Blizzard's flagship intellectual property (IP) "StarCraft" is returning with a new title after 10 years. It completely changes genres from the existing real-time strategy (RTS) format to an open-world shooter in which players traverse the battlefield themselves.
Blizzard Entertainment on the 12th (local time) unveiled the next StarCraft title for the first time during the opening ceremony of BlizzCon 2026 at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.
This is the first time an official shooter using the StarCraft universe will be released. For the series as a whole, it is the first new title in 10 years since "StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops," released in 2016.
Since the first game launched in 1998, StarCraft has been Blizzard's flagship title that significantly influenced Korea's PC cafe culture and the growth of the esports market.
Unlike previous entries, the new title does not have players command forces from a top-down view of the battlefield. It is being developed as an open-world shooter in which players move across the battlefield and fight from a soldier's perspective.
A roughly three-minute video released that day showed a Terran Dominion marine completing training, then deploying to the front with fellow soldiers to battle the Zerg.
However, actual gameplay footage was not revealed. Blizzard said it plans to release the new title in 2030.
Dan Hay, who served as executive producer for "Far Cry" 3 through 6 at Ubisoft, is participating in development.
Introducing the new title on stage that day, producer Hay called it "an open-world shooter where you don't look down from the sky but earn every step on the ground, through mud and fire."
He added that it is "an opportunity to respect the legacy, atmosphere and essence built by StarCraft while surpassing existing limitations."
Blizzard also unveiled a slate of major new titles that day beyond StarCraft.
It presented the next entry in the "Diablo" series, "Diablo V," for the first time on the franchise's 30th anniversary, and also revealed "World of Warcraft Forever," a modern reimagining of "World of Warcraft," which launched in 2004.
Blizzard also announced update plans for existing games, including a new expansion pack for "Warcraft III: Reforged," a new hero for "Overwatch," and a new class for "Hearthstone."
With BlizzCon returning for the first time in three years since 2023, the biggest focus of this year's event was how StarCraft will break out of the traditional RTS mold and be reborn as a game for a new generation.