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'''''Heart of the Swarm''''' is the name of the ''[[StarCraft II]]'' [[zerg]] campaign and episode.
 
'''''Heart of the Swarm''''' is the name of the ''[[StarCraft II]]'' [[zerg]] campaign and episode.
   
−
It is released separately from the other two games<ref name = "KotakuSplit3">Mike Farley. 2008-10-10. [http://kotaku.com/5061980/starcraft-ii-single-player-is-a-trilogy StarCraft II Single Player Is A Trilogy!] ''Kotaku.com'' Accessed 2008-10-10.</ref><ref name = "IGNSplit3">Eduardo Vasconcellos. 2008-10-10. [http://pc.ign.com/articles/918/918895p1.html Blizzcon 08: StarCraft II Split Into Three Games]. ''IGN.'' Accessed 2008-10-10.</ref> and was priced as an expansion.<ref name = "BPHotSFAQ">Medievaldragon. 2011-10-27. [http://www.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-2011-starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-faq BlizzCon 2011: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm FAQ]. ''Blizzplanet.'' Accessed 2011-10-28.</ref><ref name = "Drop"/><ref name = "SourcePardo">Webnet. 2009-08-17. [http://www.starcraft-source.com/article/news/view/?id=261 Rob Pardo Q&A - Battle.net, Wings of Liberty, and more]. ''StarCraft Source.'' Accessed 2009-08-29.</ref> The basic set costs $40 USD and the deluxe set costs $55<ref>Rick Marshall. 2012-11-13. [http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-will-arrive-march-12/ StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm arrives March 12 in ‘Standard Edition’ and ‘Deluxe Edition’]. ''Gaming Trends.'' Accessed 2012-11-13.</ref> to $60. The Collector's Edition costs $80.<ref>Alice O'Connor. 2012-11-13. [http://www.shacknews.com/article/76629/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-coming-march-2013 StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm coming March 12]. ''Shack News.'' Accessed 2012-11-13.</ref>
 +
It is released separately from the other two games<ref name = "KotakuSplit3">Mike Farley. 2008-10-10. [http://kotaku.com/5061980/starcraft-ii-single-player-is-a-trilogy StarCraft II Single Player Is A Trilogy!] ''Kotaku.com'' Accessed 2008-10-10.</ref><ref name = "IGNSplit3">Eduardo Vasconcellos. 2008-10-10. [http://pc.ign.com/articles/918/918895p1.html Blizzcon 08: StarCraft II Split Into Three Games]. ''IGN.'' Accessed 2008-10-10.</ref> and was priced as an expansion.<ref name = "BPHotSFAQ">Medievaldragon. 2011-10-27. [http://www.blizzplanet.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-2011-starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-faq BlizzCon 2011: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm FAQ]. ''Blizzplanet.'' Accessed 2011-10-28.</ref><ref name = "Drop"/><ref name = "SourcePardo">Webnet. 2009-08-17. [http://www.starcraft-source.com/article/news/view/?id=261 Rob Pardo Q&A - Battle.net, Wings of Liberty, and more]. ''StarCraft Source.'' Accessed 2009-08-29.</ref> The basic set costs $40 USD and the deluxe set costs $55<ref>Rick Marshall. 2012-11-13. [http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/starcraft-ii-heart-of-the-swarm-will-arrive-march-12/ StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm arrives March 12 in ‘Standard Edition’ and ‘Deluxe Edition’]. ''Gaming Trends.'' Accessed 2012-11-13.</ref> to $60. The Collector's Edition costs $80.<ref>Alice O'Connor. 2012-11-13. [http://www.shacknews.com/article/76629/starcraft-2-heart-of-the-swarm-coming-march-2013 StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm coming March 12]. ''Shack News.'' Accessed 2012-11-13.</ref> It has been collected into a battlechest alongside ''Wings of Liberty''.<ref>2014-12-21, [http://starcraft.blizzpro.com/2014/12/21/blizzard-releases-starcraft-ii-battlechest/ BLIZZARD RELEASES STARCRAFT II BATTLECHEST]. ''Blizzpro'', accessed on 2014-12-25</ref>
   
