Hark, there’s a new StarCraft game coming. This one isn’t a real-time strategy game though – it’s an FPS. The project was announced during BlizzCon, with Far Cry veteran Dan Hay at the helm, and he’s explained a little more about its structure in interviews afterward.
Speaking to Inven Global, he mentions that it’s not going to be a particular kind of experience. “If I were to describe the overall structure we currently envision, it’s a ‘box product,'” he explains.
“It is a narrative-driven open-world shooter where players create a character, name them, and follow that character’s story,” he continues. “The story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.”
This sounds like it won’t be live-service, or any such elements will be minimal, and I’m glad if that’s the case. It seems like Blizzard is going for a Far Cry-type release set in the StarCraft universe, and that sounds appealing as is without trying to add more bells and whistles.
Hay does warn things could change in the coming months and years. “You can roam around and explore a rich open world, but our story has a definitive ending,” he says. “Think of it as purchasing a standalone boxed game, playing it, and experiencing its story. We hope players enjoy it, love it, and return to us later. At the very least, what we are building right now is not a seasonal game.”
A structure similar to the Borderlands games seems like a safe middle-ground here, if there’s a desire to go down that route. The reveal trailer leans heavily into Helldivers 2 territory, but it seems like it won’t be fully online the way that game is.
Hay, who’s the general manager and creative director on StarCraft – yes, this is just called that – was part of senior leadership on Far Cry 3, 4, 5, and 6, giving him quite a bit of insight into what works when it comes to blockbuster shooters. He’s worked on a couple of Diablo 4 expansions while at Blizzard so far, compounding his knowledge.
We’ll see what emerges, but for now, I’m cautiously optimistic.