Blizzard Set to Begin WarCraft III Beta Sign-Ups

UPDATED Beginning Monday evening at 11 p.m. PST, Blizzard Entertainment will begin accepting beta test applications for its much anticipated new real-time strategy game, WarCraft III: Reign of Chaos. The signup period will last until 11 p.m. PST on Friday, January 11. Out of the pool of applicants 5,000 testers will be selected at random to participate in the beta, which will be playable via Battle.net.

The oft-delayed third installment in the hugely popular WarCraft series will feature a custom 3D engine and multiplayer support for up to 12 players per game. Beta testers will have the opportunity to play each of the four races: Orcs, Humans, Undead and Night Elves.

According to Blizzard, "Each race is armed with unique units, magical abilities, and weapons of war to take into battle as they renew their struggle for dominance. Additionally, WarCraft III introduces Heroes to the Warcraft universe for the first time. Heroes are powerful units that can advance in experience level, utilize additional skills and spells, and employ auras that affect nearby troops when leading them into battle."

Registration for the beta test will take place at blizzard.com. While signing up numerous times may sound like a good idea to improve your acceptance chances, any applicants with multiple submissions will be immediately disqualified.