 
It follows ''[[StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty|Wings of Liberty]]'' and precedes ''[[StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void|Legacy of the Void]]'' chronologically<ref name = "LorePanel2010">Chris Metzen, Brian Kindregan, StarCraft Legacy staff. 2010-10-23. [http://sclegacy.com/feature/106-blizzcon-2010/899-blizzcon-2010-starcraft-ii-lore-panel BlizzCon 2010 StarCraft II Lore Panel]. ''StarCraft Legacy.'' Accessed 2010-10-25.</ref><ref name = "BlizzCon 2008 Lore Panel">StarCraft Legacy staff. 2008-04-04. [http://sclegacy.com/feature/33-bc-08/337-starcraft-ii-lore-panel StarCraft II Lore Panel]. ''StarCraft Legacy''. Accessed on 2009-05-12</ref> and storywise.<ref name = "QA46">2007-17-11, [http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=12662133120&sid=3000 StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 46]. ''[[Karune]]''. Accessed on 2008-18-11</ref>
  
It follows ''[[StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty|Wings of Liberty]]'' and precedes ''[[StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void|Legacy of the Void]]'' chronologically<ref name = "LorePanel2010">Chris Metzen, Brian Kindregan, StarCraft Legacy staff. 2010-10-23. [http://sclegacy.com/feature/106-blizzcon-2010/899-blizzcon-2010-starcraft-ii-lore-panel BlizzCon 2010 StarCraft II Lore Panel]. ''StarCraft Legacy.'' Accessed 2010-10-25.</ref><ref name = "BlizzCon 2008 Lore Panel">StarCraft Legacy staff. 2008-04-04. [http://sclegacy.com/feature/33-bc-08/337-starcraft-ii-lore-panel StarCraft II Lore Panel]. ''StarCraft Legacy''. Accessed on 2009-05-12</ref> and storywise.<ref name = "QA46">2007-17-11, [http://forums.battle.net/thread.html?topicId=12662133120&sid=3000 StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 46]. ''[[Karune]]''. Accessed on 2008-18-11</ref>

Revision as of 03:57, 25 December 2014

"The killing will never stop until Mengsk is dead. I'm going to make him pay."

- Sarah Kerrigan(src)

Heart of the Swarm is the name of the StarCraft II zerg campaign and episode.

It is released separately from the other two games[3][4] and was priced as an expansion.[5][6][7] The basic set costs $40 USD and the deluxe set costs $55[8] to $60. The Collector's Edition costs $80.[9] It has been collected into a battlechest alongside Wings of Liberty.[10]

It follows Wings of Liberty and precedes Legacy of the Void chronologically[11][12] and storywise.[13]

The game is so named as per it being the most in-depth look into the zerg that Blizzard has ever carried out, allowing players to look into the 'heart' of the Swarm.[14]

Description

HotS Logo2

The game's logo

"Fury. Revenge. Hatred."

- The main themes of the game.(src)

The Queen of Blades is gone. On the hellish planet Char, Jim Raynor harnessed the power of an ancient Xel’Naga artifact in a desperate bid to stop the zerg Swarm from overrunning the Koprulu sector, and the relic restored Sarah Kerrigan to her human form. Without their queen to guide and unify them, the Swarm has fractured into several broods scattered throughout the Koprulu sector. One of the greatest threats to the galaxy has been neutralized...or so it seems.

Sarah Kerrigan is on the loose. Even without the terrible powers of the Queen of Blades or the might of the Swarm at her command, the former Ghost remains a foe not to be taken lightly. But if the artifact really did set her free, then why is Kerrigan seeking out zerg broods scattered throughout the Koprulu sector? What happened to Jim Raynor? Is she still pursuing her quest for vengeance, or has her transformation given Kerrigan a new purpose?

Who is Sarah Kerrigan?[15]

Storyline

StarCraft storyline
v • e
Before the Great War
Interbellum
Post-End War
"How many innocents have you killed? How many more have to die?"

