Blizzard Says Early Diablo 5 and StarCraft Reveals Show Confidence in Its Future

Blizzard announced two games that are still years away from release during BlizzCon 2026, and president Johanna Faries said the early reveals are meant to signal confidence in the company’s biggest projects. Diablo 5 is targeting Spring 2029, while the next StarCraft game is targeting 2030.

Both games debuted during the BlizzCon opening ceremony on September 12. The StarCraft trailer presented the project as an open-world shooter and ended with the message that StarCraft returns in 2030. Diablo 5’s reveal also raised eyebrows because Blizzard is currently pointing to a six-year gap between Diablo 4 and its sequel, compared with the 11 years between Diablo 3 and Diablo 4.

Speaking to Bloomberg before BlizzCon, Faries explained the thinking behind announcing both projects so early. “We want to convey confidence in some of our biggest bets coming forward,” she said.

Faries also said Blizzard wants to be a company that will “ship big” and ship on time. “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,” she said.

StarCraft aims to preserve its RTS identity

Faries also explained why Blizzard chose to call the new project simply StarCraft. She said the name reflects a game for a modern, next generation of players without departing from the series’ real-time strategy roots.

“We came out with a strong belief that this is a StarCraft for the modern, next generation of players without departing from our RTS roots,” Faries said.

Blizzard has described the project as an open-world shooter, but the announcement did not explain how that structure will connect with the franchise’s strategy foundation. The cinematic provided story and setting details, while the game’s actual systems remain under wraps.

In December 2025, Faries said Blizzard would focus on its established worlds and aim for at least one or two major releases each year. Diablo 5 and StarCraft now sit at the far end of that strategy, with years of development still ahead before either scheduled launch.

Faries described BlizzCon as “a sort of oasis, a moment for real joy” for Blizzard employees and fans, while saying her focus remained on creating a healthy company and preserving its cultural and creative identity. She called that identity Blizzard’s “unique special sauce” and said strong performance for Microsoft would represent a mutual win for the wider company. Xbox CEO Asha Sharma visited Blizzard in March shortly after taking the role, with the hope that the visit would help her understand the studio’s culture.

At the time, Microsoft had not yet confirmed the remaining 1,600 roles it intended to cut, while Blizzard had largely avoided the first wave of reductions. Faries did not directly discuss whether further job losses could affect Blizzard, although the announcements arrived during a difficult period for Microsoft’s wider gaming business.

Long release windows do not remove the risk of delays, but they give Blizzard a chance to show staff and players that these games are part of a committed plan rather than distant ideas without a clear future. For now, the 2029 and 2030 dates are targets attached to projects that have not reached release. Blizzard’s next challenge will be turning that long-term confidence into finished games without asking players to wait through another cycle of delays.

Do Diablo 5 and a 2030 StarCraft return give you confidence in Blizzard’s plans, or do those long waits make the announcements harder to appreciate? Share your thoughts and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.