Abstract:
The development team of the new "StarCraft" game confirmed that the game is planned to be released in 2030, and this time has been determined. Different from the previous real-time strategy gameplay of the series, the new game will adopt the form of an open world shooting game.
Dan Hay, general manager and vice president of "StarCraft", said during BlizzCon 2026 that announcing a clear date in advance can set a common goal for the team and form a time frame to urge the project to proceed as planned. Faced with the question of whether 2030 is certain, he once again gave a positive answer, promising that the game will definitely be released in 2030.
Hay did not disclose how long the new game has been in development. He said that team members are familiar with and love "StarCraft" and are currently working hard to build a realistic world that is easy for new players to enter and allows old players to recognize the original environments, weapons, armor and other elements of the series.
The new work will present the battlefield of "StarCraft" from a ground perspective. The development team hopes to highlight the rough and dangerous side of this world, allowing players to face wars, different camps, and huge deadly creatures as soldiers, instead of overlooking the battle situation from a height like in real-time strategy games.
Hay used the example of facing a 10-foot-tall Hydralisk at close range, saying that the experience of standing on the battlefield holding a firearm and wearing armor will allow players to directly feel the size and oppression of the enemy. The barracks deployment scene shown in the trailer also reflects the different battlefield feelings after changing the perspective.
The open world structure will revolve around exploration, discovery and disruption. Multiple camps with different stances will be active in the world, and players may use one party against another. Hay summarized this design as treating the "enemy of my enemy" as a tool that can be used, but did not further disclose the specific mechanism.
The development team believes that telling the story in person on the battlefield is more suitable for expressing the world and faction conflicts of "StarCraft". The new game is still far away from release, and its official name, specific platform and more gameplay details have not yet been announced.
IGN interview report:
"StarCraft" is finally launching a new game, and it takes a completely different approach from previous games; it is no longer an RTS, but its first foray into the field of open-world shooting games, scheduled to be released in 2030.
Dan Hay, general manager and vice president of the "StarCraft" shooting game project, revealed in an interview with IGN that although he could not disclose how long the game has been in development, he did share some details about how the team is working hard to turn "StarCraft" into a living universe that can both attract new players and make old players feel familiar.
“I can’t tell you how long it took the team to develop this project, but I can tell you how long it has been brewing in my mind, probably 25 years, and for us, I think the most important thing is that we found people who really love the brand. We found people who understand the brand and can really feel the brand heritage. We spent a lot of effort and effort to create a product that is authentic and credible, so that you can recognize it in this world at a glance.”
"It's a tricky, like walking a tightrope. You want to create an environment that's friendly and inviting to new players, but also make sure it feels authentic. When you walk into a bar, it feels like a bar in the original world. When you meet players and characters and see them with weapons and armor, it feels real and authentic."
Hay also dropped some subtle hints about what players can expect in the new game, saying that StarCraft will clearly show the roughness of its world and what it's like to be a soldier fighting huge, deadly creatures.
"What we wanted to show is that the outside world is cruel and difficult, full of wars, different factions and different people, and they don't always get along, and we wanted to express that from the beginning."
"When you think about what StarCraft allows you to do, and we think about how to tell this story - this is the way to tell this story. To be there, to be in the mud and dust, to feel the tension."
"It was very powerful - I have to be careful not to spoil too much - I remember the first time I saw a ten-foot-tall hydralisk and it almost jumped at me. I was wearing armor and holding a gun, and I felt like I was being pinned to the ground and could feel the weight of it. Emily was there just now Talking about the deployment of the barracks. The most shocking thing is that the moment you actually land, your perspective changes. You no longer feel like a god, you feel like you are in it, and everything you do is important."
Every decision matters. Everything I do feels meaningful.
He also dives into why Blizzard chose to take StarCraft in such a radically different direction instead of sticking to the series' real-time strategy roots - and in the process reveals some possible key gameplay elements, one of which is using enemies as "tools" to fight another enemy.
"For us, when we think about the theme of the game and the opportunity for players to be in the battlefield, explore the vast world, discover unknown areas, and even subvert the status quo, it feels very unique. In addition, we also designed different factions, and we hope that players can enter these worlds and experience the experience of interacting with different groups."
"I really want to talk about this, but I have to hold back. But what's really important is that you think about the different factions in StarCraft and what they each bring to the table, and what that feels like. I have some images in my mind right now, and I have to be careful Not to describe it, but I saw a lot of biomass and a lot of the things we hinted at before. If you watch the trailer and see the barracks flying in and you see the planet, you see all the living things on the planet and feel that atmosphere."
"For us, it felt right to put you in the middle of a group of people who are fighting and disagreeing. This sense of 'the enemy of my enemy is the tool' made us feel like the open world and the opportunity to explore, discover, disrupt situations, and use your enemy against your enemy was very powerful."
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