- Horace Warfield(src)

Heart of the Swarm is a sequel to Wings of Liberty.[16] It focuses on Sarah Kerrigan[17] and the development of a zerg empire.[18] Kerrigan is no longer considered the Queen of Blades. Questions remain about why Kerrigan is no longer with Jim Raynor and whether her transformation has given her new purpose.[19] It begins three weeks after the end of Wings of Liberty.[20] Kerrigan is treated as an anti-hero storywise, and will have to make peace with her relationship with the Swarm over the course of the story. Themes of identity and responsibility will be present, of how responsible Kerrigan is for her actions and whether there are some crimes that can't be forgiven. She is torn in a sense, with her love for Raynor pulling her in one direction, and her hatred for Mengsk pulling her in another.[14]

Summary

During the Invasion of Char, the zerg were recalled to Char, and were in route aboard leviathans when Kerrigan was deinfested. The broods aboard the leviathans died or scattered over the Koprulu Sector, according to Izsha.[21]

And the (temporary) absence of a leader for the Swarm opened the way to rogue/dissident brood mothers, such as Zagara.[21]

Following the battle, Kerrigan was transformed into a human form but still has some infested elements (such as her "dreadlocks") leaving open the question of how infested is she, and whether she had her original personality back. Kerrigan was taken by Jim Raynor and Valerian Mengsk to a lab while she tried to reform the Zerg Swarm in order to topple Arcturus Mengsk.[22]

A Terran Dominion task force led by Nova Terra attacked the lab, seeking Kerrigan. Raynor was also there, fighting and attempting to protect Kerrigan.[23] Meanwhile, General Horace Warfield's forces are attempting to purge Char.[21]


AmmoCounter SC2-WoL CineFireFury1
This article or section is a stub. Please expand it.

Gameplay

A few updates have been made to the game's graphics engine, including upgrades to the look and behavior of zerg creep, as well as some changes that allow Blizzard artists to better showcase the worlds in the game. However, Blizzard intends for the expansion to have the same minimum hardware requirements as Wings of Liberty.[24]

A new feature is the rock pillar[25]/collapsable rock tower,[26] which can be destroyed in order to block off a choke point.[25]

Main and gas-extracting structures now display by passing the cursor the number of workers related to it.[26] For example, passing a cursor on a hatchery will show "workers: 10/24" and on an extractor will show "workers: 0/3").[26]

Singleplayer

Heart of the Swarm has 20 main missions and 7 optional evolution missions.[6] It requires an installed version of Wings of Liberty to play.[27]

A canon choices are the default in regards to the events of Wings of Liberty, but the game reflects player choices.[28] References are made in character dialogue to such events.[14] However, the impact of individual choices in Wings of Liberty is small.[29]

The campaign operates similarly to an RPG, in which Kerrigan is focused on increasing her personal power through mutations. Zerg armies protect her as she garners this power.[30] The greater her power, the more zerg she's able to control.[31] Like Wings of Liberty, the player is presented with choices as to which missions to carry out and which units to get, but such choices aren't be based on cash.[32] Both the missions and their objectives are intended to be quite different from the ones featured in Wings of Liberty.[33] She will instead worry about evolving the Swarm.[34]

The campaign features a branched storyline structure.[16] Each planet gives access to multiple missions.[21] The set pieces alter in accordance with planet and the results of missions.[35] It is intended that the missions strike a balance in regards to foes, with terrans, zerg, and protoss getting equal limelight.[36]

Missions cannot be skipped, but their order can be changed.[37] Browder expects that it will take the average player 20 or fewer hours to complete the campaign.[38] Many hybrids will appear in the campaign as opponents to Kerrigan.[14]

The missions of the game are intended to have a different feel than those in Wings of Liberty. In the first game of the trilogy, the zerg were rarely engaged directly and instead, it was about Raynor side-stepping them while completing his objectives. In Heart of the Swarm, the missions are more offensive in nature, such as preventing anyone from escaping an invaded planet.[14]

