The nostalgic 15-year-old tweet from Blizzard Entertainment gave the gamers an opportunity to go wild: some are excited, while others are frustrated by the very thought of it. The tweet gives a brief summary of the major events in the lengthy story: Raynor encourages rebellion; Kerrigan gets redemption; and Artanis goes out to unite. So while Blizzard is really dating itself in nostalgia, the players are just crying out, “Where is StarCraft III?”
Replies to the Blizzard tweet create a wild concoction of enthusiasm, bitterness, and blatant demands. While some would call it “good old days when things were nice,” views from @FoxReplicant, others such as @ArcturusFive probably employ a mocking tone, contrasting the “convoluted” plot as a “significant drop in quality” from that of the original. Man. And then, we have @TheScrufftastic, who accused Blizzard of spoiling the redemption arc of Kerrigan-whether jokingly or seriously. Bro, it’s been 15 years now. This should have passed any statute for spoilers by at least ten years ago.
But the real aim of these replies? A painful yearning-a near obsession-for StarCraft III. Direct and unabashed, @mrmcshea quizzed: “Starcraft 3 when?” Meanwhile, @acare84 confesses the urge: “It is about time for StarCraft III.” Even @vivir_esmorir calls it one of the games of his life but added, “I hope one day we get a good and well-deserved sequel.” That hunger is real, folks.
And not all were warm and cuddly. Not after the anniversary. Some gave an elegy for modern Blizzard. “The Blizzard of today is not worthy of the great Blizzard works of the past. Do better,” wrote @BoomSha60236653. @GudbyeCoolWorld described them even harsher as, “an absolute shell of its former glorious self.” Oof. Then, sarcastic @MillerFromCeres pretended to be thankful to the masterpiece, then proceeded to mock the idea behind StarCraft III with… uh, very modern storytelling choices.
The rawest and least filtered fans came next. @ndomochevsky called it “one of the best experiences in my life,” while @MDUmairKh spilled his heart and soul into saying that finishing Legacy of the Void left him with a “void.” Awww. And there was also that nostalgic memory of a midnight launch shared by @JonathanRL.
So what do we take from this? StarCraft II was and remains this legendary game that shaped the course of RTS. But Blizzard’s silence on the sequel has sent players half mad. With contenders such as Stormgate rising, is Blizzard going to finally bring an answer forth? Or will StarCraft be left be?
Until then, we soundtrack Wings of Liberty replay after replay and pray to the Protoss gods for a blessing. Happy 15th, StarCraft II. StarCraft III before we riot.
