The Upcoming Brood War Update v1.18a Will Make StarCraft Free
On the heels of Blizzard’s announcement that StarCraft: Remastered will be arriving this summer, it was also confirmed that a new update would be coming to the Brood War expansion for the original game. This is the first patch for the title in over eight years, and what makes this interesting is the fact that it will make StarCraft free. Yes, you read that correctly. Update v1.18a will be arriving within the next few days and it will make both Brood War and StarCraft free for players to download and enjoy.
As for the update itself, Blizzard reportedly provided the notes to Team Liquid. They seem to be making some improvements to compatibility with newer Windows versions, and it will enable players to connect with those who purchase the remastered variant. The patch will also include a few bug fixes. Here is a list of what is being addressed in update v1.18a:
Changes and Improvements:
- Added windowed fullscreen or windowed mode; use Alt+Enter to switch between
- Added UTF-8 support
- Added Keybind options
- Added cursor clamping in game while windowed; unclamped in menus
- Added Popular Maps to streamline finding games or game types
- Added options to display actions per minute
- Added Observer mode
- Added opponent information when joining a game lobby
- Added autosaving for replays
- Added in game timer option
- Added UPnP support
- Improved gameplay responsiveness during multiplayer by increasing turn rate to match LAN speeds over Battle.net
- Improved UI layout in Battle.net sections
- Improved behavior of available lobbies within the Join game section
- Improved compatibility with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10
- Improved anticheat
- Improved installation and patching performance
- Native support for Fish
Bug Fixes:
- Fixed palette issues to correct rainbow water, 80s Kerrigan, and other graphic glitches
- Fixed problems with LAN game discovery
- Fixed IME support and other text artifacts in Battle.net menus
- LAN and Legacy Battle.net fixes
- Valkyries will fire missiles regardless of population size
- Dragoons will not freeze and require a Stop order before accepting new orders
According to Team Liquid, the patch will go live March 30. If that’s the case, we’ll all be enjoying some StarCraft this upcoming Thursday. This update is undoubtedly in preparation of the upcoming remastered version. There is still no date or price point set for that, but be sure to check back with DFTG for updates.
What say you, gamers? Are you excited that they are making Brood War and StarCraft free? Do you plan on picking up Remastered? Let us know in the comments section below, or start conversation over on our official Disqus. For live gaming and entertainment news 24/7, be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter. If it’s more reading that you’re needing, check out the following:
Eric Garrett2269 Posts
Eric is an editor and writer for Don't Feed the Gamers. When he is not staring at a computer screen filled with text, he is usually staring at a computer screen filled with controllable animations. Today's youth call this gaming. He also likes to shoot things. With a camera, of course.