It is intended that character lines will be altered slightly based on context—not new scenes, but ones that will be contextually appropriate.[39]

There is little use for air-to-air units in the campaign.[36]

Kerrigan's Evolution

Main article: Sarah Kerrigan (Heart of the Swarm)

Kerrigan can increase her stats in a manner similar to Warcraft III, but not to the same extent.[27] She is present on almost every singleplayer mission. Unlike Raynor, Kerrigan is a creature of power that leads her army from the front And unlike Wings of Liberty, the mission isn’t over if she dies. Kerrigan is able to revive at the nearest hatchery if she is killed, allowing players to use her aggressively.[40]

Kerrigan initially starts out looking very human and armed with a gun, though she can control zerg forces.[21]

Each battle focus allows Kerrigan to have a certain set of special abilities.[21]

Unit Evolution Mechanics

Main article: Evolution pit

About the "hive-evolution" mechanic Dustin Browder said "we are trying to focus the player on finding new DNA from exotic and strange creatures around the sector so that you really feel like the key to zerg success is finding and infesting the immense, deadly monsters that live on the most savage planets in the galaxy."[40] It is intended that the choices of unit type/evolution by less clear-cut than in Wings of Liberty, with different options being equally viable.[36]

Mini-missions are available when a unit split is available. The missions allow the player to use both types of units, enabling the player to make an educated choice by the end of it.[28] These changes cannot be reverted.[41]

There are 14 or so short skirmishes far from the standard missions. In one example, zerglings can be upgraded into raptors by absorbing the genetics of leaping creatures, while the alternative is to listen to a queen on a remote world who has developed swarmlings.[42] This is a change from the old mutagen system of evolution, which developers felt was too similar to the system of upgrades in Wings of Liberty.[14]

Another example of an evolution mission involved banelings. Abathur arranges for banelings to evolve into splitterlings on one planet by absorbing the genetic essence of its indigenous lifeforms. Alternatively, the banelings can be subjected to natural selection on a volcanic world, where lava flows kill many until they evolve jumping abilities to avoid that.[43]

Destruction of Worlds

During the campaign, players can use the Destruction of Worlds mechanic to add a planet's resources to the Swarm's own resources.[44] This evolves the swarm, not individual units. Old broodmothers will contact Kerrigan, wanting to rejoin the Swarm. Izsha will identify worlds to destroy, each of which gives a benefit. For instance, one might enable drones to harvest more minerals, or give overlords more control.[28] On the subject of worlds, several exotic ones will feature, driving home how the zerg use the harsh conditions of worlds to further their own evolution..[45]

Characters

Units

"New multiplayer units! Now with 5,000% more super bad-assedness!"

- BlizzCon 2011 slogan(src)

There are new multiplayer units for each of the three playable races.[46] It was Blizzard's intention to enhance the uniqueness of each playable species in regards to gameplay[24] and to avoid redundancy.[47]

Units, which were cut from multiplayer, make their appearances in the campaign mode.[48]

Terrans

BattleHellion SC2-HotS DevRend1 WidowMine SC2 Head1
Hellbat[49] Widow mine[50]

According to Dustin Browder, the terrans have "enough stuff already" and as such, it is difficult to know what to do with them. Terrans are more flexible in multiplayer than the zerg or protoss and the team doesn't want to add units/unit properties that increase this trend.[38] Reapers gain an out-of-combat regeneration ability called Combat Drugs.[25][51]

At BlizzCon 2011, three new terran units were revealed—the warhound, the shredder and the hellbat.[52] However, the shredder was later removed.[53] Overall, the new terran theme for Heart of the Swarm is a mech one, standing in contrast to Wings of Liberty which was more balanced around biological terran units.[54]

As of June 2012, the widow mine, which could attack both air and ground units, was introduced.[55]

As of September 2012, during the beta, the warhound was removed.[56]

A general theme for terran units in the expansion is that they are more high-tech than units in previous installments.[57]

