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Blizzard confirmed at BlizzCon 2026 that StarCraft is returning after more than 15 years, but not in its traditional real-time-strategy form. The new, as-yet-unnamed StarCraft title was revealed as an open-world shooter and won't release until 2030, with Blizzard offering few additional details beyond a teaser and some gameplay hints. Developers defended the distant release date, saying the early reveal was meant to 'convey confidence' in the studio's biggest long-term bets. The announcement follows years of speculation about StarCraft's future after StarCraft 2's long dormancy, and marks a major genre pivot for the franchise. Coming alongside Diablo 5's own 2029 release date, the reveal has sparked discussion about Blizzard's increasingly common practice of announcing games years before launch.