BlizzCon came and went this past weekend, and Blizzard didn’t hold back. The veteran studio used its annual fan celebration to unveil two of the biggest projects in its pipeline: Diablo 5 and a brand-new open-world StarCraft shooter. With release windows pointing to 2029 and 2030 respectively, these aren’t current-generation games — they’re built with the next wave of home consoles squarely in mind, and that raises one of the most pressing questions in gaming right now: will PlayStation players get to join the party?
Diablo 5 Arrives in 2029
The headline announcement for many fans was Diablo 5, the next mainline entry in Blizzard’s iconic action-RPG franchise. Slated for a 2029 launch, the game will land well into the next console generation, meaning it’s being designed from the ground up for hardware that Sony and Microsoft have yet to fully roll out.
While Blizzard kept specific gameplay details close to the chest during the reveal, the timing alone tells us plenty. A 2029 release means Diablo 5 will likely skip the PlayStation 5 and current Xbox systems entirely — or at the very least, treat them as an afterthought — as the studio targets the raw power of next-gen machines.
StarCraft Returns as an Open-World Shooter
The second bombshell was arguably the bigger surprise: a new StarCraft game. But this isn’t the return to real-time strategy that longtime fans might have expected. Instead, Blizzard is reinventing its sci-fi universe as an open-world shooter, currently penciled in for 2030.
It’s a bold direction for a franchise that built its legend on competitive RTS gameplay, and it signals just how far Blizzard is willing to stretch its catalog in the Microsoft era. Whether the Koprulu Sector can translate into an open-world experience remains to be seen, but with five years of development runway ahead, expectations will be sky-high.
The Next-Gen Console Question
Xbox Helix Versions Are a Given
From a hardware perspective, there’s zero suspense on the Xbox side. Blizzard is now owned by Microsoft, which means native versions for the next Xbox — reportedly carrying the Xbox Helix branding — are essentially guaranteed. These titles will almost certainly serve as showcase releases for Microsoft’s next-generation platform, possibly even as system sellers.
But What About PS6?
PlayStation fans, however, are left waiting for answers. There’s no confirmation yet that either game will appear on Sony’s next console, the presumed PS6. On one hand, Microsoft has shown a growing willingness to bring its first-party titles to PlayStation — Diablo 4, Call of Duty, and several Xbox exclusives have all made the jump. On the other hand, blockbuster next-gen exclusives remain a powerful weapon in the console war, and Microsoft may be tempted to keep its biggest Blizzard cards Xbox-only.
Given that Diablo 4 launched day-and-date on PlayStation and has thrived there, skipping the PS6 would mean walking away from a massive installed base. The smart money says these games eventually go multiplatform — but nothing is official until Microsoft says so.
The Bottom Line
Diablo 5 in 2029 and a StarCraft open-world shooter in 2030 mark an ambitious, long-term bet by Blizzard. The real story to watch between now and then isn’t just how these games shape up — it’s whether the next console generation welcomes them on every platform or turns them into ammunition in the ongoing Xbox vs. PlayStation rivalry.
In the meantime, if you want to gear up for the long wait, you can grab Diablo 4, Xbox Game Pass gift cards, PlayStation Store cards, and more at TURGAME.com — your go-to store for game codes and digital gift cards at great prices.
Source: Push Square