A newStarCraftgame is coming next year, although players will experience it on a dining room table instead of a PC. The classicStarCraftfranchise was once one of the biggest sci-fi video game franchises in existence, with over $1 billion in sales. Despite a series of popular releases in the late 1990s and 2000s, Blizzard Entertainment hasn’t released a newStarCraftgame in nearly a decade. Whileno newStarCraftvideo gamesare coming out soon, StarCraft fans will soon have a different outlet to enjoy their franchise.
Archon Studioannounced plans to develop a line ofStarCraftminiatures and board games. TheStarCraft Tabletop Miniatures Gamewill allow players to control either Terran, Zerg, or Protoss armies in fast-paced battles reminiscent of the original RTS style of the video games.Archon will also release a series ofStarCraftboard gamesfollowing the launch of the miniatures game.TheStarCraftminiatures game will be released in 2026, while the board games will be published starting in 2027.
Can A StarCraft Miniatures Game Be Successful?
Halo Has A Successful Miniatures Game, So Why Not StarCraft?
Translating an RTS-style game likeStarCraftinto a miniatures game poses some unique challenges. Typically, miniatures games involve commanding units and moving them across a battlefield. These units can consist of a single miniature or collections of miniatures,with most battles being wars of attrition as units are killed and removed from the field of play.StarCraftis built around the concept of raising armies in real time and sending them to destroy enemy bases. The idea of constantly refreshing armies is unique, although it will largely depend on the style of missions and whether combat is built around standard objectives or if it will look toStarCraftfor inspiration.
Warhammer 40K Emperor’s Children Army Box Review: Delectable, Chaotic Ecstasy In A Box
The new Emperor’s Children army box contains a whopping 26 miniatures, enough to form the foundation of a dangerous new Warhammer 40,000 army.
Other sci-fi franchises have successfully made the transition from video game to miniatures game.Halo: Combat Patrolhas proven to be a hit among miniatures skirmish fans, with kill team-style teams of Spartans and Covenant forces going up against each other in intense battles. Other popular sci-fi franchises that are dominant in miniatures includeWarhammer 40,000andBattleTech.
Our Take: Finally, Some New StarCraft Content
This Isn’t StarCraft 3, But It’s Something
I’ve always found it strange thatStarCrafthasn’t made a comeback with modern audiences. Sure,RTS games like StarCraft 2 are out of style,butStarCraftis a big enough franchise that there’s still plenty of nostalgia and love of the older games.TheStarCraftminiatures game will need to rely on that nostalgia to become successful, although I think the fanbase is big enough that some players will at least want to give the game a try.
I hope that the newStarCraftgame retains the RTS roots of the franchise — that would help the game feel unique in a crowded field of sci-fi miniatures games and make it feel like we’re finally getting a newStarCraftgame.
