From Blizzard Entertainment:
We’re pleased to announce that all players who purchase the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ will also have the option of playing on North American servers following the launch. While we still encourage gamers to play on the local servers, which will offer lower latency and more action during peak hours, we recognize that many players have longstanding friendships and rivalries with North American players, and would like to continue playing with them. Because of this, we're giving Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand gamers access to both regions' servers, so they can choose where they'd prefer to play.
This additional access will go into effect as soon as possible. Our intention is to make it available within 60 days of launch -- at that time, players with a copy of the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will automatically gain the option to download the North American version of the game client through Battle.net®. You can check out the FAQ for more information, and we’ll have additional details to share about acquiring the North American client in the near future on our Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand community site.
North American Server Access for Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ Players FAQ
Q: Who is eligible to play on the North American servers?
A: All players, including those in the regions of Hong Kong and Macau, who purchase the English Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand Standard or Collector’s Edition of StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ will have the option of playing on the North American Battle.net® servers in addition to the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand servers if they prefer.
Q: How much will this cost?
A: The option of playing on North American Battle.net servers will come at no additional cost to all players who have purchased the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II.
Q: How will access to the North American servers be granted?
A: Our intention is to ensure that within 60 days after the launch of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, all players with a copy of the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version will automatically gain the ability to also access the North American servers -- this will be handled through Battle.net account management.
Q: How will I know when I can access the North American servers?
A: We will have additional information on how and when to access the North American servers on our StarCraft II community site.
Q: What will happen with my Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand Battle.net account?
A: Once you get access to the North American Battle.net servers, you will have access to both regions for online play. You can choose which one to play on at any given time, and can switch back and forth at will.
Q: How will my friends list and rankings be handled?
A: All account-specific data, including friends lists, rankings, achievements, statistics, titles, and unlockable rewards, will be tracked separately for each region's Battle.net servers, and will not carry over between them.
Q: If I have already purchased the North American version, can I also play on the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand servers?
A: No. To have the option to play on both servers, you must purchase the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. This solution is specifically targeted to address gamers in Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand who have social relationships with North American players from previous Blizzard Entertainment titles.
Q: Will I be able to play on any of the other StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty regional servers?
A: No. Players who purchase the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II will have access to the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand and the North American Battle.net servers. No other multi-region play will be available at this time.
We’re pleased to announce that all players who purchase the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ will also have the option of playing on North American servers following the launch. While we still encourage gamers to play on the local servers, which will offer lower latency and more action during peak hours, we recognize that many players have longstanding friendships and rivalries with North American players, and would like to continue playing with them. Because of this, we're giving Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand gamers access to both regions' servers, so they can choose where they'd prefer to play.
This additional access will go into effect as soon as possible. Our intention is to make it available within 60 days of launch -- at that time, players with a copy of the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty will automatically gain the option to download the North American version of the game client through Battle.net®. You can check out the FAQ for more information, and we’ll have additional details to share about acquiring the North American client in the near future on our Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand community site.
North American Server Access for Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ Players FAQ
Q: Who is eligible to play on the North American servers?
A: All players, including those in the regions of Hong Kong and Macau, who purchase the English Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand Standard or Collector’s Edition of StarCraft® II: Wings of Liberty™ will have the option of playing on the North American Battle.net® servers in addition to the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand servers if they prefer.
Q: How much will this cost?
A: The option of playing on North American Battle.net servers will come at no additional cost to all players who have purchased the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II.
Q: How will access to the North American servers be granted?
A: Our intention is to ensure that within 60 days after the launch of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, all players with a copy of the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version will automatically gain the ability to also access the North American servers -- this will be handled through Battle.net account management.
Q: How will I know when I can access the North American servers?
A: We will have additional information on how and when to access the North American servers on our StarCraft II community site.
Q: What will happen with my Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand Battle.net account?
A: Once you get access to the North American Battle.net servers, you will have access to both regions for online play. You can choose which one to play on at any given time, and can switch back and forth at will.
Q: How will my friends list and rankings be handled?
A: All account-specific data, including friends lists, rankings, achievements, statistics, titles, and unlockable rewards, will be tracked separately for each region's Battle.net servers, and will not carry over between them.
Q: If I have already purchased the North American version, can I also play on the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand servers?
A: No. To have the option to play on both servers, you must purchase the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty. This solution is specifically targeted to address gamers in Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand who have social relationships with North American players from previous Blizzard Entertainment titles.
Q: Will I be able to play on any of the other StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty regional servers?
A: No. Players who purchase the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand version of StarCraft II will have access to the Southeast Asia/Australia/New Zealand and the North American Battle.net servers. No other multi-region play will be available at this time.