StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void announcement kicks off BlizzCon 2014

BlizzCon 2014 has kicked off and the final chapter of the StarCraft 2 trilogy, Legacy of the Void, was announced as a standalone offering during the opening ceremony.

Legacy of the Void contains single-player campaign missions, a new co-operative Archon Mode, and multiplayer battles featuring several new playable units.

Archon Mode has two players sharing control over a single base and units as they take on an enemy duo in multiplayer. By sharing the responsibility of commanding troops and managing resources, players can "focus on their own areas of the battle and execute more intricate strategies."

Another gameplay mode, Allied Commanders, was also announced at the event and is an objective-based, co-op experience. In it, players can team up and play as commanders from the StarCraft saga. Each commander has its own abilities and upgrades with special bonuses for their units.

Players are able to battle through "a series of special scenarios together, leveling up their commanders' capabilities as they progress."

The story in the new campaign picks up where Wings of Liberty left off and finds Protoss legends Artanis and Zeratul attempting "to unite their race in an intergalactic fight for survival against an ancient evil from the Void."

"Legacy of the Void will deliver the quintessential StarCraft 2 experience," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and co-founder of Blizzard. "The new single-player campaign will wrap up the massive story, and we're excited to share new game modes that will open up different ways to play the game and additional units that will expand the rich strategic depth of StarCraft 2 multiplayer."

New multiplayer battle units new units as well as upgrades to veteran forces are also included.

Zerg swarms will see the return of the Lurker, and the Protoss have a new weapon called the Disruptor, which uses energy spikes to knock around ground forces.

Terrans can now use Tactical Jump, which allows their Battlecruisers to teleport to any location on the battlefield. More new units and abilities were shown at BlizzCon, along with new strategic and tactical options.

The standalone experience does not require players to own Wings of Liberty, or the first expansion, Heart of the Swarm.

Further details about Legacy of the Void, including pricing and availability, will be announced at a later date. Meanwhile, more information can be obtained from the official website.