StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm

Heart of the Swarm is the name of the StarCraft II zerg campaign and episode.

It will be released separately from the other two games and is expected to be priced as an expansion. It follows Wings of Liberty and precedes Legacy of the Void chronologically and storywise.

Development
Blizzard's storyboard team was already working on Heart of the Swarm while Wings of Liberty's gameplay was refined. A few missions ideas have been pitched, but nothing has been solidified yet, nor has its multiplayer.

Blizzard does not expect to release Heart of the Swarm in 2011. As of March 2011 Dustin Browder expected Heart of the Swarm to finish development in approximately one year.

Heart of the Swarm is expected to have about 20 missions, and in much of the world will be priced as an expansion.

Heart of the Swarm is expected to have a multiplayer beta.

Storyline
Heart of the Swarm is a sequel to Wings of Liberty. It focuses on Sarah Kerrigan and the development of a zerg empire. Kerrigan is no longer considered the Queen of Blades. Questions remain about why Kerrigan is no longer with Jim Raynor and whether her transformation has given her new purpose. More will be seen of the Kel-Morian Combine and Umojan Protectorate.

Concept art shown at BlizzCon 2010 depicts a (number of) jungle setting(s).

During the Invasion of Char, the zerg were recalled to Char, and were in route aboard leviathans when Kerrigan was deinfested. The broods aboard the leviathans died or scattered over the Koprulu Sector, according to Izsha. And the (temporary) absence of a leader for the Swarm opened way to rogue/dissident brood mothers, such as Za'gara.

Seemingly at the beginning, a Terran Dominion task force led by Nova Terra attacked a lab, seeking Kerrigan. Jim Raynor was also there, fighting and attempting to rescue Kerrigan. Meanwhile, General Horace Warfield's forces are attempting to purge Char.

One of Kerrigan's goals is to reunify and enhance the swarm before dealing with Arcturus Mengsk. She has to make hard choices over the course of the campaign&mdash;she's on the run in a sense and will have to defend against herself against other races due to her past as the Queen of Blades. She is amnesic, and unsure of her place in regards to her subordinates.

The story is intended to have a darker feel than Wings of Liberty, due to the zerg being the protagonists. According to writer Brian T. Kindregan, the story is going to be "a complete story of Sarah Kerrigan and the zerg," and that it have "its own satisfying ending." He intends for the story to convey the zerg mindset and their code of ethics, though not so far to convey the idea that the zerg are simply misunderstood. Striking a balance between the "alienness" of zerg characters yet also making them relatable is another issue.

Units
There will be new multiplayer units for each of the three playable races. Blizzard is planning on new units or major fixes to existing units. The lurker is a possibility but has not been confirmed. At BlizzCon 2010, the infested bunker was touted as a possible campaign unit. Concept art indicates the presence of another new zerg unit.

In addition, Blizzard is planning on un-nerfing the reaper.

Dustin Browder said that "it’s still too early to know which units will make the final cut. We are trying to create mutations of many of your favorite units from StarCraft lore that allow you to really feel like you are mutating and evolving your Swarm. We are also exploring bringing in creatures that have been previously seen but never controlled in StarCraft."

Singleplayer
The campaign operates similarly to an RPG, in which Kerrigan is focused on increasing her personal power through mutations. Zerg armies protect her as she garners this power. The greater her power, the more zerg she's able to control. Like Wings of Liberty, the player will be presented with choices as to which missions to carry out and which units to get, but such choices won't be based on cash. Both the missions and their objectives are intended to be quite different from the ones featured in Wings of Liberty. She will instead worry about evolving the Swarm. Kerrigan can increase her stats in a manner similar to Warcraft III, but not to the same extent.

According to Dustin Browder "Kerrigan will appear on almost every map in Heart of the Swarm. Unlike Raynor, Kerrigan is a creature of power that leads her army from the front, smashing aside siege tanks and destroying battlecruisers with her psionic abilities. And unlike Wings of Liberty, the mission isn’t over if she dies. Kerrigan will be able to revive at the nearest hatchery if she is killed, allowing you to use her aggressively against your enemies."

Kerrigan initially starts out looking very human and armed with a gun, though she can control zerg forces. The player can choose one of four "battle focus" for Kerrigan before each mission. Each battle focus allows Kerrigan to have a certain set of special abilities. She can increase different aspects of her own power, such as "spec-op" or "corruption", as well as purchasing upgrades at the with mutagen points. About the "hive-evolution" mechanic Dustin Browder said "we are trying to focus the player on finding new DNA from exotic and strange creatures around the sector so that you really feel like the key to zerg success is finding and infesting the immense, deadly monsters that live on the most savage planets in the galaxy."

The campaign will feature a branched storyline structure. Each planet will give access to multiple missions. Three missions are called War for the Brood, Silence their Cries and Shoot the Messenger. The set pieces will alter in accordance with planet and the results of missions.

It is intended that character lines will be altered slightly based on context&mdash;not new scenes, but ones that will be contextually appropriate.

Multiplayer
Blizzard plans on adding "drawing" functionality for referees in Heart of the Swarm.

From a multiplayer standpoint, Heart of the Swarm is an expansion, not a sequel.

It will have a separate ladder from Wings of Liberty.

Heart of the Swarm will have the same e-sports focus as Wings of Liberty.