Zerg

SwarmHostLocust SC2 DevRend1 Viper SC2-HotS DevRend1
Swarm host and locust[49] Viper[49]

At BlizzCon 2011, the viper and swarm host were added to the Swarm,[52] while the overseer was said to be removed from multiplayer.[49] The overseer made a reappearance in the game due to changes to the viper.[53] Prior to this, numerous ideas have been tossed around—the lurker is a possibility but has not been confirmed[58] and a different unit may be created to take the role the lurker once had.[38] At BlizzCon 2010, the infested bunker was touted as a possible campaign unit.[59]

Protoss

Oracle SC2-HotS DevRend1 Tempest SC2-HotS DevRend1 MothershipCore HotS Rend2
Oracle[49] Tempest[49] Mothership core[55]

The protoss were to gain three new units—the oracle, the replicant and the tempest,[52] while the mothership and carrier were to be removed from multiplayer games.[49] As of April 2012, the replicant had been removed.[53] As of June 2012, the mothership core, a new unit built on the nexus that can later upgrade into a Wings of Liberty mothership, was named and displayed.[55] The carrier reappeared during the beta.[60]

A general goal of protoss development in the game is to give them more aerial firepower.[53]

Multiplayer

Blizzard plans on adding "drawing" functionality for referees in Heart of the Swarm.[61]

From a multiplayer standpoint, Heart of the Swarm is an expansion, not a sequel.[16]

It has a separate ladder from Wings of Liberty.[62]

Heart of the Swarm will have the same e-sports focus as Wings of Liberty.[63] There are no plans to implement LAN.[36]

The developers are considering expanding tier 1 scouting options for all three races.[36]

The game will includes an arcade for finding games.[64] The marketplace itself won't be ready until after the launch of Heart of the Swarm.[65]

The game possesses a leveling system, introducing a system of leveling and rewards. In this system, experience is earned while playing matchmaking and custom games. XP is given in accordance with race played, given at the end of the match, and is earnt through each unit built and destroyed. Levels range from 1 to 20 for each race. Bonus XP can also be earnt. Each level gifts the player with a new decal or portrait. These levels have a net total; by reaching level 20 for each race, a player has a net total level of 60 for instance.[66]

A clan system is present in the game. Players can form/join clans and assign tags accordingly.[67]

Reception

Heart of the Swarm was the best selling retail PC game in North America in 2013.[68]


AmmoCounter SC2-WoL CineFireFury1
This article or section is a stub. Please expand it.

Development

Development History

Heart of the Swarm SC2 Logo1

Development image

Blizzard's storyboard team was already working on Heart of the Swarm while Wings of Liberty's gameplay was refined.[69][70] The development team numbers over 150, with a core team of 70 developers.[38] It was deemed that the game's "zerg fantasy" (similar to the "terran fantasy" of Wings of Liberty) would be focused on adapting to hostile environments, picking mutations and evolutions to become a more efficient killing machine.[71]

As of March 2011 Dustin Browder expected Heart of the Swarm to finish development in approximately one year.[72] As of July 2011, the first part of the campaign (including cutscenes) had been completed.[73]

In October of 2011, Blizzard began releasing preview art of new units.[74][75][76]

May 2012 Announcement

As of May 2012, Blizzard announced plans to include the following functionalities in Heart of the Swarm:

  • Multiplayer resume from replay: This would enable an interrupted multiplayer game, such as in an e-sport tournament, to start from a point in the replay.
  • Global Play: Enabling players to operate accounts outside of their home region
  • Multilanguage support
  • Clan/group system
  • Unranked matchmaking
  • Multiplayer replay viewing[77]

Beta

Main article: Heart of the Swarm beta

The beta test went live September 4, 2012.[78] It was expected to last 3-5 months.[36] By June 2012 the missions were complete, and Dustin Browder believed the game would be released that year. However, there was a lot of multiplayer work, UI, art and debugging to work on.[79] On November 13, 2012, the release date of March 12, 2013 was announced.[1] Presales became available as of then.[80] The beta ended on March 1st, 2013.[81]

