StarCraft II launches officially at midnight tonight. While Brisbane will host the official launch, other EB stores around the country will be open on the evening of July 26 and, according to Blizzard, many of them will also be running special competitions and giveaways. So call your local store and find out what they’re planning.

Im not actually going to be out there, but ill see if there are any copies floating around tomorrow. Good luck eh, ah well im unprepared!

Here is the official word on Australians being able to play on both asia pacific servers and the US.

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.

Here is the Q&A about whats going on with the servers…

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.

Other Starcraft 2 Links:

• Official Starcraft 2 Battle.net website – Purchase or manage your game here.
• Starcraft 2 Official Twitter Page – Get new information first on twitter!
• Day[9]‘s official live stream site – Great as both entertainment and a learning tool.
• Day[9]‘s episode archive – A Fantastic tool for new players who wish to learn strategies in a simple and easy to understand format.
• Team Liquid – One of the Internets most active Starcraft related sites. Has a very informative community and a heaps of technical jargon.