StarCraft II getting global online play

StarCraft II has been an international real-time strategy phenomenon since its launch, but you wouldn't know that by its multiplayer. Fortunately, Blizzard announced today it will lift regional lockdowns for the game "in coming months," allowing all players to create profiles in regions outside of their home.

StarCraft II formerly restricted players to the region tied to their license key, leaving those who wanted to play with international friends and rivals no choice but to buy another from abroad. While profiles will still be region-bound, players will be free to create new ones for other regions, each with their own friends list, progress, and ladder rankings.

Blizzard noted profiles can be easily selected from the login screen, and the game menu and interface will remain in the user's native language throughout the process. Players may be able to access other regions while their own is offline for maintenance, and may even see maps and modes which are not yet available worldwide.

It seems safe to assume Heart of the Swarm, which is tentatively set for the first half of 2013, will launch with global play.