge a single player’s reputation—when an unknown kills a Goliath (no, not that one) he becomes an Internet champion, epitomizing the wonderful parity that’s emerging with competitive SC2. Everyone loves to root for the underdog and watch a good upset—here are StarCraft 2′s top four.
Intern Arena: Will SC2′s expansions do more harm than good?
Once more, our interns enter the arena to debate to the death on gaming’s latest happenings for your entertainment. But first, the thrilling finale to our previous Intern Arena:
Lucas stood victorious over Anthony’s body. Anthony lay on the ground, a broken man, crimson blood dripping from his freshly-broken jaw. Lucas held his swordpoint to Anthony’s throat, ready to deal the finishing slice that the fans were chanting for. But he hesitated, and instead hurled his sword into Josh Augustine’s chest, killing him instantly. “Are you not entertained?!” Lucas screamed, as Dan and Evan continued their work. “Is this not why you are here?!”
In the shadows, Anthony fought through the pain and crawled to safety, his shattered arms barely able to pull his lacerated body. With a grimace, he turned back to look at Lucas with a cold, hateful stare. “This…isn’t…over,” he whispered.
North American Star League StarCraft 2 tournament has $100,000 prize pool
The North American Star League have announced that their first StarCraft 2 competition will have a prize pool of $100,000. The competition will start on April 5 and run for thirteen weeks, with matches being broadcast every weeknight.
PC Gamer US Podcast 256 – Vendebt
Dan, Logan, Josh, Chris, Anthony, Andy, and eventually Evan discuss the new info on The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, playtime of the last stand mode in Dawn Of War 2: Retribution, and the latest caped crusades in DC Universe: Online. Other topics include a Starcraft 2 mod that gets Blizzards attention, an enhancement mod for Fallout: New Vegas and deals on some classic games from GOG.com.
Intel Extreme European Championship to test best StarCraft 2, Counterstrike 1.6 and Quake players
The European leg of the Intel Extreme World Championships is set to kick off tomorrow in Kiev. Three tournaments will pit the best Starcraft 2, Counterstrike 1.6 and Quake players against each other. The winners will gain a place in the Intel Masters V World Championship in Hanover in March, as well as a mighty wad of cash. Read on for details.