Release

The game was released on March 12, 2013.[1] With the game's release, many of those who had worked on it were transferred to work on Heroes of the Storm.[82]

Maps

Because of feedback from Wings of Liberty players, Heart of the Swarm received larger map sizes.[82]

Units

Browder was open to the idea of the defiler being playable in the campaign, but was more reserved about the devourer.[36] Various new types of nydus worms were being planned as well.[53] None of these were playable in the final product.[20]

Destroyer of Worlds

"Destroyer of Worlds" was a mechanic that existed in a pre-release version of the game. Here, Kerrigan could select from various worlds for a broodmother to destroy, said worlds being of tactical advantage to the Dominion.[83] In the final version of the game, while broodmothers do destroy worlds upon Kerrigan's order, there is no element of player choice or gameplay effect.[20]

Storyline

The story was intended to have a darker feel than Wings of Liberty, due to the zerg being the protagonists.[39] According to lead writer Brian T. Kindregan, the story was intended to be "a complete story of Sarah Kerrigan and the zerg," and have "its own satisfying ending."[84] He intended for the story to convey the zerg mindset and their code of ethics, though not so far to convey the idea that the zerg are simply misunderstood. Striking a balance between the "alienness" of zerg characters yet also making them relatable was another issue.[27]

More emphasis was placed on mission cutscenes than Wings of Liberty in regards to conveying backstory, such as information about the zerg.[36] Dustin Browder has acknowledged that Wings of Liberty suffered from a lack of clarity at times, that character motivations were vague and the story lacked central focus. In contrast, Heart of the Swarm was to keep its focus on Kerrigan much more and hopefully avoid those problems.[85]

Location-wise, Heart of the Swarm was intended to show more exotic locales than the ones featured in Wings of Liberty—no "farm areas" for instance. Ideas for locations include gas giants, frozen and hot worlds, places where the zerg were first formed and Dominion labs.[38]

As Heart of the Swarm neared, the online StarCraft short stories series became zerg-centric, focusing on zerg evolution.[86] Online zerg-focused stories such as In the Blood have been published.[87] An ongoing blog, Project Blackstone, was also be created to represent changes in-universe. Light was shed on zerg biology and the protoss.[86]

Cut Content

It was deemed unlikely that many characters from Wings of Liberty would return for Heart of the Swarm bar Jim Raynor and Arcturus Mengsk.[36] It was stated that characters from StarCraft: Brood War would make appearances, with Samir Duran cited as one such possibility.[38] Duran did not appear in the final product.[20] However, unused subtitles had Stukov referring to Narud as Duran.[88]

Creatures could be collected for DNA from places such as Terran Dominion labs.[41] Creatures were collected from the Daelaam Ark[89] but not a Dominion lab.[20]

Early versions of the story included a sub-plot where Kerrigan gained revenge on Abathur for his transformation of her into the Queen of Blades, and harsher treatment of Zagara in her instruction of tactics. Cut lines indicate that hybrids were set to have been encountered in a greater abundance than they were in the game's release version.[83]

In December 2010, a video was uploaded claiming to be the ending cinematic to the game. The video was a very early rendering of the video with a temporary sound track and a watermark for The Third Floor, a company known to have done some of the cinematic work for Wings of Liberty. Blizzard did not comment on the video as part of its general policy to "not comment on rumors or speculation".[90] As it turns out, the final version of Heart of the Swarm's ending cinematic bears multiple similarities in characterization and dialogue with the leaked cinematic.[91]

Collector's Edition

Heart of the Swarm SC2 Cover2

The collector's edition

Heart of the Swarm features a Collector's Edition. It includes custom in-game content: a torrasque skin, 3 Swarm-infested portraits, 3 Swarm-infested decals, a baneling pet in World of Warcraft, and a Blade Wings & Banner sigil in Diablo III in honor of the Queen of Blades.

The product includes a Heart of the Swarm art book, a zerg rush mouse pad, a Behind the Scenes Blu-ray™ / DVD set and a Collector's Edition soundtrack.[92]

Heart of the Swarm Videos

Blizzard has uploaded a number of videos to demonstrate Heart of the Swarm.

