Blizzard has announced it will no longer be developing paid-for content for StarCraft II, nearly a decade after the game first released.
The real-time strategy game will continue to receive season rolls and balance fixes for the competitive community, but for-purchase content such as Commanders and War Chests will be ending. Additionally, there will be no Q4 balance update since one was released just a few months ago. Blizzard will continue to support StarCraft II esports scene, which is maintained in partnership with ESL Gaming and GSL.
The reason for this decision is simple; after nearly 10 years of supporting the game, Blizzard is ready to think about what's next for the StarCraft franchise as a whole. You may recall that last year Blizzard reportedly canceled a first-person shooter set in the StarCraft universe (code-named Ares) as attention shifted towards Overwatch and Diablo 4. The game was described as "like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe" early prototypes putting players into the boots of a Terran marine who could "gun down Zerg aliens." Perhaps freeing up the resources that had worked on paid-for content for StarCraft II means we'll get new experiences and games in the StarCraft universe.
"You are one of the most passionate, creative, and dedicated communities in all of gaming," said Blizzard's Rob Bridenbecker. "We’re eternally grateful for your ongoing support, and we’ll keep you updated on any and all plans we have for future voyages into the Koprulu Sector.
Do you want to see another classic real-time strategy game set in the StarCraft universe or are you ready for an entirely new experience?
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