Heart of the Swarm includes new units and new multiplayer maps, and introduces groups and clans to allow you to form parties with friends and teammates, and communicate in private chat channels. You can play multiplayer using Battle.net, the online Blizzard Entertainment platform.
Battle.net Account Features
Battle.net allows its users to view almost everything related to their account. Once you've logged in to your account, you can click the portrait on the bottom left side of the screen and access your details.
Overview
This screen shows your current ranking and ladder information, played and won multiplayer or vs. AI matches, campaign progress and race level.
Every time you play against AI or other players you earn XP based on destroyed buildings, units, and spent resources. If you want to be pitted against players of your skill level, but don’t want to worry about your ladder ranking, you can participate in unranked matchmaking.
Achievements
The first screen shows an overview of your achievements (feats you've completed through the game). Here you can place a spotlight of your feats, a categorized list of achievements and the most recent you've earned.
Each achievement awards a certain amount of points, which are displayed in the top right part of your window. You can navigate through different achievement features like campaigns', matchmaking or exploration using the menu on the left side of the profile window.
Matchmaking
StarCraft is all about people and strategy. Whether you want to play against the AI or test your true skills against real players.
If you're ready, you can play ranked matches and go up the global ladder or unranked matches. Maybe you got tired of melee games and want to try the awesome features of the StarCraft map editors. Go to the Arcade section and play games similar to StarCraft or brand new games created on its engine.
Unlike many other online systems, the resume from replay feature will save your in-progress multiplayer game (in case of a dropped connection or hardware failure) and it’ll let you experiment with endless variations on in-progress game states.
