PixlBit

Blizzard has unveiled the release date for the first installment of the long awaited sequel to its phenomenally successful StarCraft RTS franchise.

StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty is set to launch on July 27, 2010. Yep, that's this year, and it's less than three months away.

If you're looking for a little reassurance, our PixlBit medics are prepped and ready: Head to StarCraft II's official site and see it for yourself. (Try clearing your browser's cache if you're having trouble viewing the launch splash screen). You can find the official press release here.

I also got a nod from Amazon with an e-mail confirmation that my reserved Collector's Edition should be here in early August (and I apparently need to fix the delivery method to get that shipment on an overnight plane).

As for how wide the release will be:

"StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, will arrive in stores throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Mexico, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and the regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau starting on July 27, 2010. Players will also be able to purchase StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty directly from Blizzard Entertainment shortly after the retail launch."

And just to add to the fun:

"We've been looking forward to revisiting the StarCraft universe for many years, and we're excited that the time for that is almost here," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Thanks to our beta testers, we're making great progress on the final stages of development, and we'll be ready to welcome players all over the world to StarCraft II and the new Battle.net® in just a few months."

Although Blizzard has only revealed the release date, given the extremely high anticipation for the game, I think it might be safe to let some of your hopes take flight. StarCraft II is ready to roll out.