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''StarCraft'' is a
military science fiction Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that features the use of science fiction technology, mainly weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters who are members of a military organization involved in military a ...
media franchise created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney and owned by
Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
. The series, set in the beginning of the 26th century, centers on a galactic struggle for dominance among four species—the adaptable and mobile Terrans, the ever-evolving
insectoid An insectoid is an insect-like creature. Insectoid may refer to: * Insectoid robot * Insectoids in science fiction {{dab ...
Zerg Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy game series '' StarCraft'' revolves around interstellar affairs in a distant sector of the galaxy, with three species and multiple factions all vying for supremacy in the sector. The playable species of ...
, the powerful and enigmatic
Protoss Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy game series ''StarCraft'' revolves around interstellar affairs in a distant sector of the galaxy, with three species and multiple factions all vying for supremacy in the sector. The playable species of ...
, and the godlike Xel'Naga creator race—in a distant part of the
Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...
galaxy known as the Koprulu Sector. The series debuted with the
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
'' StarCraft'' in 1998. It has grown to include a number of other games as well as eight novelizations, two ''
Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' articles, a
board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a co ...
, and other licensed merchandise such as collectible statues and toys. Blizzard Entertainment began planning ''StarCraft'' in 1995 with a development team led by Metzen and Phinney. The game debuted at the 1996 Electronic Entertainment Expo and used a modified ''
Warcraft II ''Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'' is a fantasy real-time strategy computer game developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released for DOS in 1995 and Mac OS in 1996 by Blizzard's parent, Davidson & Associates. A sequel to '' Warcraft: Orcs & Huma ...
''
game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
. ''StarCraft'' also marked the creation of Blizzard Entertainment's film department; the game introduced high quality cinematics integral to the storyline of the series. Most of the original development team for ''StarCraft'' returned to work on the game's expansion pack, ''
Brood War ''StarCraft: Brood War'' is the expansion pack for the military science fiction real-time strategy video game ''StarCraft''. Released in December 1998 for Microsoft Windows and June 1999 for Mac OS, it was co-developed by Saffire and Blizzard E ...
''; that game's development began only shortly after ''StarCraft'' was released. In 2001, '' StarCraft: Ghost'' began development under
Nihilistic Software nStigate Games (formerly Nihilistic Software) was an American video game developer based in Novato, California. History Nihilistic was founded in March 1998 by Ray Gresko, Robert Huebner, and Steve Tietze. Gresko and Huebner had formerly worked ...
. Unlike the previous
real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
games in the series, ''Ghost'' was to be a stealth- action game. After three years of development, work on the game was postponed in 2004. Development of a true
RTS RTS may refer to: Medicine * Rape trauma syndrome, the psychological trauma experienced by a rape victim * Revised Trauma Score, a system to evaluate injuries secondary to violent trauma * Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome, a condition characterized by ...
sequel, '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'', began in 2003; the game was announced in May 2007 and was released in July 2010. ''
StarCraft II ''StarCraft II'' is a military science fiction video game created by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the successful ''StarCraft'' video game released in 1998. Set in a fictional future, the game centers on a galactic struggle for dominance ...
'' continued with the '' StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm'' expansion, which was released in March 2013. The third and final ''StarCraft II'' installment, ''
Legacy of the Void ''StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void'' is a standalone expansion pack to the military science fiction real-time strategy game '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'', and the third and final part of the ''StarCraft II'' trilogy developed by Blizzard En ...
'', was released in November 2015. In 2016, a single-player nine-mission pack, '' Nova Covert Ops'', was released in form of DLC. The original game and its expansion have been praised as one of the benchmark real-time strategy games of its time. The series has gathered a solid following around the world, particularly in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, where professional players and teams participate in matches, earn sponsorships, and compete in televised matches. By June 2007, ''StarCraft'' and ''Brood War'' had sold nearly 10 million copies combined. ''StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty'' and its sequels obtained similar praise, and also sold very well. By the end of 2017, the franchise's lifetime revenue totaled over $1 billion. In addition, the series was awarded a star on the
Walk of Game The Walk of Game was an attraction in the United States honoring the icons and pioneers of the video game industry, created in 2005 and located inside the Sony Metreon, an entertainment shopping center in San Francisco, California. It noted the most ...
in 2006, and holds four ''
Guinness World Records ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' in the ''
Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
'' of 2008. On March 27, 2017, Blizzard announced '' StarCraft: Remastered'', a remastered version of the original ''StarCraft'', with the core updates being up-to-date graphics and revised dialogue and audio. As of 2017, the original ''StarCraft'', its ''Brood War'' expansion, and ''StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty'' are free to download and play from Blizzard's website.


Story


Backstory

The story focuses on the activities of three species in a part of the
Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...
known as the Koprulu Sector. Millennia before any of the events of the games, a species known as the Xel'Naga genetically engineer the
Protoss Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy game series ''StarCraft'' revolves around interstellar affairs in a distant sector of the galaxy, with three species and multiple factions all vying for supremacy in the sector. The playable species of ...
and later the
Zerg Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy game series '' StarCraft'' revolves around interstellar affairs in a distant sector of the galaxy, with three species and multiple factions all vying for supremacy in the sector. The playable species of ...
in attempts to create pure beings. These experiments backfire and the Xel'Naga are largely destroyed by the Zerg. Centuries before the beginning of ''StarCraft'' in 2499, the hardline international government of
Earth Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to harbor life. While large volumes of water can be found throughout the Solar System, only Earth sustains liquid surface water. About 71% of Earth's surfa ...
, the United Earth Directorate (UED), commissions a colonization program as part of a solution to overpopulation. On the way, the computers automating the colony ships malfunction, propelling the Terran colonists far off course to the edge of Protoss space. Out of contact with Earth, they form various factions to maintain their interests. Intrigued by the behavior and mentality of the Terrans, the Protoss remain hidden to examine the humans, while protecting them from other threats without their knowledge. The Zerg, however, target the Terrans for assimilation to harness their
psionic In American science fiction of the 1950s and 1960s, psionics was a proposed discipline that applied principles of engineering (especially electronics) to the study (and employment) of paranormal or psychic phenomena, such as telepathy and psycho ...
potential, forcing the Protoss to destroy tainted Terran colonies to contain the Zerg infestation.


