Blizzard has explained why it announced Diablo V and the StarCraft shooter years before either game is due: the company wants to show confidence that both projects will ship on time.
Why Blizzard announced the Diablo V and StarCraft shooter so early
Blizzard president Johanna Faries told Bloomberg that the early reveals were intended “to convey confidence in some of our biggest bets coming forward”. She added: “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.”
The timing leaves Blizzard plenty of room to change plans. Diablo V and the StarCraft shooter are currently targeting 2029 and Spring 2030 respectively, according to VGC. Neither date is a firm release commitment.
Diablo V and the StarCraft shooter have long waits ahead
Blizzard announced Diablo V at BlizzCon 2026, with the next numbered entry in the action RPG series aiming for 2029. The company also revealed STARCRAFT, an original open-world shooter planned for Spring 2030, in its official BlizzCon announcement.
That makes the StarCraft project more than three years away even on its current schedule. Blizzard has not shared a full launch date, platforms or a detailed gameplay overview for either game.
Faries also described BlizzCon as “a sort of oasis, a moment for real joy” for Blizzard staff and fans. Her comments came as Microsoft faces further planned cuts, with VGC reporting that 1,600 roles have yet to be confirmed. Faries said her focus was preserving Blizzard’s creative culture while delivering for Microsoft.
Blizzard’s wider BlizzCon announcements included a Diablo animated series in development at Netflix and the return of Heroes of the Storm updates. The Diablo V and StarCraft shooter announcements now give players years to wait before they can test whether the confidence was justified. Tbreak has already covered Diablo V’s 2029 announcement and the StarCraft open-world shooter.
When is Diablo V expected to release?
Diablo V is currently targeting 2029, although Blizzard has not announced a firm release date.
When will the new StarCraft shooter launch?
Blizzard says the original open-world StarCraft shooter is planned for Spring 2030.
Has Blizzard announced platforms for either game?
No. Blizzard has not yet announced platforms for Diablo V or the new StarCraft shooter.
