Chat channels to return and cross-realm play in the works

Two blue posts on the Battle.net forums have the StarCraft community in smiles as cross-regional play will get a second look and chat channels will be patched in after release.

A blue post by Blizzard Poster Kapeselus has confirmed that a certain form of chat channels will be implemented in a patch after release. You will be allowed to join chat channels based around your interests. You will also have the ability to join and create private chat channels, a feature that league managers will no doubt appreciate very much.A new variation of identifiers will also return in the second phase of the beta. This will be based on attaching each account with a character code. These will be three digit numbers added to your nickname that will be seen in the UI screens. This will allow you to add friends manually.Bashiok has also come out with a response to communities outcry over the absence of cross-region play. In his response he states that the overall goal of the Battle.net platform is to get people online, playing and interacting which also includes allowing people to play across regions.'Unfortunately, there are a multitude of challenges we have to overcome due to the unique regional account and billing options that didn’t exist in the past,' writes Bashiok.'But those hurdles aren’t insurmountable, and we are looking into solutions that will allow interested players to obtain access to other regional versions without having to buy another full copy of the game,' he assures the community.So with the right activism and petitioning the community has had its voice heard and Blizzard has responded. Despite the release of the game in a little under a month and a half, for most in the community the news of these features are better late than never. incgamers.com - Source Battle.net - Source GosuGamers - Forum Thread