''StarCraft''

''StarCraft'' begins days after the first of these attacks, where the predominant Terran government, the Terran Confederacy, falls into a state of panic as it comes under attack by both the Zerg and the Protoss, in addition to increasing rebel activity led by
Arcturus Mengsk Major and recurring characters from the military science fiction series ''StarCraft'' are listed below, organised by respective species and most commonly affiliated faction within the fictional universe. The story of the ''StarCraft'' series revolv ...
against its rule. The Confederacy eventually succumbs to Mengsk's rebels when they use Confederate technology to lure the Zerg into attacking the Confederate capital, Tarsonis. In the consequent power vacuum, Mengsk crowns himself emperor of a new Terran Dominion. During the assault on Tarsonis, Mengsk allows the Zerg to capture and infest his psion second-in-command,
Sarah Kerrigan Sarah Louise Kerrigan, the self-styled Queen of Blades, is a fictional character in Blizzard Entertainment's ''StarCraft'' franchise. The character was created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney, and her original appearance was designed by Metz ...
. This betrayal prompts Mengsk's other commander,
Jim Raynor James Eugene Raynor is a fictional character and a major protagonist in Blizzard Entertainment's science fiction ''StarCraft'' series. Raynor is a predominant character in the science fiction real-time strategy video games ''StarCraft'' and '' B ...
, to desert him with a small army. Having retreated with Kerrigan to their primary hive clusters, the Zerg are assaulted by Protoss forces commanded by Tassadar and the
dark templar Blizzard Entertainment's real-time strategy game series '' StarCraft'' revolves around interstellar affairs in a distant sector of the galaxy, with three species and multiple factions all vying for supremacy in the sector. The playable species of ...
Zeratul Major and recurring characters from the military science fiction series ''StarCraft'' are listed below, organised by respective species and most commonly affiliated faction within the fictional universe. The story of the ''StarCraft'' series revolv ...
. Through assassinating a Zerg
cerebrate Major and recurring characters from the military science fiction series '' StarCraft'' are listed below, organised by respective species and most commonly affiliated faction within the fictional universe. The story of the ''StarCraft'' series revol ...
, Zeratul inadvertently allows the Overmind to learn the location of the Protoss homeworld, Aiur. The Overmind quickly launches an invasion to assimilate the Protoss and gain genetic perfection. Pursued by his own people as a heretic for siding with the dark templar Zeratul, Tassadar returns to Aiur and, with the assistance of Raynor and the templar Fenix, launches an attack on the Overmind and ultimately sacrifices himself to kill the creature.


''Brood War''

In ''Brood War'', the Protoss are led by Zeratul and Artanis. They begin to evacuate the surviving population of Aiur to the dark templar homeworld of Shakuras under a fragile alliance between the two untrusting branches of the Protoss. On Shakuras, they are misled by Kerrigan into attacking the Zerg to advance Kerrigan's quest to securing power over the Zerg. This deception comes after she reveals that a new Overmind has entered incubation. Meanwhile, Earth decides to take action in the sector, sending a fleet to conquer the Terran Dominion and capture the new Overmind. Although successfully taking the Dominion capital Korhal and enslaving the Overmind, the UED's efforts to capture Mengsk are thwarted by a double agent working for Kerrigan, Samir Duran. Kerrigan, allying with Mengsk, Fenix, and Raynor, launches a campaign against the UED, recapturing Korhal. She turns against her allies, with Fenix and Duke both perishing in the ensuing attacks. Kerrigan later extorts Zeratul into killing the new Overmind, giving her full control over the entire Zerg Swarm. After defeating a retaliatory attack by the Protoss, Dominion, and the UED (consequently destroying the last of the UED fleet), Kerrigan and her Zerg broods become the dominant power in the sector.


''Wings of Liberty''

Four years later, in ''Wings of Liberty'', Kerrigan and the Zerg vanish from the Koprulu Sector, allowing the Protoss to once again take on a passive role in the galaxy. Meanwhile, Raynor forms a revolutionary group named Raynor's Raiders in order to overthrow Mengsk. On Mar Sara, Raynor liberates the local population from Dominion control and also discovers a component of a mysterious Xel'Naga artifact. The Zerg reappear and overrun Mar Sara, forcing Raynor to arrange an evacuation to his battlecruiser, the ''Hyperion''. The Raiders embark on a series of missions to undermine Mengsk, stop frequent Zerg infestations on Terran worlds, gather psychic individuals for military assets, and find the remaining pieces of the Xel'Naga artifact, which they sell to the enigmatic Moebius Foundation in order to fund their revolution. Soon after, Zeratul delivers a psychic crystal that allows Raynor to share visions involving an ominous prophecy where Zerg-Protoss hybrids and an enslaved Zerg swarm wipe out the Terrans and the Protoss. The vision reveals that only Kerrigan has the power to prevent the eradication of all life in the sector and beyond. After collecting more artifact pieces, the Raiders forge an alliance with Valerian Mengsk, Arcturus' son, who is their secret benefactor from Moebius Foundation. After recovering the final artifact piece, Valerian and Raynor work together to invade the Zerg world of Char and use the artifact to restore Kerrigan's humanity, thus weakening the Zerg at the cost of much of the Dominion fleet. An agent of Arcturus makes an attempt on Kerrigan's life, and Raynor defends her and takes her in for medical examination.


''Heart of the Swarm''

In ''Heart of the Swarm'', the Dominion discovers where Raynor and Kerrigan are hiding and launch an attack on them. Kerrigan manages to escape, but is cut off from Raynor and upon hearing news that he was captured and executed, she returns to Zerg territory to retake control of the swarm and exact revenge on Mengsk. During her quest, she has an encounter with Zeratul, who advises her to travel to Zerus, the original homeworld of the Zerg, where she regains her powers as the Queen of Blades, returning stronger than ever, and learns that a fallen Xel'Naga named
Amon Amon may refer to: Mythology * Amun, an Ancient Egyptian deity, also known as Amon and Amon-Ra * Aamon, a Goetic demon People Momonym * Amon of Judah ( 664– 640 BC), king of Judah Given name * Amon G. Carter (1879–1955), American pu ...
was responsible for making the Zerg what they are: a warring swarm, bound to a single overriding will. After confronting a legion of servants of Amon, including a breed of Protoss-Zerg hybrids, Mengsk informs Kerrigan that Raynor is still alive and uses him as a leverage against her, keeping the location where he is imprisoned a secret, until she joins forces with the ''Hyperion'' to locate and rescue him. Seeing that she discarded her humanity after all the effort he took to restore it, Raynor rejects her, despite her confession that she loves him, and parts ways with her. Kerrigan turns her attention to Korhal and sends her forces to bring down Mengsk once and for all. During their showdown, Mengsk uses the artifact to immobilize her, but Raynor appears to protect her, and Mengsk is ultimately killed by Kerrigan. With the Dominion under control of Mengsk's son Valerian, Kerrigan bids farewell to Raynor and departs with the Zerg Swarm to confront Amon and his forces.


