StarCraft: Everything we know so far about Blizzard's new open-world, story-driven shooter

Blizzard Entertainment just revealed a brand new StarCraft game. It isn’t a sequel to 2010’s StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty, nor is it a real-time strategy game – this is a story-driven shooter set in an open world, taking place some 70 years after the StarCraft 2 campaign.

StarCraft was revealed at BlizzCon 2026 with an exceptionally pretty cinematic trailer. We’ve pulled everything you need to know about the new game into one place, including the first cinematic and screenshots. So keep on reading to get yourself up-to-speed on this impressive, long-awaited new instalment to the StarCraft universe.

StarCraft release date and platforms remain undefined

StarCraft 2030 screenshot — (Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)

Blizzard Entertainment has announced that the next iteration of the StarCraft franchise is going to launch in 2030. The studio stopped short of announcing any further details about the StarCraft release date, nor did it confirm any platforms. At this stage, expect that StarCraft will come to PC and Xbox at the very least, although it’s unclear if it will come to PlayStation – the Xbox Reset has introduced a return to console exclusivity, so we’ll have to wait for more detail on this one.

StarCraft reveal trailer

STARCRAFT | Announce Cinematic | Dominion – YouTube

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The return of StarCraft made its debut at BlizzCon 2026. The cinematic trailer didn’t display any gameplay, but it was a good mood piece that was designed to give you a feel for the world and story. Naturally, StarCraft was given a stunning cinematic trailer reveal, which you’ll find embedded above.

StarCraft screenshots

Along with the StarCraft reveal trailer, Blizzard Entertainment also released a small handful of screenshots pulled from the cinematic. You’ll find those in the gallery above, so feel free to swipe through them all if you want to get a better feel for the gritty StarCraft aesthetic.

StarCraft gameplay

There’s a lot we still need to learn about the new StarCraft game. Here’s what we can tell you about it so far: StarCraft is a brand-new, AAA game set in the wider StarCraft universe. It’s not a real-time strategy title – the genre the series is known for playing in – but is rather an open-world experience. Specifically, it’s a story-driven, open-world shooter, with production led by Dan Hay (creative director of Far Cry 5).

StarCraft story and setting

StarCraft is a sci-fi shooter that’s set decades after the events of StarCraft 2. Blizzard Entertainment has confirmed that the game will take place in a “living universe” – specifically, it’ll be set in the Koprulu Sector, some 70 years after StarCraft 2: Legacy of the Void. The Koprulu Sector is probably better known as a sector colonized by the Terran and Protoss factions, situated on the galactic fringe of the Milky Way.

The StarCraft reveal trailer suggests that we’ll be joining up to battle a resurgent Swarm, and that the battles will be particularly brutal for the Dominion faction fighting to reclaim a foothold in the Koprulu Sector. Blizzard promises that we’ll learn more in the years to come.

StarCraft development

StarCraft is in development at Blizzard Entertainment. This is the first new StarCraft game in over 15 years, with StarCraft 2 landing way back in 2010. The project is being led by Dan Hay, who previously served as creative director of Far Cry 5 and executive producer of the franchise.

This isn’t the first time that Blizzard has tried to bring a third-person shooter in the StarCraft universe to life. Back in 2002 we almost received StarCraft: Ghost, which Blizzard had hoped to help it push into the console gaming space, although the game was canceled after multiple failed iterations. It’s rumored that another StarCraft shooter, codenamed Ares, was canceled in 2019 so that the publisher could put all of its resources towards Diablo 4 and Overwatch.