[Dox]

+ [Original Post] +

Since December 1st, 2012, online fanatics & theorists from around the globe have been speculating on what Blizzard could have in store for us with Project Blackstone. It all started when IGN revealed that Blizzard had registered the domain. Not much happened over the next month, until Steelseries revealed a password (Y7_$0>0k_3<$m) which was used to gain access to the Project Blackstone website.

"Project Blackstone is a Terran Dominion research project, focused on Zerg research. It is led by Dr. Helek Branamoor."

Browsing through the Blackstone files revealed numerous hints, clues and eventually various key figures among the community were instructed by Blizzard to share pieces of an image. As of 15 minutes ago, Day[9] has revealed the last piece of the image which (to no-one's surprise) confirms the date of February 26th, 2012 - incidentally, 9 days from today.



As pieces of the puzzle were unveiled throughout the last few weeks, it became quite clear that the final image would point to twitch.tv/StarCraft.

Vengeance is coming.

With StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm arriving on March 12, we’ve been itching to show you a new trailer called "Vengeance”, and we’re planning to reveal it to the world in a special online event on Twitch TV.

Here are some more details:
- Blizzard developers will be on hand to talk about Heart of the Swarm and the making of "Vengeance".
- An exclusive Heart of the Swarm eSports showmatch will be casted by commentators John "TotalBiscuit" Bain and Shaun "dApollo" Clark.
- The world premiere of the "Vengeance" trailer for Heart of the Swarm.

Viewers can participate in the discussion segment by posting Twitter questions using the hashtag #Vengeance. Tune in to join the discussion and be among the first to see the new trailer at twitch.tv/starcraft at 12:00 p.m. PST on Tuesday, February 26.

That's 7am AEDT Wednesday, February 27th.

Source: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/876...y_26-2_21_2013

Showmatch
Grubby vs CrazyMoviNG

[fur]

Hypehpypehypeypehype

[Omny]

Pancake Tuesday?

Quick Comments

	fur:	Pancake tuesday was last week nub!
	ToRSpartaz:	I had 3 pancakes and one spoon of honey too man

[breadfan]

I'd say it'll be either a HotS invitational, or the announcement of regional HotS launch event people

edit: these guys http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/company...alia:melbourne

[ToRLuneth]

I wonder what time it will be because timezones

Quick Comments

TACeeSerps:

my thoughts exactly

[TtSYF.tRoy]

First thing that came into my head was some sort of HoTS invitational and then i though,
what about a StarCraft movie

[Matt93]

I feel like whatever the announcement is it will be a let down, I don't see what more there is to know about HotS that we don't already know from the beta. However I'm more than happy to eat my words if they announce LAN play next week.

Quick Comments

ToRLuneth:

They have LAN play, they only make it available if you hire an armed guard to protect it

[Dox]

Originally Posted by Matt93

I feel like whatever the announcement is it will be a let down, I don't see what more there is to know about HotS that we don't already know from the beta. However I'm more than happy to eat my words if they announce LAN play next week.

Originally Posted by Matt93

Fri, 15th-Feb-2013 12:59 PM: Matt93: it's blizzard. it'll probably be a let down

Try to be a little more positive.

It certainly won't be LAN. Don't even know why people are still talking about LAN in HOTS.

[Antel0pe]

I think there is going to be more about Blackstone, I just feel that using it just to link to a bunch of people's twitter wasn't all that Blizzard planned...

I think it might be a good bye Wings of Liberty tournament, all the players are renowned players from all different regions and there is no event planned on the 26th March, besides the GSTL PreSeason on the 25th.

[jayaiwhy]

A dude on reddit asked temp0 what the #vengeance thing was about

[–]Infinity SevenTemp0_SC [S] 2 points 27 minutes ago (1|0)
It references the HotS launch event. (I think I'm allowed to say that? )

[NvRossi]

hopefully its a cool sendoff to Wings of Liberty... could be an event or a video or something storyline related!

Quick Comments

Dox:

would be pretty sick, bridging the gap from wol to hots!