''Legacy of the Void''

In ''Legacy of the Void'', Zeratul invades a Terran installation under control of Amon in order to pinpoint the exact location of his resurrection, taking advantage of a sudden attack by Kerrigan and the Zerg swarm. After obtaining the exact location, he departs to an ancient Xel'Naga temple where he has a vision of Tassadar, who prompts him to claim the artifact in possession of the Terrans. Zeratul returns to warn Artanis of Amon's return, but he decides to proceed with his plans of leading his army to reclaim Aiur. Amon awakens on Aiur and takes control of the majority of the Protoss race through the Khala, the telepathic bond that unites all emotions for the Khalai faction of the Protoss. Only Zeratul and the Nerazim, the Dark Templar, are immune due to their lack of connection to the Khala, and the Nerazim proceed to save as many Khalai as they can by severing their nerve cords, which connect them to the Khala, with Zeratul sacrificing himself to save Artanis in the occasion. After escaping the planet with an ancient vessel, the ''Spear of Adun'', Artanis reclaims the artifact as Zeratul suggested and gathers allies among the many Protoss tribes scattered across the galaxy in order to remake his army and launch another assault on Aiur. Using the artifact, Artanis' forces restrain Amon's essence, time enough for the other Khalai Protoss who were still under his control to sever their nerve cords and banish Amon to the Void. In a short epilogue after the end of ''Legacy of the Void'', Kerrigan calls for Artanis and Raynor's help to confront Amon inside the Void to defeat him once and for all. In the occasion, they meet Ouros, the last of the Xel'Naga who reveals that to confront Amon on equal terms, Kerrigan must inherit Ouros' essence and become a Xel'Naga herself, as Ouros himself is at the last of his strength. Assisted by the Zerg, Terran and Protoss forces, the empowered Kerrigan vanquishes Amon, before disappearing without a trace. Two years later, Kerrigan appears before Raynor in human form and he departs with her to never be heard from again, while the Zerg, the Terran and the Protoss civilizations begin to rebuild in an age of peace and prosperity.


Games

The ''StarCraft'' series includes a core set of titles that carry the main storyline. These games were released in chronological order, with each new title following on from the events that are depicted in the previous title. A full second game, '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'', was released in 2010, taking place four years after the end of Brood War. Two expansions, ''
Heart of the Swarm The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide to t ...
'' and ''
Legacy of the Void ''StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void'' is a standalone expansion pack to the military science fiction real-time strategy game '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'', and the third and final part of the ''StarCraft II'' trilogy developed by Blizzard En ...
'' (both currently stand alone games), were planned from the beginning; the former was released in 2013 and the later was released in 2015. All the games in the main series are real-time strategy games, where the player views the events as a military commander for each of the three species. In addition, two spin-off titles have been released; these are authorized expansion packs to the original that focus on other characters and settings based at the same time as the main storyline. Like the main series, these two titles are also real-time strategy games. A spin-off, '' StarCraft: Ghost'', which was to be a third person
action Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
-
stealth game A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses ''stealth'' to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow th ...
, was in development, but has been placed on indefinite hiatus.


''StarCraft''

'' StarCraft'', released for
Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
on March 31, 1998, is the first video game in the ''StarCraft'' series. A
science fiction Science fiction (sometimes shortened to Sci-Fi or SF) is a genre of speculative fiction which typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, space exploration, time travel, parallel unive ...
real-time strategy game, ''StarCraft'' is set in a distant sector of the Milky Way galaxy. A
Mac OS Two major famlies of Mac operating systems were developed by Apple Inc. In 1984, Apple debuted the operating system that is now known as the "Classic" Mac OS with its release of the original Macintosh System Software. The system, rebranded "M ...
version of the game was released by
Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
in March 1999. A
Nintendo 64 The (N64) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo. The successor to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, it was released on June 23, 1996, in Japan, on September 29, 1996, in North America, and on March 1, 1997, in Europe and ...
port including ''StarCraft'', ''Brood War'', and a new secret mission "Resurrection IV" was released in the United States on June 13, 2000. The game's story revolves around the appearance of two alien races in Terran space and each race's attempts to survive and adapt over the others. The player assumes three roles through the course of the three campaigns: a
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
colonial governor who becomes a revolutionary commander, a Zerg
cerebrate Major and recurring characters from the military science fiction series '' StarCraft'' are listed below, organised by respective species and most commonly affiliated faction within the fictional universe. The story of the ''StarCraft'' series revol ...
pushing forward the species' doctrine of assimilation, and a Protoss fleet executor tasked with defending the Protoss from the Zerg. ''StarCraft'' soon gained critical acclaim, winning numerous awards, including being labelled "the best real-time strategy game ever made" and being ranked the seventh best game of all time by
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
in both 2003 and 2005, and the eleventh best game in 2007. '' StarCraft: Brood War'' is the official expansion pack for ''StarCraft'', developed by Blizzard Entertainment and Saffire. Released for Windows and Mac OS in the United States on December 18, 1998,
"Starcraft fans have been waiting – and not so patiently – for Blizzard's first expansion pack Brood War Well, Blizzard announced that the title is on its way to stores nationwide (and we actually received box copies Friday morning to prove it)."
the expansion directly continues the events of ''StarCraft''. The expansion's story continues only days after the conclusion of the original game. It starts with the Protoss' struggle to ensure the survival of their species and continues with the intervention of the United Earth Directorate into local Terran affairs. The livelihood of both the Protoss and the previously silent Earth government is then threatened by the ever-increasing power of Sarah Kerrigan and her Zerg broods. In addition, the expansion introduces new features and improvements. A total of seven new units with different functions and abilities are included, the artificial intelligence behavior was modified, new graphical tilesets for terrain were added, and the game's
level editor In video games, a level (also referred to as a map, stage, or round in some older games) is any space available to the player during the course of completion of an objective. Video game levels generally have progressively-increasing difficulty t ...
received improved scripting tools to facilitate cut scenes with the in-
game engine A game engine is a software framework primarily designed for the development of video games and generally includes relevant libraries and support programs. The "engine" terminology is similar to the term "software engine" used in the software i ...
. The expansion received critical praise for fixing various balance issues with the original game, development attention on par with that of a full game, and for continuing with single player campaigns that were heavily story-driven. In April 2017, Starcraft received its first update in over 8 years, and Brood War was released for free to both PC and MAC. A
remastered Remaster refers to changing the quality of the sound or of the image, or both, of previously created recordings, either audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic. The terms digital remastering and digitally remastered are also used. Mastering A ...
edition of the game, '' StarCraft: Remastered'', released August 14, 2017, preserves the gameplay of the original while adding support for ultra-high-definition graphics, Blizzard's modern online features, and re-recorded audio (soundtrack and sound effects). On July 10, 2019, Blizzard released ''StarCraft: Cartooned'', a graphics overhaul pack for the game by Carbot Animations, the producers of multiple Blizzard-related parody animations, including their first and longest-running one, the ''StarCrafts'' series. As a graphical overhaul, its effect applies to all game modes and menus in ''StarCraft: Remastered''. A port of the ''StarCraft'' and ''StarCraft: Brood War'' campaigns was released in 2011 as a fan-made mod for StarCraft II under the name "StarCraft: Mass Recall". The mod includes the original units, campaigns, and hidden missions, but uses the ''StarCraft II'' engine including the AI mechanics, which makes the game notably more difficult than the original. It was completed in 2019 and has since received minor technical updates.


