StarCraft II beta to end on May 31

The end's in sight: the first phase of the StarCraft II beta will end on May 31, Blizzard's announced.

However, it did add on its official forums that it will bring it back online a couple of weeks prior to the game's release on July 27.

The downtime is due to "some hardware and software configuration changes in preparation for the final phase of the beta test and the release of the game," as Blizzard's put it.

"We’d like to thank all of our beta-test participants for your enthusiasm, dedication, and valuable feedback during the beta test, and we look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on the StarCraft II beta test as the game’s July 27 launch approaches," it further added.

Go get pre-ordering, then.

StarCraft II’s getting a simultaneous release on July 27 in Europe, South Korea, and North America, with two expansions planned about 18 months apart – Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void.