Blizzard Announce Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm Release Date

It feels like it has been “coming soon” for a long time, but today Blizzard Entertainment have finally announced the release date for the hugely anticipated Starcraft II expansion, Heart of the Swarm.

It’ll cost £32.99 here in the UK (in stores, as well as digitall via Starcraft2.com) and will be released on March 12, 2013.

Heart of the Swarm will feature a new single player campaign that continues the story of Sarah Kerrigan, Queen of Blades. So expect plenty of Zerg action!

But that’s not all, there will also be a Collector’s Edition that includes digital and physical bonus items. The Collector’s Edition will cost £59.99 in stores, but the digital deluxe version will be £42.99. Even cooler, if you purchase the standard edition, you can upgrade to the digital deluxe edition at any time for £10, so if you decide you want the bonuses, it’ll cost you no more than if you purchased the deluxe edition in the first place.

Here’s what you’ll get in the Digital Deluxe Edition:

• StarCraft II Torrasque: Crush the enemies of the Swarm with the indomitable Torrasque, a fearsome new look for your zerg Ultralisks.
• StarCraft II Battle.net Portraits and Decals: New Swarm-infested Battle.net portraits and decals help you customize the look of your online profile and in-game army.
• World of Warcraft In-Game Pet: The Baneling companion pet is bursting with enthusiasm and ready to explode onto the Pet Battles scene.
• Diablo® III Blade Wings and Banner Sigil: Grow zerg-like wings in honor of the Queen of Blades, and unfurl an exclusive banner sigil to mark your allegiance to the Swarm in Sanctuary.

And here’s what you get in the Collector’s Edition, along with all of the goodies from the Digital Deluxe version:

• Behind-the-Scenes DVD and Blu-ray: Immerse yourself in the StarCraft universe with developer commentary, interviews with voice actors, and an in-depth historical retrospective on StarCraft’s eSports legacy narrated by key members of the community.
• Collector’s Edition Soundtrack CD: Enhance your Heart of the Swarm musical experience with this collection of more than a dozen tracks from the game.
• Heart of the Swarm Hardcover Art Book: This 144-page tome features never-before-seen art from the expansion, including early concept sketches and meticulous 3D renderings.
• Zerg Rush Mousepad: This Collector’s Edition mousepad depicts the Terran Dominion holding out desperately under the onslaught of the Swarm.

New weapons of war also debut in Heart of the Swarm’s multiplayer, including new units such as Terran Hellbats, Zerg Swarm Hosts, and Protoss Tempests, while certain existing units from Wings of Liberty will be updated with new capabilities. New features will enhance the game experience, including group and clan systems; unranked matchmaking; Global Play, enabling players to battle others in different regions around the world; additional stat tracking; user interface improvements; an enhanced physics system, for more visceral looking battles; multiplayer replays, to watch replays with friends; a leveling system that gives Heart of the Swarm players a new way to earn customization options for their online profiles; and much more.

It’s all rather exciting, isn’t it? At least we finally have that release date!

Starcraft II: Heart of the Swarm will be released exclusively for Windows PC on March 12, 2013.