''StarCraft II''

'' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'' is the official sequel to ''StarCraft'' released for Windows and
Mac OS X macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and la ...
by Blizzard Entertainment on July 27, 2010. The game was announced at the Worldwide Invitational in South Korea on May 19, 2007 with a pre-rendered cinematic cut scene trailer and a gameplay demonstration of the Protoss. Further demonstrations regarding the game's new features have been showcased at subsequent
BlizzCon BlizzCon is an annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its major franchises including ''Warcraft'', ''StarCraft'', '' Diablo'', ''Hearthstone'', ''Heroes of the Storm,'' and ''Overwatch''. The first BlizzCon was held ...
s and other games conventions. The game incorporates a new 3D graphics engine and adds new features such as the Havok
physics engine A physics engine is computer software that provides an approximate simulation of certain physical systems, such as rigid body dynamics (including collision detection), soft body dynamics, and fluid dynamics, of use in the domains of computer gr ...
. ''StarCraft II'' also incorporates
DirectX 10 Microsoft DirectX is a collection of application programming interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally, the names of these APIs all began with "Direct" ...
level effects in Windows. Originally envisioned as a single game, ''StarCraft II'' was split into three parts during development, one for focusing on each race. The base game, ''Wings of Liberty'', follows the Terrans, while two expansion packs, ''Heart of the Swarm'' and ''Legacy of the Void'', have been released to complement ''Wings of Liberty'' and further the story from the views of the Zerg and Protoss, respectively. The story of ''Wings of Liberty'' continues from four years after the conclusion of ''Brood War'' and revolves around Jim Raynor's struggles against the Terran Dominion. '' StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm'' is an expansion pack to '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'' and was released on March 12, 2013. It is part two of the ''StarCraft II'' trilogy. The expansion includes additional units and multiplayer changes from Wings of Liberty, as well as a continuing campaign focusing on Kerrigan and the Zerg race. It spans 27 missions (20 main missions and 7 side missions). The saga of ''StarCraft'' is ultimately completed with '' StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void'', which was released on November 10, 2015. ''StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void'' is a stand-alone game in which new units are added to all three races as well as changing existing units, and also makes groundbreaking changes to the economy-aspect of the game. The story of StarCraft is concluded by following the Protoss Race in their quest to reclaim their homeworld and for Kerrigan to ultimately slay the greatest threat to the entire universe. The game is divided into a 3-mission prologue, a 19-mission main story campaign, and a 3-mission epilogue that wraps everything up. At
BlizzCon 2015 BlizzCon is an annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its major franchises including ''Warcraft'', '' StarCraft'', '' Diablo'', '' Hearthstone'', ''Heroes of the Storm,'' and ''Overwatch''. The first BlizzCon was he ...
, during the "Future of StarCraft II" presentation, it was revealed that Blizzard will release additional mission packs to keep players engaged with StarCraft II. The first pack is called '' Nova Covert Ops'', and will center around the character Nova. The mission pack consists of three episodes, with a total of nine new missions. It did not require the purchase of StarCraft II and could be played with the Starter Edition. The release date for the first episode is March 29, 2016. At the same time, Blizzard has announced that new commanders are planned to be added to the Co-Op mode in Legacy of the Void as a DLC, with Karax to be the first addition given for free.


Spin-off titles

The success of ''StarCraft'' spurred the creation of two authorized add-on titles to ''StarCraft'', as well as one failed attempt at a deviation into a
genre Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...
other than
real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
.


Insurrection

''
Insurrection Rebellion, uprising, or insurrection is a refusal of obedience or order. It refers to the open resistance against the orders of an established authority. A rebellion originates from a sentiment of indignation and disapproval of a situation and ...
'' was the first add-on pack released for ''StarCraft''. Although developed and published by Aztech New Media, it is authorized by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released for the PC on July 31, 1998. The expansion's story focuses on a
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
colony during the course of the first campaign of ''StarCraft''. As in ''StarCraft'', the player takes control of each race in three separate campaigns. In the first campaign, Terran colonists attempt to defend themselves from the Zerg invasion of the sector as well as from a rising
insurgency An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority waged by small, lightly armed bands who practice guerrilla warfare from primarily rural base areas. The key descriptive feature of insurgency is its asymmetric nature: small irr ...
. The second campaign has the player directing a Protoss task force sent to clear the Zerg infestation of the colony by any means necessary. In the final campaign, the player assumes the role of a Zerg cerebrate, whose goal is to crush all opposition on the surface. The expansion contains 30 new campaign missions and over 100 new multiplayer maps, although it does not include new content in the form of units and graphical terrain tilesets. ''Insurrection'' was criticized by reviewers for lacking the quality of the original game, and is not widely available. Although the add-on is authorized by Blizzard Entertainment, they offer no comment on support or availability of the game.


