Blizzard has formally announced the StarCraft open-world shooter, with the new game targeting a 2030 release. The project was revealed during BlizzCon 2026’s opening ceremony by VGC and is being led by Dan Hay, the former Far Cry boss who joined Blizzard after leaving Ubisoft.
StarCraft open-world shooter is finally official
The announcement confirms years of reports about a StarCraft shooter in development at Blizzard. Hay introduced the project during the ceremony, describing it as “something new” that puts players on the ground rather than above the battlefield.
“[Our] team [was] built with one purpose and one goal, to return to a universe forged in interstellar war. This is something new: an open-world shooter where every step is earned. Not from above, but down on the ground, in the mud, in the fire.”
Dan Hay, StarCraft project lead
The game’s promotional text frames players as members of the Dominion, called to continue the fight after the sacrifice of earlier soldiers. A report from Massively Overpowered includes the announcement visuals and confirms the 2030 target. A second visual says the franchise “returns” in 2030.
Blizzard has tried this before
Blizzard has cancelled two earlier attempts at a StarCraft shooter. Project Ghost was announced in 2002 before being cancelled in 2006, while the more recent Ares project was reportedly cancelled in 2019. The new game is the first StarCraft shooter to receive a formal announcement from Blizzard.
Jason Schreier previously reported the project in his book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. He later said Blizzard was still working on a StarCraft shooter, describing the company’s repeated attempts to make one as evidence that it could not quite leave the idea alone. VGC’s earlier report also documented Hay’s involvement and the history of the cancelled projects.
The announcement does not yet include gameplay details, platforms, a price or a more specific release date. Blizzard’s official StarCraft site also has not published a full game page at the time of writing, so 2030 is the only release window currently available.
Blizzard’s earlier StarCraft shooter rumour covered the reports that led to the reveal. The announcement also follows Blizzard’s Overwatch Rush mobile game reveal, another recent expansion of the company’s shooter lineup.
The StarCraft open-world shooter is targeting 2030. Blizzard has not announced whether it will release on PC, PlayStation or Xbox, and there is no confirmed UAE launch date or local pricing.
What is Blizzard’s new StarCraft game?
It is an open-world shooter set in the StarCraft universe, led by former Far Cry boss Dan Hay.
When will the StarCraft open-world shooter release?
Blizzard is targeting 2030, but it has not announced a specific date.
Which platforms will the StarCraft shooter support?
Blizzard has not announced platforms, pricing or a UAE release date.
