The StarCraft II multiplayer Beta is officially available now. But it is a private beta, so only invited players will be able to play the game. You can download the client directly from FileShack in US and GB. Obviously you’ll need a Battle.net account with beta access.
Players invited for closed beta include those who attended BlizzCon, but Blizzard does acknowledge that the size of beta will increase further. So there is a chance you may be included in the next wave of invites if you haven’t been yet. You can register for the beta at http://us.battle.net. Playable multiplayer modes available in the beta include ranked 1v1, 2v2 and free-for-all matches, along with unranked custom matches.
System requirements for the beta as unveiled by Blizzard are,
* Windows XP SP3/Vista SP1/Windows 7
* 2.2 Ghz Pentium IV or equivalent AMD Athlon processor
* 1 GB system RAM/1.5 GB for Vista and Windows 7
* 128 MB NVidia GeForce 6600 GT/ATI Radeon 9800 PRO video card
* 1024×768 minimum display resolution
* 4 GB free hard space (Beta)
* Broadband connection
StarCraft II is one of three StarCraft games that will release in the next few years. StarCraft II is releasing in July this year.