StarCraft is a narrative-driven shooter with ‘a definitive ending’ and ‘not a seasonal game’

Following the announcement of a new StarCraft game at BlizzCon’s Opening Ceremony, GM and creative director Dan Hay (best known for Far Cry 3-6) spoke to Korean media about the open-world shooter.

Based on Inven Global’s transcript, it sounds like StarCraft will be a shooter along the lines of the Far Crys, though with a customizable lead character, and not a live service multiplayer game.

“If I were to describe the overall structure we currently envision, it’s a ‘box product,'” said Hay. “It is a narrative-driven open world shooter where players create a character, name them, and follow that character’s story. The story has a beginning, a middle, and an end.

“You can roam around and explore a rich open world, but our story has a definitive ending. 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.”

That’s not what I expected to hear after seeing the cinematic trailer, which depicts a confident young soldier progressing through training before being unceremoniously turned to mush by Zerg. It projected Helldivers more than ‘standalone boxed game.’

Later in the conversation, Hay reveals a little more about StarCraft’s structure, distinguishing between “serious missions” with narrative consequences and open world exploration, saying that “if a certain mission feels too difficult, you can return to the open world and engage in other activities at your own pace.”

“If you lack adequate gear, you can head out into the world, scavenge for what you need, deck out your armor, and try again,” Hay said. “… I like wandering around slowly, exploring, discovering new things, and encountering unexpected turns.”

Hay also said that StarCraft is set 70 years after the events of StarCraft 2, which freed them up narratively.

“Thanks to that, we can build new stories, adventures, and characters,” he said. “Factions that looked a certain way in the past might have shifted their perspectives over 70 years, disagreed with each other, or fractured into splinters. These changes provide ample room to forge new narratives. It’s crucial to tell a new story while preserving StarCraft’s signature dark, gritty mood and space western atmosphere.”

StarCraft isn’t scheduled to release until 2030. Following the announcement, Blizzard published several related job listings.