As of December 2012, players who preordered Heart of the Swarm by December 18th would automatically get a beta invite. Those who buy afterward will be invited in waves. Participating in the Rate the Game contest, which involved playing and rating a custom game in the Arcade beta, will give players a chance to access the Heart of the Swarm beta. Blizzard will randomly choose 250 eligible contestants for a beta key. As of June 22nd, another contest opened, giving access to 500 more beta keys.