StarCraft Returns After 15 Years—But It’s Not an RTS

StarCraft is one of the pillars of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre. For the past 15 years, fans have been clamoring for a new game within the StarCraft universe. At BlizzCon 2026, that wait finally came to an end, but not quite in the way fans expected.

The new StarCraft will not be an RTS. Instead, it will be a story-driven, open-world shooter set within the StarCraft universe. I’m imagining a Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 vibe for the gameplay. We did not get any gameplay, but we were given a three-minute cinematic look at what the game will have in store for players. Check out the trailer below.

What We Need to Know

• Blizzard’s new StarCraft game will be an open-world shooter instead of an RTS.
• The game will take place 70 years after the ending of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void in the Koprulu Sector.
• According to Blizzard’s Dan Hay, the game is still in the early stages of development.
• The game is slated for release sometime in 2030, which is more than four years away.

The Bottom Line

For fans of Blizzard and the StarCraft universe, they have eagerly and patiently waited for the next entry in the franchise. After that long wait, Blizzard has seemingly betrayed its fanbase by stepping away from its RTS roots in favor of a mainstream open-world shooter.

This shift may be an attempt to garner more attention and increase the player base of the StarCraft IP, but the move could also alienate its core players that sunk extensive time into its game world. 

That could leave Blizzard with a StarCraft game that flops and no one plays, or it could become a gigantic success for Blizzard and, by extension, Xbox. Only time will tell.

We will see how this article ages.