[Paroxysm]

Would be so cool if it was the announcement of a movie. Maybe thats why it took them so long to release WoL in the first place haha.

Could you imagine a full feature length film with the graphics of the HotS teaser video we saw a few weeks ago? It would be unbelievable to say the least.

[mGGDaedalus]

Most likely a HotS invitational event with some hype, previews etc for HotS release. I personally am looking forward to the part where Idra shows up with a tyre iron looking for David Kim.

[Stallion]

King of the beta competition for Hots is another thought with said players/casters perhaps, i havn't looked at whos on the list but never know i believe day9 did one for WoL so thats an idea

[Dox]

It's not a bad theory. Blizzard hosted King of the Beta competitions for WarCraft 3 & Frozen Throne. I lost to PussInBoots in the TFT finals.

Originally Posted by cloaken

1 hour ago
Well done. More info soon.

Source

[kookielah]

I can't wait for this game to finally come out gonna smash campaign out first though

[chlippry]

cant wait to see what this will bring!!! So looking forward to the campaign!

[TidaL]

This is exciting! But what time is it? Will it be a 24 hour loop or how can we tune in if we don't know what time it is????

Quick Comments

Dox:

"More info soon." :D

[Dox]

Really enjoyed the 48 hour marathon of smashing out every possible achievement in the campaign when WoL came out, looking forward to doing something similar for HotS

Quick Comments

Maynarde:

Same! Campaign always first

[Stallion]

Originally Posted by Dox

Really enjoyed the 48 hour marathon of smashing out every possible achievement in the campaign when WoL came out, looking forward to doing something similar for HotS

im soooo keen for this EXCITED

[Konayuki]

woohooooooooo finally. cant wait for this! :d

[ETL.noTTuh]

could just be a hype for legacy of the void :P

Quick Comments

ToRLuneth:

That would be amazing

[TACeeSerps]

From Battle.net

Vengeance is coming.

With StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm arriving on March 12, we’ve been itching to show you a new trailer called "Vengeance”, and we’re planning to reveal it to the world in a special online event on TwitchTV.
Here are some more details:

- Blizzard developers will be on hand to talk about Heart of the Swarm and the making of "Vengeance".

- An exclusive Heart of the Swarm eSports showmatch will be casted by commentators John "TotalBiscuit" Bain and Shaun "dApollo" Clark.

- The world premiere of the "Vengeance" trailer for Heart of the Swarm.

Viewers can participate in the discussion segment by posting Twitter questions using the hashtag #Vengeance. Tune in to join the discussion and be among the first to see the new trailer at twitch.tv/starcraft at 12:00 p.m. PST on Tuesday, February 26.

That's 7am AEDST Wednesday, February 27th.
I'm personally really excited to see the trailer after getting hard over the opening cinematic.

Source: http://us.battle.net/sc2/en/blog/876...y_26-2_21_2013

[Dox]

24 hours to go!!

[Stallion]

i have a theory that vengence is what happens between wol and hots, that is what makes kerrigan return to badarse mode

[Dox]

Stickied so people don't miss this! Set your alarms for tomorrow morning yo!

[NOM]

I have work early in the morning

[inFeZa]

7am damnit
><

[Cute]

Can't wait. Need another hit of dat sweet sweet Blizz CGI

[FaDeBadger]

I'll have been at work for and hour and a half already T_T

[Ryan]

I'm exited

[Cyanide]

feature film! gogo blizzard!

[rezyn8]

Hope 3G is working well tomorrow morning on the way to work!

[chlippry]

sweet as, this is the perfect reason why i start at 8am! looking forward to it!

[Benji]

I'm just going to watch it on youtube at some point tomorrow. It's just a trailer...

[Dox]

Originally Posted by xGKingBenji

It's just a trailer...

- Blizzard developers will be on hand to talk about Heart of the Swarm and the making of "Vengeance".
- An exclusive Heart of the Swarm eSports showmatch will be casted by commentators John "TotalBiscuit" Bain and Shaun "dApollo" Clark.

