When the first expansion to StarCraft 2 launches, it will be bringing more than just a single-player campaign. It will also boast a number of new multiplayer changes as well.

Today Blizzard gave fans a sneak peak at the new units they’re planning to intergrate into SC2’s famously well-balanced online play. This doesn’t necessarily mean the game is coming soon though. In fact, we don’t even yet know when the beta will start. However, SC2 fans are very particular, and Blizzard wants to make sure everyone is well aware of the changes long before they’re implemented.

On to the changes:

Zerg:
Units:
Swarm Host – Intended as a Zerg artillery unit, the Swarm Host continuously fires swarms of locusts at both land and air units.
Viper: This is being called a “battlefield manipulation unit” with two new abilities. The first is called Abduct and allows it to snare and draw units toward it. The second is called Blinding Cloud and creates a zero visibility environment in which range is reduced to zero.

Abilities:
Ultralisk – may now burrow underground and charge forward for quick attacks.
Hydralisk – speed boost while close to the hive, allows zerg to be more mobile.

Protoss:
Units:
Oracle – Harrassment unit which can use an ability called “entomb” to prevent enemy resources from being mined. Can cloak nearby enemies and buildings. Can also cast “preordain” on enemy or building to gain detection against cloak.
Mothership Core – Available immediately. Can transform into mothership later. Teleports to any nexus, and can use “purify” to defend base. Can also give energy to units, and recall units to the base.
Tempest – Capital ship that targets one enemy at a time unlike the Carrier. Blizz is reportedly considering an upgrade that would make its range enormous. Nearly twice the range of a siege tank.

Terran:
Units:
Battle Hellion – Can transform into either a speedy, lightweight form or a hefty tank-like form.
Warhound – Designed as an anti-vehicle unit, the warhound has two attacks: a cannon which targets anything, and missiles that automatically target vehicles. This will be the first time Blizz has used auto-target in StarCraft.
Widow mine – Burrows into the ground, then attaches itself to a passing enemy. Explodes for 200 damage + splash damage after 10 seconds. Will not explode if attached unit dies.

Abilities/Upgrades:
Reapers – No longer have bombs when targeting buildings. Instead, now reapers can recharge health when not in combat. Blizzard hopes this makes them more viable as scouts.
Battlecruiser – Experimenting with a speed boost ability. Not final.

As huge SC2 fans, we’re a little nervous about the changes. We’ve spent the last two years learning this game backwards and forwards. New units and abilities can completely change the game. We’ll have to see how these units affect play once they’re finally implemented.

Once again, we’re still not sure when that will be though. Blizzard said last April that Heart of the Swarm would launch in about a year. And it’s been nearly 18 months. So it’s anyone’s guess at this point.

You can check out G4TV.com (opens in new tab) for a somewhat more complete explanation of the changes.

The post StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm new multiplayer units detailed – Updated, video added appeared first on Game News.

When StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty launched last year it landed with a bang Selling over 1.5 million copies during the first 48 hours after it released, it was the fastest selling real-time strategy game in history. The meticulously balanced, fast-paced and addictive multiplayer marked the return of StarCraft as king of the competitive gaming scene. But for mere mortals and the masses slumming it in the silver and bronze ladders, it was Wings of Liberty’s epic singleplayer campaign that truly set the game apart from all the Command & Conquers and other real-time strategy series of note.

So when Blizzard Entertainment offered GamesRadar the opportunity to visit its company’s headquarters to sample two missions from the singleplayer campaign for StarCraft II’s first expansion Heart of the Swarm, we said, “We require more vespene gas.” After Blizzard representatives explained that they could not help us with fictional resources, we went anyway – and we’re glad we did. Read on for hands-on impressions of the Zerg-friendly campaign – and find out what’s in store in the follow-up to last year’s Wings of Liberty.

If you haven’t already seen the first cinematic teaser for Heart of the Swarm, do yourself a favor and watch it. It’ll be the best forty-four seconds you’ll spend today – and will set you up for the beginning of our brief demo, which placed us four to six missions deep into the Heart of the Swarm singleplayer campaign. During the time between the ending of Wings of Liberty and the demo for Heart of the Swarm, former Queen of Blades and leader of the Zerg Sarah Kerrigan has gone through some kind of change. She is no longer completely human, and is aspiring to regain her Zerg powers and control of the brood. However, the Zerg brood no longer recognizes Kerrigan as their leader – and our first two missions find us reigning in and wresting control from the Zerg usurpers and wannabes on the planet Char and the ice moon Kaldir.