Retribution

''Retribution'' is the second of the two authorized add-on packs released for ''StarCraft''. The add-on was developed by
Stardock Stardock Corporation is a software development company founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1993 as Stardock Systems. Stardock initially developed for the OS/2 platform, but was forced to switch to Microsoft Windows due to the collapse of the OS ...
and published by
WizardWorks WizardWorks Group, Inc. was an American video game developer and publisher based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company was founded in 1980 and, in 1993, WizardWorks opened the CompuWorks and MacSoft divisions. In 1996, WizardWorks was acquir ...
. It was released for the PC in late 1998. The game is set during the second campaign in ''StarCraft'', revolving around the acquisition of a crystal of immense power connected to the Xel'Naga. Divided into three campaigns, the game has the player assuming the roles of a Protoss fleet executor, the commander of a
Dominion The term ''Dominion'' is used to refer to one of several self-governing nations of the British Empire. "Dominion status" was first accorded to Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Newfoundland, South Africa, and the Irish Free State at the 192 ...
task force, and a Zerg cerebrate, all tasked with retrieving ''the crystal'' from a Dominion colony and getting it off the planet as quickly as possible. As with its predecessor, ''Retribution'' does not include any new gameplay features beyond its single player campaigns and an abundance of multiplayer levels. The add-on was not well received by reviewers, and instead it was regarded as "average", but at least challenging. ''Retribution'' is similarly not widely available, and Blizzard Entertainment offers no comment regarding support or the availability of the add-on despite authorizing it.


Ghost

'' StarCraft: Ghost'' was intended to be a tactical
stealth game A stealth game is a type of video game in which the player primarily uses ''stealth'' to avoid or overcome opponents. Games in the genre typically allow the player to remain undetected by hiding, sneaking, or using disguises. Some games allow th ...
for
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home consoles, which are generally placed in a permanent location connected to ...
s developed under the supervision of Blizzard Entertainment. Announced in 2002, the game was constantly delayed due to various issues, including a change of development team from
Nihilistic Software nStigate Games (formerly Nihilistic Software) was an American video game developer based in Novato, California. History Nihilistic was founded in March 1998 by Ray Gresko, Robert Huebner, and Steve Tietze. Gresko and Huebner had formerly worked ...
to Swingin' Ape Studios in July 2004. As updates about the development of the game became less frequent, and the graphics and game mechanics became more outdated, suspicion began to grow that Blizzard would cancel the game. Finally, on March 24, 2006, Blizzard indefinitely postponed the game's development. The story of the game is about Nova, a of the Terran Dominion. Frequently used as an example of development hell, in 2008, Blizzard Entertainment refused to list the game as ''cancelled''. It was not until August 23, 2014, in an interview with
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed ''polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two to ...
, that Chris Metzen confirmed that ''StarCraft: Ghost'' was indeed cancelled.


Ares

Blizzard still has yet to produce an FPS game based on StarCraft. In summer 2019 there was a 2nd project called StarCraft: Ares that was cancelled when Blizzard focused on developing Overwatch 2 and Diablo 4 instead.


Development

Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
began planning development on '' StarCraft'' in 1995, shortly after the beginning of development for '' Diablo''. The development was led by Chris Metzen and James Phinney, who also created the game's
fictional universe A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes may ...
. Using the '' Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness'' game engine as a base, ''StarCraft'' made its debut at
E3 1996 E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publisher ...
. The game's success led to the development of two authorized add-ons, which were both released in 1998. However, neither of the two add-ons were particularly well received by critics. ''StarCraft'' also marked the debut of Blizzard Entertainment's film department. Previously, cinematic cut scenes were seen as simply gap fillers that often deviated from the game, but with '' StarCraft'' and later ''
Brood War ''StarCraft: Brood War'' is the expansion pack for the military science fiction real-time strategy video game ''StarCraft''. Released in December 1998 for Microsoft Windows and June 1999 for Mac OS, it was co-developed by Saffire and Blizzard E ...
'' introducing high quality cinematics integral to the storyline of the series, Blizzard Entertainment is cited as having changed this perception and became one of the first game companies to raise the standard regarding such cut scenes. ''StarCraft''s success also inspired third-party developer Microstar Software to release an unauthorized add-on, entitled ''Stellar Forces'', in May 1998. Blizzard Entertainment consequently filed a lawsuit against Microstar for selling the add-on, arguing that as the product was unauthorized and created using ''StarCraft''s level editing software, it was a breach of the
end user license agreement An end-user license agreement or EULA () is a legal contract between a software supplier and a customer or end-user, generally made available to the customer via a retailer acting as an intermediary. A EULA specifies in detail the rights and restr ...
. In November 1998, Blizzard Entertainment won the court case against Microstar Software. In the settlement, Microstar agreed to pay an undisclosed amount in punitive damages and to destroy all remaining copies of ''Stellar Forces'' in its possession, as well as to formally apologize to Blizzard Entertainment. After the release of the first two add-on packs, Blizzard Entertainment announced the official expansion pack to ''StarCraft'', entitled ''Brood War''. Most of the team at Blizzard Entertainment responsible for ''StarCraft'' returned to work on ''Brood War''. Development on ''Brood War'' began shortly after ''StarCraft''s release, and Blizzard Entertainment were assisted by members of Saffire, who were contracted for a variety of tasks consisting of programming and design for levels, visuals and audio effects. In 2001, '' StarCraft: Ghost'' began development under
Nihilistic Software nStigate Games (formerly Nihilistic Software) was an American video game developer based in Novato, California. History Nihilistic was founded in March 1998 by Ray Gresko, Robert Huebner, and Steve Tietze. Gresko and Huebner had formerly worked ...
, with the aim of releasing the game for the
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the ...
,
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
and
Nintendo GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
during late 2003. Unlike previous real-time strategy ''StarCraft'' titles, ''Ghost'' was to be a tactical third-person action game. Although the press was positive about the video game console direction taken by ''Ghost'', the game was consistently delayed, and during the third quarter of 2004, Nihilistic Software discontinued their work with the project. Blizzard stated that Nihilistic Software had completed the tasks it had been contracted for and that the game would be delivered on time. The game was never released, although footage purported to be from the game was leaked online in 2021 before being taken down due to a request by Blizzard. ''StarCraft II'' was announced on May 19, 2007, nearly a decade after the original, at the Blizzard Worldwide Invitational in
Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...
, South Korea. ''StarCraft II'' was being developed, under the codename ''Medusa'', for concurrent release on
Windows XP Windows XP is a major release of Microsoft's Windows NT operating system. It was released to manufacturing on August 24, 2001, and later to retail on October 25, 2001. It is a direct upgrade to its predecessors, Windows 2000 for high-end and ...
,
Windows Vista Windows Vista is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was the direct successor to Windows XP, which was released five years before, at the time being the longest time span between successive releases of ...
and
Mac OS X macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac computers. Within the market of desktop and la ...
. Blizzard announced a release date for July 27, 2010. Development on the game began in 2003, shortly after '' Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne'' was released.


