StarCraft® II – Beta Opt-In FAQ

The StarCraft® II beta is coming! If you’re interested in participating, you need to sign up for a Battle.net account, opt in to participate in upcoming Blizzard Entertainment betas through Battle.net Account Management, and upload your system specifications using our quick system-snapshot software. If you’re selected, you’ll be notified in the coming months. For more information, including what to do if you have a StarCraft II beta code from BlizzCon 2008, check out the FAQ below.

How do I sign up for the StarCraft® II beta?
In order to sign up for the StarCraft II beta, you first need to register a Battle.net account. You can opt in to the beta for StarCraft II, as well as betas for future Blizzard Entertainment games, through our new beta opt-in process. To get started, simply click “Beta Profile Settings” in Battle.net Account Management.
To be considered, you must create a beta profile containing your system specifications (see below) and indicate which Blizzard Entertainment games you’re interested in beta testing -- be sure to check the box for the StarCraft universe. Once you’ve successfully uploaded a beta profile, the associated Battle.net account is added to a pool of potential beta testers.

What is a beta profile?
A beta profile is a snapshot of your current system specifications. It includes such information as how much RAM you have, available hard drive space, your graphics card and driver, and other information about your system. We gather this information to ensure that we are able to test our games on a wide range and distribution of systems.

How do I get selected to become a beta tester?
Participants for each beta test will be selected from the pool of eligible testers who have opted in based on their system specifications, beta-test preferences, and other factors, including pure luck. Opting in does not guarantee you will be selected to participate in a beta test.

How will I be notified if I am selected for a beta test?
In the event you are selected to participate in a beta test, you will receive an e-mail informing you and directing you to Battle.net Account Management. From there, you will be able to download the beta client and obtain a beta key. If chosen, you will need to agree to the StarCraft II Beta Agreement prior to installing the client.

I attended BlizzCon 2008 and received a code for the StarCraft II beta. Do I have to go through this process?
There is a separate process in place for players who received StarCraft II beta codes from BlizzCon 2008. To redeem your BlizzCon 2008 beta code, visit the beta sign-up page (http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/misc/beta-signup.html -- don’t worry that the page says World of Warcraft), and enter the code from your BlizzCon 2008 card, along with a valid email address that you check often.
Once you’ve completed these steps, we will contact you via email at some point during the StarCraft II testing process with further instructions. Please note that in order to participate after your receive the invitation, you will need to sign up for a new Battle.net account (if you haven’t done so already).

Why do I have to download an application to create a beta profile?
Our beta opt-in application allows us to gather information about potential beta testers’ systems quickly and accurately, helping us ensure that the resulting pool of beta testers we select most closely represents the range and distribution of systems we wish to test.

How does the beta opt-in application work?
Running the beta opt-in application quickly and automatically generates a profile based on your system specifications. It then displays this information and asks if you wish to submit the specifications to create a beta profile for the Battle.net account you used to download the application.

Does the application also profile the software I have installed on my system?
No, the opt-in application simply scans the major hardware components of your system, along with your graphics card driver. Other system information, such as the contents of your hard drive, is not scanned.

Will entering multiple times improve my chances of being selected?
Each Battle.net account can only opt in once, so you are unable to opt in multiple times to improve your chances.

Will opting in early improve my chances of being selected?
Beta invitees will be selected periodically from the entire pool of players who have chosen to opt in and who meet the requirements. Opting in early doesn’t mean you’ll be invited sooner than someone who signs up after you.

I created a new Battle.net account, but I’m unable to opt in. Why?
In order for a Battle.net account to be able to opt in to upcoming beta tests, you must have at least one Blizzard Entertainment game that you own attached to the account. Please note that the World of Warcraft trial edition does not count toward this requirement. Having more than one game attached to an account or having specific games attached to an account will not affect your chances to be selected.

When does the StarCraft II beta test start?
We don’t have an exact start date to share at this time, but note that when it does begin, we will be adding additional regions to the beta test in phases. North America will be the first region to begin beta testing, and other regions will follow afterward in phases.
The reason for setting up the beta in regional phases is that it takes time to set up and configure our testing infrastructure in each area. Bringing up one region at a time makes the overall testing process for StarCraft II and Battle.net more efficient from a development perspective, making the test more effective, and allowing us to complete the game more quickly than if we attempted to start the beta test in all regions at the same time. We will share more information about the start dates for the beta in different regions at a later date.

I play World of Warcraft, but the option to merge a World of Warcraft account into a Battle.net account is not yet available in my region. What should I do to opt in?
We plan to add the ability to merge a World of Warcraft account into a Battle.net account in Europe prior to the European phase of the StarCraft II beta, so that World of Warcraft players there will have a chance to participate. Please note that when it comes time to select StarCraft II beta participants, we will not consider how early or late they opted in before the beta began. In the meantime, if you have any other Blizzard Entertainment games, you can attach one of those to a Battle.net account to fulfill the requirement to opt in now.

I have an unused beta code from WWI 2008. Can I use this to access the StarCraft II beta?
If you have an unused beta code from WWI 2008, you will be able to use the code to gain entry to the European phase of the StarCraft II beta. If you have already claimed your WWI code to receive an invitation to a previous beta but did not end up using that invitation, you will not be able to use your WWI code or invitation for the StarCraft II beta. Please note that beta codes received at other WWI or BlizzCon events (except BlizzCon 2008) will not grant you entry into the StarCraft II beta.

When I first signed up for a Battle.net account, I checked a box to indicate I wanted to participate in Blizzard betas, but I didn’t submit a beta profile with my system specs. Do I need to complete this new process?
Yes. In order to be considered for the StarCraft II beta and any other upcoming Blizzard Entertainment betas, you’ll need to upload your beta profile through the application found in Battle.net Account Management.

If you have any questions not covered in this FAQ or encounter issues during the opt-in process, please visit http://us.blizzard.com/support/article/contactbilling for contact information, or contact us via our web form: http://us.blizzard.com/support/webform.xml.