World of Warcraft: Cataclysm Beta Client Updated to Include Background Streaming

August 5, 2010 3:00 PM

A new client has been released for the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm beta, which "includes new features that allow you to stream game data while you play. This will reduce the time you spend downloading and patching World of Warcraft once installed."

Shacknews has asked Blizzard for clarification on what this means for the end-user, though it sounds like it will let Blizzard stream changes and minor patches in the background, reducing the frequency of patches.

It does not sound like it will replace the patching process and it remains to be seen if it will change the weekly downtime during maintenance. In any case, if you're in the beta, uninstall your client and download the new version through the Battle.net account management page. You cannot patch up to this version.

Brian Leahy

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supermonkeyballz

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August 5, 2010 3:08 PM

Are -people who dont have active WOW accounts getting invited to Cataclysm if they opted in?
- X1ph3r
  
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  August 5, 2010 3:37 PM
  
  Not that I know of, I seem to recall seeing something that suggested you had to have an active subscription to be chosen.
- illwill18
  
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  August 5, 2010 9:10 PM
  
  Correct, friends of mine who got me and themselves in with a friend at Blizzard had to turn their accounts on for him to flag them. They aren't sending out keys, just flagging active WoW accounts for the beta.