Music

The soundtrack for the original ''StarCraft'' was provided by Glenn Stafford, Jason Hayes, and Tracey W. Bush. The soundtrack for ''StarCraft II'' was provided by Derek Duke, Glenn Stafford, Neal Acree, and
Russell Brower Russell Brower is an American music composer and three-time Emmy Award-winning sound designer who has created sounds for ''Tiny Toon Adventures'', ''Animaniacs'' and '' Batman: The Animated Series'', and video game music for games including '' J ...
. Brower, Blizzard's Director of Audio, has suggested that the music of StarCraft serves two functions: the music heard during gameplay is designed to be unobtrusive in order to allow the player to focus, with only the music that attaches to the cinematic interludes permitted to become more distinctive. Brower has also pointed out that certain musical themes in ''StarCraft II'' become associated with certain characters, a technique borrowed from composers such as John Williams and
Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, polemicist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most op ...
.


StarCraft

Brower has said that most of the music for the original ''StarCraft'' series was produced on keyboards.


StarCraft II

The original material for the ''Wings of Liberty'' soundtrack spans approximately four hours. Brower has said in interviews that his team was consciously seeking a film-score feel for ''StarCraft II''. In a short commentary provided for Blizzard, he recounted that the orchestral music for ''StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'' was performed by 78 members of the San Francisco Symphony and Opera and recorded at the Skywalker stage at the Lucasfilm Ranch in Marin County, California, under the name 'Skywalker Symphony Orchestra', conducted by
Eímear Noone Eimear Noone (born in Kilconnell, County Galway) is an Irish conductor and composer, best known for her award-winning work on video game music. She has conducted the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic, ...
. Brower also recalled the use of a 32-voice choir in Seattle, Washington. Both these recording sessions were mixed by John Kurlander, who had previously worked on Peter Jackson's ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
'' and The Beatles' ''
Abbey Road ''Abbey Road'' is the eleventh studio album by the English rock band the Beatles. It is the last album the group started recording, although '' Let It Be'' was the last album completed before the band's break-up in April 1970. It was mostly ...
''. The Terran country and blues pieces were recorded at Dreamland studio in
Woodstock, New York Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States, in the northern part of the county, northwest of Kingston, NY. It lies within the borders of the Catskill Park. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 in 20 ...
and performed by members of Peter Gabriel's band, including bassist
Tony Levin Anthony Frederick Levin (born June 6, 1946) is an American musician and composer, specializing in electric bass, Chapman Stick and upright bass. He also sings and plays synthesizer. Levin is best known for his work with King Crimson (since 1 ...
and drummer
Jerry Marotta Jerome David Marotta (born February 6, 1956, in Cleveland, Ohio) is an American drummer who resides in Woodstock, New York. He is the younger brother of Rick Marotta, who is also a drummer and composer. Career Marotta was a member of the bands ...
. Remaining pieces were recorded at the Blizzard studios, performed by musicians such as
Laurence Juber Laurence Ivor Juber (born 12 November 1952) is an English musician, fingerstyle guitarist and studio musician. He played guitar in the rock band Wings from 1978 to 1981. Biography Early life Born in Stepney, East London, Juber was raised and ...
(formerly of
Wings A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expre ...
) and
Tommy Morgan Thomas Morgan Edwards (December 4, 1932 – June 23, 2022) was an American harmonicist and session musician, who had been active since the 1950s. He was considered one of the most heard harmonica players in the world, playing in over 500 fea ...
. The soundtrack also contains
John Bacchus Dykes John Bacchus Dykes (10 March 1823 – 22 January 1876) was an English clergyman and hymnwriter. Biography John Bacchus Dykes was born in Hull, England, the fifth child and third son of William Hey Dykes, a ship builder, later banker, an ...
and William Whiting's hymn ''
Eternal Father, Strong to Save "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a British hymn traditionally associated with seafarers, particularly in the maritime armed services. Written in 1860, its author, William Whiting, was inspired by the dangers of the sea described in Psal ...
'' (1860). The orchestral music for ''Heart of the Swarm'' was likewise recorded in Marin County, again with the services of Kurlander and Noone, with 80 performers from the Skywalker Symphony Orchestra. Brower stated in an interview in 2013 that he intended to continue the process of associative musical themes in ''Legacy of the Void''.


