Blizzard has officially announced a new StarCraft game — but fans may need to temper expectations. Revealed at BlizzCon by Blizzard VP Dan Hay, the upcoming title simply called StarCraft is slated for 2030 and shifts the franchise from its signature top-down real-time strategy format to a first/third-person open-world shooter.
The cinematic trailer shown during the announcement focuses on the human United Earth Directorate faction as they prepare to confront the Zerg, with the Protoss reduced to a passing mention. The tone is notably darker than previous entries — following a propaganda-fueled call to militarism, the protagonist is revealed to be disposable fuel for the meat grinder of war.\n The announcement represents a bold and controversial pivot for the 28-year-old franchise. StarCraft: Ghost, Blizzard's previous attempt at a 3D shooter set in the StarCraft universe, was announced in 2002 and spent over a decade in development hell before being officially canceled in 2014. The new open-world shooter approach suggests Blizzard is committed to reimagining the franchise rather than returning to its RTS roots.
For longtime fans, the shift away from real-time strategy will be bittersweet. The original StarCraft (1998) and StarCraft II (2010) are considered benchmarks of competitive RTS design, and a decade after the last expansion pack, many hoped for a proper strategic sequel. The open-world shooter format opens the franchise to a broader audience but sacrifices what many consider the series' defining gameplay identity.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/games/994371/starcraft-returns-in-2030-as-an-open-world-shooter
