A post from the Battle.net forums by Blizzard Developer Rob Cherry back on March states that the company intends to make matchmaking available to everyone. However, a post by developer Pete Stillwell a few days ago takes back that promise. Stillwell states that Blizzard did plan on originally offering matchmaking and ladder services to everyone, including those who are in the free StarCraft Anthology version. However, that position apparently “became untenable over the months of creating, researching, and testing how the system would be used in practical application,” according to Stillwell.
StarCraft Remastered and Anthology Features
Fans and developers alike thought it would be an easy transition. Mostly because the StarCraft Remastered version actually sits on top of the original files. The original anthology with the latest patch must be in the system prior to upgrading to the Remastered version. While the Remastered version brings updated sound and 4K support, it also comes with a £13 price tag. The original anthology remains free as of the 1.18 Battle.net patch.
Blizzard intends to revitalize the StarCraft franchise is so that it would grow into a competitive scene. With the explosion of E-Sports’ popularity, it only makes sense for the company to push towards a game fills stadiums with fans. In Korea and Asia, StarCraft remains a popular competitive game, but Blizzard to extend that reach worldwide. This 4K remastering is a necessary step towards that.
StarCraft: Remastered Pricing and Availability
Blizzard put up a pre-purchase page for StarCraft:Remastered at: https://starcraft.com/en-gb/
It is available in the UK for £13, $15 in the US, and $22 in AUS. The original StarCraft Anthology with the latest patch is a requirement. Users can download the original anthology here: https://us.battle.net/shop/en/product/starcraft
I purchased the Anthology years ago, and now they want me to pay again for the remastered, but the anthology is now free?
the remastered should be free for those who already paid for the anthology, and paid for those who have the free version…