Adaptations and other media


Novelizations

The ''StarCraft'' series is supported by at least 12 novelizations and an anthology, all published by
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
, two short stories, and two graphic novels. At
BlizzCon BlizzCon is an annual gaming convention held by Blizzard Entertainment to promote its major franchises including ''Warcraft'', ''StarCraft'', '' Diablo'', ''Hearthstone'', ''Heroes of the Storm,'' and ''Overwatch''. The first BlizzCon was held ...
2007, Chris Metzen stated that he hoped to novelize the entirety of ''StarCraft'' and ''Brood War'' into a definitive text-based story. The first novel, ''StarCraft: Uprising'', was written by Micky Neilson, a
Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
employee, and originally released only as an
e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...
in December 2000. The novel follows the origins of the character
Sarah Kerrigan Sarah Louise Kerrigan, the self-styled Queen of Blades, is a fictional character in Blizzard Entertainment's ''StarCraft'' franchise. The character was created by Chris Metzen and James Phinney, and her original appearance was designed by Metz ...
. The second novel, entitled ''StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade'', serves as an adaptation of the first campaign of ''StarCraft'', following on a journalist following a number of the key Terran characters in the series. Written by
Jeff Grubb Jeff Grubb (born August 27, 1957) is an author who writes novels, short stories, and comics and a computer and role-playing game designer in the fantasy genre. Grubb worked on the ''Dragonlance'' campaign setting under Tracy Hickman, and the ...
and published in March 2001, it was the first ''StarCraft'' novel to be released in
paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...
. ''StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga'', published in July 2001 is the third novel, written by Kevin Anderson under the pseudonym
Gabriel Mesta Kevin James Anderson (born March 27, 1962) is an American science fiction author. He has written spin-off novels for ''Star Wars'', ''StarCraft'', '' Titan A.E.'' and ''The X-Files'', and with Brian Herbert is the co-author of the ''Dune'' pre ...
. It serves as a link between ''StarCraft'' and ''Brood War''. The fantasy author
Tracy Hickman Tracy Raye Hickman (born November 26, 1955) is an American fantasy author. He wrote the ''Dragonlance'' novels with Margaret Weis. He also wrote role playing game material while working for TSR and has cowritten novels with his wife, Laura Hick ...
was brought in to write the fourth novel, ''StarCraft: Speed of Darkness'', which was published in June 2002. ''Speed of Darkness'' is written from the viewpoint of a
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
marine during the early stages of ''StarCraft''. The first four novels, including the e-book ''Uprising'', were later re-released as a single anthology entitled ''The StarCraft Archive'' in November 2007. A fifth novel entitled ''StarCraft: Queen of Blades'' was published in June 2006. Written by
Aaron S. Rosenberg Aaron S. Rosenberg (born October 13, 1969) is an American novelist and game designer. Biography Rosenberg has written novels for franchises including '' Star Trek'', '' StarCraft'', ''Warcraft'', ''Exalted'', ''Stargate Atlantis'', and '' War ...
, it is a novelization of the second campaign in ''StarCraft'' from the perspective of
Jim Raynor James Eugene Raynor is a fictional character and a major protagonist in Blizzard Entertainment's science fiction ''StarCraft'' series. Raynor is a predominant character in the science fiction real-time strategy video games ''StarCraft'' and '' B ...
. This was followed in November 2006 by ''StarCraft Ghost: Nova'', a book focusing on the early origins of the character of Nova from the postponed '' StarCraft: Ghost'' game. Written by Keith R.A. DeCandido, the novel was meant to accompany the release of ''StarCraft: Ghost'', but was continued despite the postponement of the game. In 2007 Christie Golden, an author whose previous work included novels in Blizzard's ''Warcraft'' series, was brought in to write a trilogy entitled the ''StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga''. The trilogy acts as a link between ''StarCraft'' and its sequel ''
StarCraft II ''StarCraft II'' is a military science fiction video game created by Blizzard Entertainment as a sequel to the successful ''StarCraft'' video game released in 1998. Set in a fictional future, the game centers on a galactic struggle for dominance ...
''. The first installment, ''Firstborn'' being published in May 2007 and ''Shadow Hunters'', the second novel, being published in November 2007. The final part of the trilogy, ''Twilight'' was released in June 2009. ''I, Mengsk'' was publish in 2009, a novel that was written by
Graham McNeill Graham McNeill is a British novelist and video game writer. He is best known for his Warhammer Fantasy and Warhammer 40,000 novels, and his previous role as games designer for Games Workshop. He is currently working as a Senior Writer and Junio ...
which focuses on the origins of the characters in the Mengsk family. In January 2010 Keith R.A. DeCandido and
David Gerrold David Gerrold (born Jerrold David Friedman; January 24, 1944)Reginald, R. (September 12, 2010)''Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume 2'' Borgo Press p. 911. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved June 23, 2013. is an American science fic ...
authored the ''StarCraft: Ghost Academy'' to elaborate the training of Nova as an
espionage agent ''Espionage Agent'' is a pre–World War II spy melodrama produced by Hal B. Wallis in 1939. Directed by Lloyd Bacon, ''Espionage Agent'', like many Warner Bros. movies, clearly identifies the Germans as the enemy. This was unlike many other mov ...
and in September 2011,
Simon & Schuster Simon & Schuster () is an American publishing company and a subsidiary of Paramount Global. It was founded in New York City on January 2, 1924 by Richard L. Simon and M. Lincoln Schuster. As of 2016, Simon & Schuster was the third largest publ ...
published the ''StarCraft Ghost: Spectres'' as a sequel to the novel ''StarCraft Ghost: Nova''.
Timothy Zahn Timothy Zahn (born September 1, 1951) is an American writer of science fiction and fantasy. He is known best for his prolific collection of ''Star Wars'' List of Star Wars books, books, chiefly the Thrawn trilogy, ''Thrawn'' series, and has publis ...
released ''Starcraft: Evolution'' in 2016. In addition to these, Blizzard Entertainment authorized two short stories in ''
Amazing Stories ''Amazing Stories'' is an American science fiction magazine launched in April 1926 by Hugo Gernsback's Experimenter Publishing. It was the first magazine devoted solely to science fiction. Science fiction stories had made regular appearances ...
'' magazine, entitled ''StarCraft: Revelations'' and ''StarCraft: Hybrid''. ''Revelations'' was authored by series creator Chris Metzen and Sam Moore, a Blizzard employee, and was featured on the cover of the 1999 spring edition with art by Blizzard's art director
Samwise Didier Sam "Samwise" Didier (born 1971) is an American artist. He serves as senior art director at Blizzard Entertainment, having been with the company since 1991. As the art director for the flagship games of the ''Warcraft'', '' StarCraft'', and ''D ...
. ''Hybrid'' was written by Micky Neilson and again was accompanied by artwork by Didier; the short story was published in the spring edition of 2000. At New York Comic-Con in 2008,
TokyoPop Tokyopop (styled TOKYOPOP; formerly known as Mixx Entertainment) is an American distributor, licensor and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa and Western manga-style works. The German publishing division produces German translations of licensed ...
announced that they would be producing a number of ''StarCraft''
graphic novel A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...
s. Two series were announced: ''StarCraft: Frontline'', which is a series of short story anthologies that spanned four volumes, and ''StarCraft: Ghost Academy'', which was written by Keith R.A. DeCandido and follows several characters, such as Nova, during their training as the psychic assassins called "ghosts". There was a ''Starcraft'' graphic novel released in 2010, produced by
Wildstorm Wildstorm Productions, (stylized as WildStorm), is an American comic book imprint. Originally founded as an independent company established by Jim Lee under the name "Aegis Entertainment" and expanded in subsequent years by other creators, Wild ...
and
DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...
, which features outlaws working on a last job, the assassination of Jim Raynor.


