There's only so much Blizzard can do to improve online performance in the original game, and the most significant online and game balance updates will likely be exclusive to StarCraft Remastered going forward. Even if that happens, though, the impact will be negligible.Įveryone with even a passing interest in the eSports scene will migrate to StarCraft Remastered as much for the integration of Blizzard's contemporary (aka Blizzard) online service as for myriad balance tweaks. My initial thought was that releasing the game for free might put a dent in sales of StarCraft Remastered, which is due out this summer. Since reading Blizzard's announcement and patch notes, I've been trying to decide whether or not this makes sense. Full patch notes for StarCraft 1.18 can be found below. Besides offering up StarCraft and its critically acclaimed expansion pack for free, patch 1.18 smooths out compatibility issues in Windows 7, 8, and 10 facilitates snappier response times when playing online tightens anti-cheating measures and touches up the UI during online games.ī hosts installers for Windows and Mac OS. ' When patching, please use the ‘Run as Admin’ option it is required during your first client run to migrate saves and avoid issues from Windows system admin changes,' per Blizzard's patch notes. Among other features, the patch makes both games free to download for all players. After lying dormant for eight years, StarCraft and its Brood War expansion were patched to version 1.18 earlier today.

Starcraft brood war free to play