“Starcraft: Remastered,” a high-definition remake of Blizzard Entertainment’s hit PC strategy game “Starcraft” is now available at selected PC cafes in South Korea as part of a prelaunch event exclusive to Korea.

As of Sunday evening, “Starcraft: Remastered” has become available at local PC bang -- internet cafes where one can play computer games -- that are licensed with Blizzard Korea, the company said Monday. The game is slated for official worldwide release on Aug. 15. 

The new game’s prelaunch came as part of a promotional event in Korea, GG Together, held Sunday at Gwanganli Beach in the coastal city of Busan and attended by thousands of local fans.

During the event, Blizzard sold 5,000 limited deluxe edition package of the game and hosted the first live e-sports matches of the new game, featuring famed professional Starcraft gamers. This was viewed by more than 500,000 fans worldwide in real time.

“Starcraft: Remastered” is a high definition remake of “Starcraft,” which became popular worldwide in the early 2000s. It enjoyed explosive popularity in Korea, lending a boost to the development and expansion of internet cafes in the country.

The new edition of “Starcraft” features 4K ultrahigh-definition graphics and a refreshed soundtrack, while preserving the original gameplay of “Starcraft.” It include the classic “Starcraft” game as well as the “Brood War” expansion pack. 

By Sohn Ji-young (jys@heraldcorp.com)