StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm closed beta goes live for select players

Blizzard sends out first wave of beta invites for StarCraft 2's Heart of the Swarm expansion.

The first expansion to StarCraft 2 draws closer today with the kick off of the multiplayer beta test for Heart of the Swarm, now being played by a select group of gamers.

Blizzard says it has opened StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm's multiplayer-only preview to pro gamers, members of the press, contest winners, and shoutcasters, the first wave of players invited to take part in the closed beta. The developer says it will roll out additional access to Heart of the Swarm's beta over time. Players interested in taking part must opt-in to beta opportunities through Battle.net, preferably from an account that's "actively playing" StarCraft 2.

In a posting on the company's StarCraft blog, Blizzard says it also plans to distribute Heart of the Swarm beta access through fansites and community personalities. As always, be mindful of phishing attempts. Players can check to see if they've been granted access to the closed beta by logging into their Battle.net account.

StarCraft 2: Heart of the Swarm is the Zerg-focused add-on that will introduce a number of new units and new tactics for the Zerg, Protoss, and Terrans. You can read more about the upcoming changes planned for StarCraft 2 multiplayer in our hands-on preview of the game