Fan-made MMO StarCraft Universe enters open beta and gets an epic trailer

The modders behind StarCraft Universe have proven they are really serious about their upcoming project. This fan-made MMO built as a modification for StarCraft II has now entered open beta, which is celebrated with the release of an impressive cinematic trailer that Blizzard is surely proud of. The beta is available on Battle.net, and in order to join the testing you need a copy of StarCraft II or its free Starter Edition. The full release is expected next month. Below, you can watch the aformenention CG trailer as well as a new beta trailer with some gameplay footage.

A word about what exactly StarCraft Universe is. The project, originally born under the title World of Starcraft, aimed to alter the mechanics of StarCraft II in order to allow MMO-style multiplayer raids. The game (yup, it earned that name) now features multiple raids with huge bosses across 20 new worlds, 8 playable classes, item-based character progression system, combat mechanics of Diablo, and stairship management and vehicle combat similar to FTL: Faster Than Light. StarCraft Universe also features an original story with full voice acting.

The project was successfully funded on Kickstarter in 2013, but another crowdfunding campaign is live on Indiegogo. Although StarCraft Universe is going to be available for free, by supporting the developers you can help them continue supporting the project post-launch (plus you get some in-game goodies). Depending on how much fans are going to donate, we can expect to see improved balance, new asymmetric PvP mode, and lots of new content over the next year.