We’ve heard news that Blizzard’s Starcraft II beta will last from three to five months, where three months is the current deadline.

Note that due to various reasons, Blizzard rarely likes to give estimates on when it will be done, and it’s worked pretty fine so far. The fact that they’ve given even a time frame is reason enough to start speculating on a launchdate.

Blizzard’s aim for launching Starcraft II is still the first half of the year, which would be Q2, but naturally things could change. On another note, the map editor might not arrive in time for beta, but that shouldn't be a big issue for most.

More here.