SCII: Heart of the Swarm won't be ready until after 2011

Next year? Next year?! Not a chance, Watson.

StarCraft II producer Chris Sigaty has revealed a couple more details about the next expansion for the game, Zerg-based Heart of the Swarm.

The most important bit of news for the expansion was that it won't be ready until after 2011 at least.

This ties in with what Battle.net director Craig Canessa said back at GDC Online when he said the HotS wouldn't be out for at least another 18 months.

It was also revealed the story in HotS would take place less then 100 years after Wings of Liberty, but would be more then an hour long in length.

Blizzard also said that Samir Duran was not forgotten following the ending to Wings of Liberty, which seems to suggest he will show up again at some point.

Zerg-based Heart of the Swarm is the second part of the StarCraft II story arc following the release in July of Terran-based Wings of Liberty. The third chapter, Legacy of the Void will focus on the Protoss.

There's more from the StarCraft II-Battle.net panel here.

Thanks, IGN.