Merchandise

A number of action figures and collectable statues based upon the characters and units in ''StarCraft'' have been produced by ToyCom. A number of model kits, made by Academy Hobby Model Kits, were also produced, displaying 1/30 scale versions of the marine and the hydralisk. In addition, Blizzard Entertainment teamed up with
Fantasy Flight Games Fantasy Flight Games (FFG) is a game company based in Roseville, Minnesota, United States, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, card, and dice games. As of 2014, it is a subsidiary of Asmodée Éditions. History Fantasy Flight Publish ...
to create a
board game Board games are tabletop games that typically use . These pieces are moved or placed on a pre-marked board (playing surface) and often include elements of table, card, role-playing, and miniatures games as well. Many board games feature a co ...
based in the ''StarCraft'' universe. Blizzard Entertainment also licensed
Wizards of the Coast Wizards of the Coast LLC (often referred to as WotC or simply Wizards) is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and List of science fiction themes, science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for ga ...
to produce an
Alternity ''Alternity'' is a science fiction role-playing game (RPG) published by TSR in 1998. Following the acquisition of TSR by Wizards of the Coast, the game was discontinued in 2000 as part of a broader rationalisation of TSR's business holdings, bu ...
based game entitled '' StarCraft Adventures''.


''Heroes of the Storm''

In 2015, Blizzard released ''
Heroes of the Storm ''Heroes of the Storm'' is a crossover multiplayer online battle arena video game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment. It was released for Microsoft Windows and macOS on June 2, 2015. The game features various characters from Bli ...
'', a crossover
multiplayer online battle arena Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) is a subgenre of strategy video games in which two teams of players compete against each other on a predefined battlefield. Each player controls a single character with a set of distinctive abilities that ...
video game in which players can control over 15 characters from the ''StarCraft'' universe as playable heroes, such as Artanis, Kerrigan, Nova, Raynor, and Zeratul. The game features two ''StarCraft''-themed battlegrounds, Braxis Holdout and Warhead Junction. Various soundtracks from ''StarCraft,'' such as ''Terran'' and ''Zerg Theme,'' are present as background music in the game. ''Heroes of the Storm'' originated as a custom map called "Blizzard DOTA", as a part of the arcade feature for '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty.''


Reception and cultural impact

The ''StarCraft'' series has been a commercial success. After its release, ''StarCraft'' became the best-selling PC game for that year, selling over 1.5 million copies worldwide. In the next decade, ''StarCraft'' sold over 9.5 million copies across the globe, with 4.5 million of these being sold in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Since the initial release of ''StarCraft'',
Blizzard Entertainment Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. is an American video game developer and publisher based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Activision Blizzard, the company was founded on February 8, 1991, under the name Silicon & Synapse, Inc. by three graduat ...
reported that its Battle.net online multiplayer service grew by 800 percent. ''StarCraft'' remained one of the most popular
online game An online game is a video game that is either partially or primarily played through the Internet or any other computer network available. Online games are ubiquitous on modern gaming platforms, including PC game, PCs, Console game, consoles and ...
s in the world ten years after its release. After its release, ''StarCraft'' rapidly grew in popularity in South Korea, establishing a successful pro-gaming scene. Pro-gamers in South Korea are niche media celebrities and ''StarCraft'' games broadcast over three television channels dedicated to gaming. ''StarCraft'' has won numerous
Game of the Year Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year. Events and ceremonies British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) ...
awards, is often described as one of the best real-time strategy games made, and is widely credited with popularizing the use of distinct and unique sides—as opposed to sides of equal ability and strength—in real-time strategy games. Although ''Insurrection'' and ''Retribution'' were not particularly well received, ''StarCraft: Brood War'' generally received very positive reviews, with an aggregate
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
score of 95.00%. The magazine '' PC Zone'' gave ''Brood War'' a short but flattering review, describing it as having "definitely been worth the wait" and also drew note to the cinematic cut scenes, stating that they "actually feel like part of the story rather than an afterthought."
IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
stated that ''Brood War''s enhancements were "enough to enrich the core gameplay without losing the flavor" while
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
noted that the expansion was developed with the same level of care as the full game. In 1999, '' Next Generation'' listed ''Warcraft'' and ''Starcraft'' as number 32 on their "Top 50 Games of All Time", commenting that, "''StarCraft'' took it all a step further, with an innovative campaign structure and fantastic game balance for endless hours of multiplayer fun." The release of '' StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty'' performed very well commercially and critically, selling 1.8 million copies within the first forty eight hours of release, which breaks the record of best selling strategy game in the history of the gaming industry. It received very positive reviews with an aggregate
GameRankings GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
score of 93%, and was nominated as the "Best PC Game of 2010" on GameSpot. By the end of 2012, ''Wings of Liberty'' had sold more than 6 million copies. This success continued with the release of the first expansion pack, '' StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm'', which had a GameRankings aggregate score of 86%. The standalone expansion pack sold 1.1 million copies within the first two days of its release on March 12, 2013, and was the best-selling PC game in that quarter. '' StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void'', the third expansion pack, was similarly well received, having a GameRankings aggregate score of 88% while selling more than 1 million copies worldwide within the first day of its release. Since the release of ''StarCraft II'' a number of tournaments have been hosted in Korea and elsewhere, such as the
GOMTV Global StarCraft II League Global StarCraft II League (GSL) is a '' StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void'' tournament hosted by afreecaTV and Blizzard Entertainment in South Korea. This event is broadcast up to 2 nights a week. GOMeXp (formerly GOMTV) had hosted it until the ...
(GSL). In December 2018, an artificial intelligence system by Google's DeepMind (called "AlphaStar") beat professional players in StarCraft II for the first time.


Sales

The series had sold over 17.6 million copies of games and expansions by the end of 2015. The first game (including ''Brood War'') sold 11 million copies by 2009, making it the best selling PC strategy game of all time. By the end of 2017, the franchise had grossed over $1 billion in total revenue.


References


External links

*
Official ''StarCraft II'' website
{{Authority control Activision Blizzard franchises Real-time strategy video games by series Video game franchises introduced in 1998 Video games adapted into comics Video games set in the 26th century Milky Way in fiction