As many had predicted, Blizzard announced the coming of StarCraft II at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational held in Korea this past Saturday. Despite being "very far along" in production (they've been working on it since 2003), it doesn't have a projected release date just yet. It'll be ready when it's ready, is what they're saying.
Conditions for the game are pretty much a developer's dream; Blizzard has basically given them license to spend as much time and money as they need to do the job right. The three races from the first* Starcraft-*-the Protoss, the Zerg, and the Terrans--all return in the sequel, but they've all been given a thorough overhaul to keep the game balanced and fresh. Expect new units, new abilities, and new gameplay mechanics for all three.
Once again, there will be a strong single-player campaign and a habit-forming online campaign sure to keep many a gamer up far, far past his or her bedtime. It will also come with a full-featured map editor in case you want to try and recreate the battle of Thermopylae in space.
Said Blizzard president Mike Morhaime:
So, bottom line: it's the StarCraft we know and love, given a tuneup and a fresh coat of paint. In other words, exactly what we've been wanting. Gentlemen, start your Zerg rush.