Battle Reports

In addition, Blizzard hosted a series of Battle Reports in June 2012.[26][93]

The next article in this series is StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Blizzard Entertainment. 2012-11-13. Heart of the Swarm Arrives March 12, 2013 — Presales NOW LIVE. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2012-11-13.
  2. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. The Next Evolution Begins (in Korean). Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2012-11-13.
  3. ↑ Mike Farley. 2008-10-10. StarCraft II Single Player Is A Trilogy! Kotaku.com Accessed 2008-10-10.
  4. ↑ Eduardo Vasconcellos. 2008-10-10. Blizzcon 08: StarCraft II Split Into Three Games. IGN. Accessed 2008-10-10.
  5. ↑ Medievaldragon. 2011-10-27. BlizzCon 2011: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm FAQ. Blizzplanet. Accessed 2011-10-28.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lovedrop. 2011-05-31. TeamLiquid Heart of the Swarm Preview. Teamliquid. Accessed 2011-05-31.
  7. ↑ Webnet. 2009-08-17. Rob Pardo Q&A - Battle.net, Wings of Liberty, and more. StarCraft Source. Accessed 2009-08-29.
  8. ↑ Rick Marshall. 2012-11-13. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm arrives March 12 in ‘Standard Edition’ and ‘Deluxe Edition’. Gaming Trends. Accessed 2012-11-13.
  9. ↑ Alice O'Connor. 2012-11-13. StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm coming March 12. Shack News. Accessed 2012-11-13.
  10. ↑ 2014-12-21, BLIZZARD RELEASES STARCRAFT II BATTLECHEST. Blizzpro, accessed on 2014-12-25
  11. ↑ Chris Metzen, Brian Kindregan, StarCraft Legacy staff. 2010-10-23. BlizzCon 2010 StarCraft II Lore Panel. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2010-10-25.
  12. ↑ StarCraft Legacy staff. 2008-04-04. StarCraft II Lore Panel. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed on 2009-05-12
  13. ↑ 2007-17-11, StarCraft II Q&A - Batch 46. Karune. Accessed on 2008-18-11
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 14.5 2011-10-22, BlizzCon 2011 - Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm - Campaign and Lore Panel (Full). YouTube, accessed on 2011-11-07
  15. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment staff. Story. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2011-09-01.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 16.2 Russ Frushtick. 2010-08-23. Blizzard Gives An Update On 'StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm'. MTV Multiplayer. Accessed 2010-08-24.
  17. ↑ Rob Pardo. 2008-10-10. Starcraft 2 Trilogy Announcement. Wegame.com Accessed 2008-10-12.
  18. ↑ 2009-06-29, Jonathan Ross, Destructoid interview: StarCraft II's Dustin Browder. Destructoid. Accessed on 2009-07-23
  19. ↑ Blizzard Entertainment. Story. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2011-06-01.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 20.4 Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. (Activision Blizzard) (in English). March 12, 2013
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 21.5 StarCraft Legacy staff. 2011-05-30. May 2011 HoTS Gameplay Info. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2011-05-31.
  22. ↑ Jonny Ebbert, Medievaldragon. 2011-09-17. Jonny Ebbert Talks StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. Blizzplanet. Accessed 2011-09-17.
  23. ↑ 2011-05-31. Blizzard Entertainment. Debut Teaser HD. Gametrailers. Accessed 2011-05-31.
  24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 2011-10-27, BlizzCon 2011: StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm FAQ. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2011-11-06
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 Blizzard Entertainment, Teamliquid. 2012-06-09. Heart of the Swarm Update. Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2012-06-09.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 Blizzard Entertainment. 2012-06-08. Heart of the Swarm Update - New Videos (StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm - Battle Report (Protoss vs Zerg)). Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2012-06-08.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 2011-06-15, Starcraft 2: Heart of the Swarm video preview. Atomic, accessed on 2011-07-08
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