10chaaaarrrrrrrrrr

[Flamga]

I will be at work, luck im the only one there :P looks like the big screen is going on! hehe

[LordByrnsy]

~7.5 hours

[inFeZa]

well... my body clock is completely fucked right now - looks like i'll be awake watching

[Meatex]

Is it just a different kind of trailer for HotS or is it something else?

[LordByrnsy]

Its new and amazing meat... thats all you need to know.... new. amazing.

[SLCN.CautioN]

Set my alarm to 6:50... thats 10 minutes of getting into a nice comfy position

[Dox]

Well, it's been 2 minutes and the stream hasn't started yet. Chat is in chaos. :P

[ToRGreenArchon]

StarCraft ‏@StarCraft Due to technical issues, the #Vengeance stream is slightly delayed. We’ll have it up and running as soon as possible!

Quick Comments

rezyn8:

Damnit!

[rezyn8]

@StarCraft
Due to technical issues, the #Vengeance stream is slightly delayed. We’ll have it up and running as soon as possible!

from about 8 mins ago

[LordByrnsy]

Thegunrun: "We're good to go! Starting soon"

[chlippry]

the trailer was sooooooo good! gave me tingles up my spine. love the blizzard trailers and videos!!!

[mGGDaedalus]

Trailer was 2mins and half of it was footage from the other trailer. But it was well put together. My issue with WoL was that other than the ending cutscene they all got spoiled before release. Here's hoping there's some surprises up their sleeve when I actually play the game.

[Stallion]

Originally Posted by ETL.Daedalus

Trailer was 2mins and half of it was footage from the other trailer. But it was well put together. My issue with WoL was that other than the ending cutscene they all got spoiled before release. Here's hoping there's some surprises up their sleeve when I actually play the game.

i never experienced that, and can't wait to watch this with sound

[eCKo`Tazerenix]

Weeeeeeell that was overhyped...

[Dox]

What were you expecting? You'll have finished the game in 2 weeks

[Maynarde]

Originally Posted by Dox

What were you expecting? You'll have finished the game in 2 weeks

I'm hoping I can beat it in a couple days!

The video was really sick and definitely got me excited, leads me to believe that perhaps that dream Kerrigan had in the opening trailer was more of a premonition than a dream

Quick Comments

Dox:

I mean a few weeks from today :p

[Rowboat]

it was a pretty decent trailer, though half of it was just filler from the first one :|

nonetheless, i'm totally hyped

[Dingobloo]

Much like the Ghosts of the Past trailer for WoL, this trailer is a recut of some of the cutscenes (likely including some out of context) designed to be exciting and communicate a theme in the overall narrative.

If what you're after is a surprise, do not watch anything pre-release, honestly. I haven't touched a single Bioshock infinite preview for that very reason.

Quick Comments

Stallion:

smart man

[fray`Alpha]

I kinda got the vibe that she turns back into the queen form of QoB, though since the game is about recovering her memories then yeah they could (and probs are) just flash backs. Also got the vibe along the lines she kills Raynor.. but that one we will have to see.

[FStitanium]

Starcraft, best game of my life.

[Dox]

Originally Posted by Ali

I kinda got the vibe that she turns back into the queen form of QoB, though since the game is about recovering her memories then yeah they could (and probs are) just flash backs. Also got the vibe along the lines she kills Raynor.. but that one we will have to see.

If they stick to the ending cinematic that got leaked in 2011......

+ [HUGE SPOILER] +

Raynor and Kerrigan both survive this expansion. Arcturus Mengsk does not.

[fray`Alpha]

Originally Posted by Dox

If they stick to the ending cinematic that got leaked in 2011......

