Blizzard announces single-player StarCraft and Diablo 5 but there’s bad news

StarCraft is back… but will it come out? (Blizzard) Two major games were announced at BlizzCon 2026, including the first new StarCraft game in over 15 years. Blizzard might be known for franchises like World Of Warcraft and Overwatch, but years ago it was synonymous with StarCraft. The sci-fi real-time strategy series debuted in 1998 and received a sequel in 2010. However, there hasn’t been a new original game since, with the last StarCraft-related project being a remastered version of the original title which released in 2017. In 2024, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier claimed Blizzard was working on a new shooter spin-off, led by Far Cry veteran Dan Hay. Now, two years later at BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard has officially announced the project… but don’t expect it anytime soon. The game, simply titled ‘StarCraft’ based on the trailer, was described by Hay as an ‘open world shooter’ which would honour the series’ past but also ‘push beyond it’. Blizzard has attempted to make a shooter spin-off on several occasions. The most famous case is StarCraft: Ghost, which was announced in 2002 but never actually came out. Another project, codenamed Ares, was reportedly cancelled in 2019. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. Speaking to GameSpot after the reveal of this new title, Hay confirmed it would be ‘focusing on single player’, with a story that will have a ‘beginning, middle, and an end’. Hay also described it as a ‘box product’ to InvenGlobal, and that it won’t be a ‘seasonal game’. The first two StarCraft games had single-player campaigns, but multiplayer was the crux of their long-term appeal – so it sounds like this shooter will mark a notable shift in both genre and focus for the series. However, it might not be strictly single-player. Job listings for this new StarCraft have since appeared on the Blizzard website calling for people who have experience ‘with networked simulation or multiplayer gameplay systems’, along with ‘live game development’, so it sounds like it will have a multiplayer component of some kind. They have some time to cook it up too. As revealed in the trailer, this next StarCraft is targeting a 2030 launch, which suggests it barely exists at this point. This wasn’t the only new far-flung game announced at the convention. Blizzard also debuted Diablo 5 via a short cinematic trailer, which is set to launch in Spring 2029. As outlined on Blizzard’s website, the sequel is ‘still early in development’. Three classes were revealed in a subsequent panel, titled Demon Hunter, Monk, and Plague Knight, and the developers said the title will take inspiration from Diablo 2 in terms of items and gear. Another Diablo at this point was perhaps unexpected considering Diablo 4 only came out in 2023. There was an 11-year gap between Diablo 3 and 4, and if the fifth entry comes out in 2029, it will mark a shorter six-year gap since the previous instalment. You might be wondering why Blizzard announced these titles so far in advance, but according to the company’s president, it was to ‘convey confidence’. Speaking to Bloomberg, Blizzard president Johanna Faries said: ‘We want to convey confidence in some of our biggest bets coming forward. We’re a Blizzard that’s going to ship, and ship big, and ship on time, and all hands on deck to set those projects up for success.’ Blizzard doesn’t exactly have a great reputation of getting games out on time, especially in relation to StarCraft, but we’ll have to see if it does stick to these windows. Along with this open world shooter, rumours suggest Blizzard has partnered with Korean conglomerate Nexon for another StarCraft game, although this hasn’t been officially announced. Diablo 5 is still a long way off (Blizzard) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: Crazy Taxi: World Tour Closed Network Test review – Sega’s multiplayer revival Arrow MORE: Sony had good reasons to axe Hideo Kojima’s Physint claims report Arrow MORE: Where to buy Zelda remake and Metroid Ravenous as Switch 2 copies sell out GameCentral Sign up for exclusive analysis, latest releases, and bonus community content.