BlizzCon 2014: All Your Starcraft II “Legacy of the Void” Questions Answered

Blizzard announced “Legacy of the Void,” the highly anticipated final chapter in the Starcraft II trilogy at BlizzCon 2014, promising an ‘epic conclusion’ to Raynor, Kerrigan, Zeratul and more, as players guide the Protoss and aim to unite the three races to battle the ultimate evil that threatens all life in the universe.

We had a chance to interview Allen Dilling and Justin Thavirat, Lead Artists for “Legacy,” about Starcraft II, Kerrigan, and all things Zerg.

“We really feel like everyone’s stories will finish up in way that the players will enjoy and appreciate,” said Thavirat. “And we’re really excited about the fact that it’s stand-alone, so players can just jump in and start with ‘Legacy.’”

That’s right, “Legacy of the Void” will be a stand alone game—players can purchase it and play without owning, or even had played, “Wings of Liberty” or “Heart of the Swarm.”  “Legacy” will have both new strategies and units for single player play, but also two new game modes, Archon Mode, a new co-op gameplay; and Allied Commanders, an objective based co-op that allows players to take on the persona of famous commanders and play through a series of special scenarios.

“’Legacy of the Void’ will deliver the quintessential StarCraft II experience,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “The new single-player campaign will wrap up the massive story, and we’re excited to share new game modes that will open up different ways to play the game and additional units that will expand the rich strategic depth of StarCraft II multiplayer.”

“Legacy” has numerous changes that will require players to play much more offensively, including increasing the effectiveness of Marines and Medic, and lowering the amount of resources available on each mineral deposits or vespene gas geysers.

“The new maps and upgraded units really allow for more diverse strategies, and it also allows players to get a more in-depth look at the worlds people are coming from.” Said Dilling. “For example, you’ll finally get a chance to see a Protoss mother ship, where the whole race lives, which we’ve never done before.”

A number of Terran, Protoss and Zerg units are upgraded, and whole new units are being introduced for each of the races, most specifically to increase a player’s effectiveness in multi-player, including improved HERCs, Siege Tanks, Lurkers, Ravagers and more.

“We really wanted multiplayer, and the new Co-op Archon Mode, to be something that all players could enjoy, from the e-sports pros to someone who just picked up the game.” Thavirat said. “And with the upgraded units and new modes, I think players will really enjoy it.”

“Making sure that the social aspect of the game was there, with the automated Battle.net tournaments and the new modes, was a real priority for us.” Dilling added.

“Legacy” will also offer new multiplayer maps and tilesets to allow the player to battle throughout the Koprulu Sector.

A release date has yet to be announced, but players can sign up for the official Beta at www.starcraft2.com. “Legacy” will be available on both PC and Mac simultaneously.

Let us know what you think in the comments. And follow SJ on twitter @sjbwrite to get all the latest Blizz updates.