StarCraft 2 Beta Has Started

The StarCraft 2 beta has just gone live as members of the community report the availability of the client for downloading.

Many fans have waited a long time for this, and the 20,000+ beta key holders especially. The beta keys will be distributed in waves, so if you have not yet received your key, it will arrive eventually.

There doesn’t seem to be any limitations on who gets the keys. A mix between previous BlizzCon keys as well as the “opt-in” keys players can choose in their Battle.net accounts.It seems that the beta is available for download and management, but is not technically live yet. People with downloaded clients can access the login screen, but not actually connect.

Blizzard RTS community manager Stefanie Gwinner also confirms “that the FAQ is not up to date. EU players are getting into the beta at the same time as US [players].”

Keep an eye on the news here at IncGamers for further updates!

Blizzard has now also released a statement:The Koprulu sector rings once more with the sounds of battle, for the public beta test of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty has officially begun! Invitations to participate in the beta test are now being delivered. As with previous Blizzard Entertainment titles, the beta-test process for StarCraft II will occur in phases. In each phase, we will be selecting players who meet specific criteria and who have opted in via their Battle.net accounts.

Players who have been invited to participate in the beta test will need to have a Battle.net account. For more information on the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty beta test, please read the FAQ and our recent media alert.

If you didn’t receive a beta test invite, don’t worry — it’s possible that you’ll be added in a later phase. Keep an eye on the email address associated with your Battle.net account, and stay tuned to www.StarCraft2.com for further updates.

Additionally, please keep discussion regarding the StarCraft II Beta consolidated to this thread. Thanks! Further information is now available, and it seems like far from everyone of the 20,000 beta keys given at BlizzCon will be served with a Beta account:I just wanted to confirm that a large number of the BlizzCon attendees were invited into the first wave today and should be receiving their emails once they are all processed. We will be sending out more invites as the beta process continues. This will likely disappoint many fans.