StarCraft II’s first expansion not due until 2012

October 8, 2010 By Ryan Fleming

StarCraft II fans that are patiently waiting for the Zerg and Protoss expansions will have to wait at least 18 months, according to Blizzard.

StarCraft fans should be used to waiting patiently by now. After all, it was 12 years between title releases, so what’s a mere 18 months? GameSpot is reporting that at Battle.net project director told the audience at GDC Online in Austin, Texas, that the next StarCraft II expansion, the Zerg-based Heart of the Swarm is at least 18 months away, putting it around March or April of 2012.

This is about in keeping with what Blizzard had originally suggested, but Blizzard made it clear to Gamespot that there was no official release date planned, and that StarCraft II would not be featured at the upcoming Blizzcon later this month. Blizzard typically keeps quiet on release dates — just look at the upcoming World of Warcraft: Cataclysm, which was only recently announced to be out on December 7, ending months of speculation.

The Heart of the Swarm is the first of two planned expansion packs for StarCraft II, and the second part of the trilogy that began with the Terran campaign in the original release. The second, Legacy of the Void, will focus on the Protoss. No release date has been suggested for that, but it could be as late as 2014.

Showing 7 comments

BTD at 6:14pm 13th January 2011 As long as it doesn't take another 12 years, I can wait. Considering I started playing SC when it launched in 97, when I was 11, if Blizzard has given me anything, it's been patience. Haha
MGY at 7:33pm 1st January 2011 Agreed
JBT at 2:21pm 29th November 2010 It's not ridiculous at all for it to take that long for the next expansion to come out. They're not 14-pooling. I don't think that people realize that it is rather difficult to make games, much moreso to make good ones. And Blizzard does not exist to appease your every whim and pump out a new expansion every few months. Get a grip and enjoy the game we have. It's more than enough to keep me occupied for another year. They're basically creating an entirely new game, so of course it will take a year at the very least.
Thomas A.W at 4:19am 26th October 2010 Patience. Thorough developing. And no hasting, I dig that(!). I love that Blizzard makes a good game before pulling the whole thing out, instead of hurrying the release out on the market. And I've been into Blizzard earlier, I always played Red Alert, AoE, Silent Hill and RE but now, since I tried out Wings of Liberty, I've got a huge thirst for StarCraft. One thing that makes me wonder though. By the completion of the campaign in SCII, it's told the story will be *continued* in the 'next episode' Heart of the Swarm, but how does this expansion *forward* the storyline, when you play as the queen of blades and such? That's rather seeing the same story, from a different angle, isn't it??
ore masta at 10:47am 12th October 2010 Ehh, good things come to those who wait, and for blizz fans "When it's ready" should be the most heard expression. But like always Blizzard makes good games, so enjoy the wait.
ManTiss at 8:45pm 9th October 2010 nah, I think it's reasonable. I'll be satisfied with Wings of Liberty for a while
Ian Bell at 8:35pm 8th October 2010 Ridiculous to wait another year for this expansion.