Update: we have confirmed that this was a hoax. Blizzard issued this statement:
This is not correct. We have not sent out beta invitations yet and there is no download available. If you do get a mail claiming you made it into the beta now, be very careful and check back with your contact at Blizzard to avoid installing trojans.
Luis ‘Paperkat’ Di Centa, who was crowned World of Warcraft champion at BlizzCon 2008, reports that he has received an invitation for the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty closed beta. Di Centa claims he has received an email from Blizzard stating the following:
We’re excited to have reached the beta-testing stage for the second Starcraft game, and we’d be grateful to have your assistance in finalizing the content. There are a lot of new things to test, the single-player campaign and a brand new multiplayer experience, and we look forward to receiving any feedback you can offer.
Read on to learn how to participate and thank you in advance for your support in helping us put the finishing touches on the game…
Apparently the beta download weighs in at a hefty 8.3 GB and is still inaccessible to invitees. The email, however, contained a code for accessing the download once it’s available.
Now wouldn’t that be a nice Christmas present? If you have opted-in for the beta on Battle.net, you might want to start checking your email. Although it’s unlikely many invitations are going out this early, but you might get lucky. Really lucky.
Blizzard announced earlier this year that the beta would start in 2009 but later said it would be pushed into 2010. That could indicate that the download won’t be activated until the new year, but regardless, it looks like things are starting to come to fruition.