The much awaited closed beta testing of Starcraft 2: Heart of the swarm is now open – to a select few of course.

Blizzard says that the multiplayer-only preview for HotS is now open to pro gamers, members of the press, contest winners, shoutcasters, etc (sucks to be not included in the list). As was the case with Starcraft 2’s Beta phase, they will roll out additional access to Heart of the Swarm’s beta over time. Do note that one requirement in getting picked for the beta is that you must opt-in through your Battle.net account.

If you we’re included in the first wave of Beta invites and will be unlucky enough to not get picked as the invites start sending out don’t worry, Blizzard says that they will be also working with several fansites and community personalities to provide more opportunities to join the beta test. Be sure to stay tuned :).

Some FAQs about the Closed BETA program:

How are beta test participants selected from the opt-in pool?

Beta testers are chosen according to their system specifications and other factors, including recent StarCraft II activity (and an element of luck), when selecting individuals during each round of invitations. Our goal is to have a wide variety of players and system types.

Will there be any other ways to get into the beta besides the opt-in?
We’ll be providing beta entry giveaways through various promotions on our sites, as well as through fansites and community VIPs. We’ll have more information available on these promotions as they approach.

How many players do you plan to invite to the beta test?
The number of players we invite will be based on our testing needs. If during the course of testing we determine we need more players to participate, we’ll invite more.

Which game content will be available in the beta?
To start off, we will be focusing on the multiplayer experience only. We’ve added an exciting array of new units and abilities to the terrans, protoss, and zerg, and we’d like to have as many eyes on them as possible.ong>

Will [AWESOME SWARM FEATURES X, Y, AND Z] be available in the beta?
Additional Heart of the Swarm features will also become available in future phases of the beta test. More details will be announced at a later date.

How long will the beta test last?
We have not determined an exact end date for the end of the beta test. We will notify participants when the beta test is nearing completion.

Will Mac users be able to participate in the beta?
Yes, Mac users will be able to participate in the beta at the same time as Windows users.

Which languages are supported in the beta?
While the Heart of the Swarm beta will be accessible in all regions, the languages supported for the beta will only include the following: English, German, French, and Korean. Support for additional languages may be added later.

Do I need StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty to participate in the beta?
No, you do not need to have purchased StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty to participate in the beta. With that said, your level of Wings of Liberty activity may play a role in your chances of being selected as a beta tester.

source Official Battle.Net Blog