Starcraft Universe, a Starcraft II MMO mod, has gone into public beta on Battle.net, according to the modders at Upheaval Arts.
Available as a set of custom maps on Battle.Net, players will need Starcraft II to play Starcraft Universe. A new trailer released today introduces players to the Universe story and gameplay:
Set 11 years after the events of Starcraft II, Universe takes place in an alternate history scenario where Kerrigan is killed, which triggers a Zerg-hyrbid invasion that all-but-destroys the Protoss and Terran races.
According to the game's FAQ page, Universe aims to recreate the experience of a WoW multiplayer raid using Starcraft characters. When the mod is complete, teams of up to five will be able to tackle dungeons. In the current beta, players are limited to a solo experience:
"If you're curious why we're only releasing the single-player content, it's because we need to release this project slowly to ensure all of our core systems work properly," Upheaval explains in the trailer description. "This project is a massive undertaking, which completely alters the way the SC2 engine operates, and we're a very small team without a big QA department. YOU guys will be our quality assurance!"
Players can choose from eight character classes based on SCII units, each with their own skill progression, including the Marine, Firebat, Ghost, Medic, Dark Templar, High Templar, Preserver, and Zealot. According to Upheaval, more classes loot, and enemies will be added to the game over time. Considering it's a fan project, expect content to come at a slow, if not steady, pace.
The description says the modders hope to have mulitplayer support up and running within a few months. Upheaval also plans to include PvP support for competitive play.