Dan Hay Says Leading StarCraft Is “An Honor” Ahead of Its 2030 Release
Blizzard has shown only an animated mood trailer so far, and the project still has no announced platforms or exact release date.
Dan Hay says leading Blizzard’s return to StarCraft is “an honor,” as the long-running real-time strategy series heads toward an open-world shooter in 2030. In a GamesRadar+ interview at BlizzCon 2026, the former Far Cry executive producer said he and his team are taking that responsibility seriously.
“It is an honor,” Hay said. “We take that very seriously.” He also described the opportunity as winning “the cosmic lottery,” explaining that the team wants to build something new while preserving the qualities that made StarCraft familiar to its audience. Hay is leading the project alongside associate director AnaLee Haertling.
Blizzard announced StarCraft at BlizzCon on Sept. 12, 2026, with a release window planned for 2030. The game will take place 70 years after StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, although Blizzard has not announced a more specific date.
StarCraft’s open-world shooter still has no gameplay reveal
Blizzard’s first StarCraft trailer established the project’s tone rather than its mechanics. The cinematic follows a young Dominion soldier preparing for combat and ends on a grim battlefield moment, but it does not show playable footage or explain how shooting, exploration, or the open-world structure will work.
StarCraft: Ghost previously showed Blizzard testing a shooter direction for the franchise before that project was canceled. Hay’s new game brings the series back to that broader idea in a different form, with an open-world design and a 2030 target instead of the stealth-focused approach associated with Ghost.
For now, Hay’s comments explain the team’s attitude more than the game’s design. Blizzard has not shown gameplay, named platforms, or provided the systems that will determine how far this StarCraft moves beyond its real-time strategy roots.
Will Hay’s FPS background help StarCraft make the jump into open-world shooting, or would you rather see Blizzard return to real-time strategy? Share your view in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, Instagram, Steam, and Telegram.
Starcraft
Developed by Blizzard Entertainment
