Whispers of Oblivion Available Now with LotV Pre-Purchase

by JR Cook - 9 years ago     show comments

A pre-purchase page for Legacy of the Void has showed up on the Blizzard store page, offering a list of bonuses for putting money down now for the game. In addition, a full-on blog entry running down everything about the oncoming game has come up as well.

Pre-purchasing the game grants immediate access to the Whispers of Oblivion prologue missions which will introduce the single-player Protoss campaign. Eventually, everyone will have access to these prologue missions for free, but pre-purchasing the game gets you access right now.

Meanwhile, the Digital Deluxe edition of the game offers a bunch of in-game and cross-franchise bonuses:

• SC2: Unique portraits and an additional Protoss unit skin.
• World of Warcraft: A mini-Archon pet.
• Diablo III: Protoss-themed cosmetic armor and a probe companion pet.
• Hearthstone: A Protoss-themed cardback.
• Heroes of the Storm: A unique Void Seeker mount.

Additionally, the splash page advertising the pre-purchase also mentions a “Starcraft Warrior hero” for Heroes of the Storm that has clearly not been announced yet. Speculation around the BlizzPen says that Blizzard might be planning to do a Starcraft-themed update around the time LotV sees release, just as the Eternal Conflict expansion ties in with Diablo 3’s recent content updates.

The blog also drops some interesting news somewhat unrelated to the LotV pre-purchase; chiefly, Heart of the Swarm is becoming a standalone product as well, so you’ll no longer need to own Wings of Liberty in order to play HotS. In addition, modders will be pleased to hear that owning any of the three standalone chapters of SC2 will grant them access to ALL of the game assets for all three games, with no pre-requisites.

Finally? This is your first confirmation that LotV has a release window for Winter 2015-2016. Strictly speaking, that means the game will release no earlier than December 22nd of this year, and no later than March 19th of 2016. Given that the beta started up on May 31st, and that Blizzard tends to beta for around six months, a winter date has always been suspect, but wasn’t known for certain until now.

As soon as we know more, you’ll know more. Read the full blog post below.

Legacy of the Void™, the standalone conclusion to the StarCraft II trilogy, is set to launch by winter—but players can prepare for battle now by pre-purchasing the game via the official Legacy of the Void website! Featuring a galaxy-spanning protoss campaign and new multiplayer features such as the cooperative Allied Commanders and Archon Mode that give battlefield generals of all stripes whole new ways to play, Legacy of the Void is being built to deliver the ultimate StarCraft II experience.

Get Early Access to Whispers of Oblivion

Those who pre-purchase digitally or lock in their pre-order at select retailers will also gain entry to the ongoing Legacy of the Void beta test. Pre-purchase digitally through Battle.net now, and you’ll also gain immediate access in beta to all three “Whispers of Oblivion” prologue missions featuring the legendary Dark Templar Zeratul.

Multiple Editions Warping In

Legacy of the Void will come in a Standard Edition (physical and digital versions available), which players can pre-purchase now digitally for $39.99. Anyone who purchases or pre-purchases any edition of the expansion will also unlock access to an upcoming, yet-to-be-revealed StarCraft Warrior Hero in Heroes of the Storm. Players also have the option to upgrade their pre-purchase to the Digital Deluxe Edition ($59.99), which will unlock a variety of in-game bonuses for Blizzard games (available upon Legacy of the Void’s release), including:

• Archon battle pet ready to join your side in World of Warcraft
• Void Seeker mount to charge through the Nexus in Heroes of the Storm
• Protoss card back to demonstrate your psionic potential in Hearthstone
• Protoss-themed portraits and unit skin for StarCraft II

Legacy of the Void will also be available in a retail-exclusive Collector’s Edition, which comes equipped with the digital bonus items from the Digital Deluxe Edition, as well as a special edition of the upcoming full-color hardcover StarCraft Field Manual; a DVD loaded with cinematics and special features; and a CD soundtrack.

Heart of the Swarm Goes Standalone

For players who haven’t yet played the first StarCraft II expansion, Heart of the Swarm, it just became a little easier to stage a zerg rush. Starting today, the original StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is no longer required to play Heart of the Swarm—making this the perfect time to catch up on Kerrigan’s story and command a host of additional multiplayer units for all three factions.

Good News for Modders

With Heart of the Swarm going standalone, we’re also making a few changes to the Arcade. Previously, if modders and game makers only owned Wings of Liberty, they could only publish games to the Arcade using Wings of Liberty assets and were unable to use Heart of the Swarm assets. With this update, we’re freeing up our asset library so that modders only need to own any one of the StarCraft II releases (Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, or the upcoming Legacy of the Void) to publish Arcade games that use assets from all expansions. This also means modders with access to Wings of Liberty or the standalone Heart of the Swarm will be able to use assets from Legacy of the Void.

Now get out there and make some great games!

Pre-purchase and Prologue FAQ

How can I access the Whispers of Oblivion prologue missions once I’ve pre-purchased?
Upon pre-purchasing Legacy of the Void, you’ll be granted access to the Legacy beta test realm. You can then log in to the beta and access the prologue missions immediately.

Do the prologue missions have achievements and difficulty settings?
Yes, the prologue will have achievements associated with the missions and all difficulty levels (Easy, Normal, Hard, Brutal) will be available to play. However, please note that achievements and mission progress from the early-access phase will not carry over to the live game once the prologue becomes available to everyone.

When will Whispers of Oblivion be available to everyone?
While we haven’t yet announced an exact date, the prologue will be available to all players prior to the launch of Legacy of the Void.

Is this a beta version of the prologue missions? Will they change at all before they are available to everyone?
No. The prologue missions that you’ll gain early access to are finished missions. These are the same versions that will eventually be made available to everyone—though as noted above, your achievements and progress will not carry over.

Will all players who have access to the beta be able to play the prologue missions?
No. Only players who have pre-purchased Legacy of the Void will have access to the prologue missions in the beta test. Players who already have beta access or gain beta access in the future will still be able to enjoy all of the multiplayer features already available.

For more information on Legacy of the Void, visit the official website! You can have a more in-depth look at the cast of characters, as well as a preview of many upcoming game features.