StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm XP and levelling system headed for beta

The Heart of the Swarm beta is about to get a levelling system according to a new post on Battle.net post . Players will be able to level up each race separately to unlock extra portraits and decals. Building units and decimating enemy troops will contribute small doses of XP to a grand match total every time you play. "Build up powerful armies, wreak havoc on the map, fight to the bitter end, and you'll be rewarded for your efforts," say Blizzard.

Every ding on the way to the level 20 cap will unlock a new portrait or decal, and your cumulative level will be visible "right next to your player portrait" for bragging rights. I can imagine getting a bit obsessive about taking out enemy units for XP, it's a shame that decals and portraits are the only rewards. How about some alternative UI skins, or some unlockable /dance animations? I want to see a Marauder do the robot!

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Part of the UK team, Tom was with PC Gamer at the very beginning of the website's launch—first as a news writer, and then as online editor until his departure in 2020. His specialties are strategy games, action RPGs, hack ‘n slash games, digital card games… basically anything that he can fit on a hard drive. His final boss form is Deckard Cain.