StarCraft could return, according to Blizzard president, but not necessarily as an RTS

Carighan Maconar@lemmy.world to Games@lemmy.world – 155 points – StarCraft could return, according to Blizzard president, but not necessarily as an RTS
pcgamer.com

While Blizzard is very much focussed on its big money-makers like its various Warcraft games, from WoW to Hearthstone to Warcraft Rumble, as well as Diablo and the much-maligned Overwatch 2, he's still open to StarCraft making a comeback. That said, RTS fans shouldn't get their hopes up. While the series might return, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be an RTS, and whatever shape it takes will depend on the person or team who goes to bat for it.

"It's not me saying, 'Go make a StarCraft game,'" Ybarra told Bloomberg. "I need to have someone who has the vision and passion that comes with the idea, and I'll bet on that team."

A vision and passion he - according to his own words - clearly does not have. 😑

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that doesn't necessarily mean it will be an RTS, and whatever shape it takes will depend on the person or team who goes to bat for it.

So... it's not Starcraft, then. It's just another game.

You know how in Starcraft, Infestors could take over a unit and parade it around to do its bidding?

It sounds kind of like that, but with the Starcraft brand.

So… it’s not Starcraft, then.

I think Starcraft has enough story and character development by now that its identity is more than just the mechanics that it started with.

It’s just another game.

It would still be a Starcraft game. If we were to ignore the lore and only consider the RTS format, then even the first Starcraft was "just another game". Those mechanics weren't unique or new.

Similarly, World of Warcraft is still a Warcraft game, even though it's hung on a different framework from the original.

I think Starcraft has enough story and character development by now that its identity is more than just the mechanics that it started with.

I can imagine that, but I don't think anyone but RTS fans know that.
I feel like, if they want to 'bring it back' as a brand, they would need to do an RTS game with all the marketing and such, to please the fans and bring it back into the public's memory, and then they could follow it up with a non-RTS spinoff.

If they don't do it like this, they'll likely have another debacle like with Diablo Immortals, where fans are waiting for a full-fledged title in that series and they're announcing something that's just not that.

I mean Warcraft was originally an RTS. No one thinks about that now.

A StarCraft game in the vein of Mass Effect would be dope.

Would you claim if Starcrft ghost had not been canceled, it would not be a starcrft game?

StarCraft doesn't have to be at RTS, you know.

RTS is a dead genre, but that doesn't mean the SC universe has to die with it.

WTF does "dead genre" mean? There are still people that love it and play it and want more.

The people shouting at blizzcon aren't yelling because they need a new model and voice lines for protoss units, they are doing it because they want another RTS

StarCraft hasn't seen any significant development since 2015. There aren't many other competitors in the RTS space since about that time, as well.

C&C hasn't had anything since 2010. AoE's last major entry was in 2021 and had a pretty weak reception. I can't think of the last RTS that actually sold well and has large adoption besides SC2.

It's a very niche genre these days, and few developers are willing to make them in today's climate of looters, extractions, and battle royales. RTS games just simply aren't making the waves they used to anymore.

Ye, and Stormgate and Zero Space don't exist, and people aren't excited for either, am I rite?

This thread is literally the first time I've heard of either of those.

Then you don't follow RTS news at all. Stormgate is made by ex blizzard employees that made Starcraft. Zero Space is made by Starcraft pros and modders. Zero Space got funded incredibly well through kickstarter. Both of these are a return to Warcraft 3 / Starcraft 2 type of gameplay and a lot of people are waiting for their release.

Crusader Kings, Europa Universalis, Civilization, Total War... Not all necessarily "real time", but still very much in the grand strategy mold.

The next Total Annihilation is going to be balls to the wall good. Check the trailers.

Storm Gate and Zero Space are being made by ex Blizz staff. Both in alpha.

RTS is back on the menu, boys.