+ [HUGE SPOILER] +

Raynor and Kerrigan both survive this expansion. Arcturus Mengsk does not.

lol I'm yet to watch that. And I dont want to watch it until im finished with the single player :P though yeah heard rumblings about something happening to Jim, but yeah not gonna watch it till after I've played, then I can compare it with out it ruining it for me

[Maynarde]

Originally Posted by Dox

I mean a few weeks from today

Ah yes, whoopsy daisies

[Meatex]

seems like pretty much entire story spoiled once again
but meh play it for the missions not the story

[Dox]

Originally Posted by Meatex

seems like pretty much entire story spoiled once again
but meh play it for the missions not the story

How is it any different to watching a movie or tv show trailer ~_~

[Meatex]

Originally Posted by Dox

How is it any different to watching a movie or tv show trailer ~_~

Cause movies have at least 90 minutes of footage to work with
And I never said film or tv show trailers were any better - dexter, walking dead, arrow all spoil the next episode with their trailers

That all said i'm cautiously optimistic regarding story for HotS. It does seem a great deal more interesting and thought out / focused than WoL story but only time will tell

[Dox]

Originally Posted by Meatex

Cause movies have at least 90 minutes of footage to work with

I think HotS will take you more than 90 minutes to finish! :P The story is driven by X minutes of cinematics and X hours of gameplay/narrative. Far more than any movie I've seen!

As for your story hopes, read on if you don't mind spoilers:

+ [ehrmahgahd secretz] +

From what I could ascertain, there aren't really any heavy twists in the story. It's a brute force mission of revenge whereby Kerrigan (with Raynor standing by her side) finally gets to kill Mengsk. The end. They must have done a great job of hiding any possible link to Legacy of the Void, because I didn't find any.

[Dox]

A few things I spotted during the trailer which have really peaked my interest. Be warned, these are potential spoilers!

+ [Spoiler #1] +

Kerrigan and Zeratul face off again! And by the looks of it, Kerrigan is kicking his ass.

+ [Spoiler#2] +

At first I thought this was Nova creating a blade out of psionic energy - something which Protoss are proficient at. But when I froze the frame, I noticed the hair colour and attire. That's Kerrigan fighting against Kerrigan...!? A hallucination? A psychological battle between her good side and evil side? Either way it looks freaking cool.

+ [END OF THE GAME SPOILER] +

The dialogue from Raynor to Kerrigan (what have you done) is from the final ending cinematic. I remember it well.

Quick Comments

mGGDaedalus:

Maybe we'll get a fight club-esque seen haha

[Rowboat]

Dox with the in depth analysis!

[syfChadMann]

Originally Posted by Dox

A few things I spotted during the trailer which have really peaked my interest. Be warned, these are potential spoilers!

+ [Spoiler #1] +

Kerrigan and Zeratul face off again! And by the looks of it, Kerrigan is kicking his ass.

+ [Spoiler#2] +

At first I thought this was Nova creating a blade out of psionic energy - something which Protoss are proficient at. But when I froze the frame, I noticed the hair colour and attire. That's Kerrigan fighting against Kerrigan...!? A hallucination? A psychological battle between her good side and evil side? Either way it looks freaking cool.

+ [END OF THE GAME SPOILER] +

The dialogue from Raynor to Kerrigan (what have you done) is from the final ending cinematic. I remember it well.

+ [RE: Spoiler 2] +

I really get the sense that it is an 'evil' Kerrigan or perhaps the swarm has found a way to reproduce Kerrigan is what is portrayed here. The purple-ly faced Kerrigan in the clip seems colder and not-human, unlike the Saved Kerrigan. Will be interesting to see what comes out of the game, thats for sure. But man, I think Blizzard have hit some sweet twists and story line with this one. Going to really enjoy it!

[mGGDaedalus]

Originally Posted by Dox

*ETL.Daedalus: *
Maybe we'll get a fight club-esque seen haha

Yeah I can't spell I know

[AxS.pinealan]

I am counting down to the Hots launch date. MUST play the campaign immediately. Luckily I won't have to queue up for hots cuz no one please it in Hong Kong :P

[Konayuki]

cant wait for this

[kookielah]

I felt like a five year old watching that new trailer I want the full thing nooooowwwwwwwww