We head for the volcanic world of Char, where Zerg forces have been severely weakened after the events at the end of Wings of Liberty – and here, we begin to see several hints at how Heart of the Swarm’s campaign will differ from its predecessor.

Gone is Raynor’s battlecruiser Hyperion, which acted as a sort of mission hub in Wings of Liberty. Instead, we see Kerrigan standing defiantly before a lava-filled landscape of Char. We learn that Char is currently under the control of the Terran. Led by General Warfield, the Terran are attempting to exterminate what’s left of the brood. Click on Kerrigan and you’ll be able to select her Battle Focus for your next mission.

During the demo, two Battle Focuses were available: Spec Ops and Corruption. Each focus will give Kerrigan a different selection of skills that can be used in battle, with more that can be unlocked as you continue playing. The Spec Ops tree seems to provide Kerrigan with more Ghost-like skills. But read the descriptors, and you get the sense that even the Spec Ops tree is tainted by the corruption of the Zerg. Psionic Shadow creates a shadow doppelganger of Kerrigan, which deals half damage. Pulse deals light damage to nearby targets and packs a brief stun. And Infested Cortex provides her with 50 extra energy points to spend on powers.

On the other hand, the Corruption focus certainly feels more Zerg-like and was our Battle Focus of choice during our time with the campaign. Spawn Broodlings is a great instant cast skill that kills your target, spawning five broodlings that’ll start attacking nearby enemies immediately. The skill doesn’t work against ‘massive’ or ‘hero’ units, but is great fun and useful for turning the tide of battle. Corrosive Spores is another useful skill; the area-of-effect skill makes it so that enemy units take an extra 3 points of damage every time they’re hit.

If you haven’t already seen the first cinematic teaser for Heart of the Swarm, do yourself a favor and watch it. It’ll be the best forty-four seconds you’ll spend today – and will set you up for the beginning of our brief demo, which placed us four to six missions deep into the Heart of the Swarm singleplayer campaign. During the time between the ending of Wings of Liberty and the demo for Heart of the Swarm, former Queen of Blades and leader of the Zerg Sarah Kerrigan has gone through some kind of change. She is no longer completely human, and is aspiring to regain her Zerg powers and control of the brood. However, the Zerg brood no longer recognizes Kerrigan as their leader – and our first two missions find us reigning in and wresting control from the Zerg usurpers and wannabes on the planet Char and the ice moon Kaldir.

We head for the volcanic world of Char, where Zerg forces have been severely weakened after the events at the end of Wings of Liberty – and here, we begin to see several hints at how Heart of the Swarm’s campaign will differ from its predecessor.

Gone is Raynor’s battlecruiser Hyperion, which acted as a sort of mission hub in Wings of Liberty. Instead, we see Kerrigan standing defiantly before a lava-filled landscape of Char. We learn that Char is currently under the control of the Terran. Led by General Warfield, the Terran are attempting to exterminate what’s left of the brood. Click on Kerrigan and you’ll be able to select her Battle Focus for your next mission.

During the demo, two Battle Focuses were available: Spec Ops and Corruption. Each focus will give Kerrigan a different selection of skills that can be used in battle, with more that can be unlocked as you continue playing. The Spec Ops tree seems to provide Kerrigan with more Ghost-like skills. But read the descriptors, and you get the sense that even the Spec Ops tree is tainted by the corruption of the Zerg. Psionic Shadow creates a shadow doppelganger of Kerrigan, which deals half damage. Pulse deals light damage to nearby targets and packs a brief stun. And Infested Cortex provides her with 50 extra energy points to spend on powers.

On the other hand, the Corruption focus certainly feels more Zerg-like and was our Battle Focus of choice during our time with the campaign. Spawn Broodlings is a great instant cast skill that kills your target, spawning five broodlings that’ll start attacking nearby enemies immediately. The skill doesn’t work against ‘massive’ or ‘hero’ units, but is great fun and useful for turning the tide of battle. Corrosive Spores is another useful skill; the area-of-effect skill makes it so that enemy units take an extra 3 points of damage every time they’re hit.

The post StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm – hands-on preview appeared first on Game News.