A new StarCraft, revealed

Blizzard announced a new StarCraft at BlizzCon's Opening Ceremony. GM and creative director Dan Hay, who ran Far Cry 3 through 6, then talked structure with Korean media.

It's a box product

Hay described it as a game you buy, play, and finish. Create a character, name them, follow their story from beginning to middle to end.

“It is a narrative-driven open world shooter where players create a character, name them, and follow that character's story.”

Not a seasonal game

No battle passes, no endless seasons. Hay says the story has a definitive ending and hopes players come back later for whatever is next.

“At the very least, what we are building right now is not a seasonal game.”

The trailer said otherwise

The cinematic shows a young soldier finishing training and getting turned to mush by Zerg. It read more like Helldivers than a standalone boxed game, and co-op could still creep in by 2030.

Hard missions, open escape hatch

Serious missions carry narrative consequences. Stuck on one, you can drop back into the open world, scavenge gear, upgrade your armor, and try again.

“If you lack adequate gear, you can head out into the world, scavenge for what you need, deck out your armor, and try again.”

Seventy years later

It's set 70 years after StarCraft 2, which gives the team room to invent. Factions have shifted, fallen out, and splintered in that gap.

“Factions that looked a certain way in the past might have shifted their perspectives over 70 years, disagreed with each other, or fractured into splinters.”

You're waiting until 2030

The release date is 2030, and Blizzard posted a batch of related job listings right after the announcement. The team is still being built.