Starcraft 2 news » BlizzCon Recap: Foundation for the Future

Before we blast off into the future and talk about our plans for StarCraft II, we want to look back at how far we’ve come. 2016 has seen a ton of new content come to StarCraft II. Here are all the major features we’ve released since the Legacy of the Void launch:

• New Co-op Mission: Lock and Load
• New Co-op Commander Karax
• Trophy Tops
• New Co-op Mission: Chain of Ascension
• Nova Cover Ops: Mission Pack 1
• Patching Improvements
• Landing Screen Improvements
• Mutators, Weekly Mutations and Mastery Levels
• Emoticons in Chat
• New Co-op Commander Abathur
• New Co-op Mission: The Vermillion Problem
• Ladder Revamp
• Nova Covert Ops: Mission Pack 2
• Matchmaking for Balance Testing
• New Co-op Mission: Mist Opportunities
• Custom Mutators
• New Co-op Commander Alarak
• New Co-op Commander Nova

We hope you’ve been enjoying all the content we’ve released. Let’s move on to what we have in store in 2017 and beyond.

We’re introducing a new way to support the StarCraft II esports while also giving you access to all-new in-game goodies. We call it the “War Chest.” It’s a virtual treasure map that you’ll have the option to purchase, allowing you to earn new in-game content by playing your favorite StarCraft II game modes. The more you play, the more rewards you’ll earn. The War Chest will have its own seasons with new content to earn each time. We currently plan on having two seasons a year, with each season tied to major esport events. You’ll also be supporting esports, because a portion of the proceeds of each purchase goes directly into supporting Global eSports Initiatives.

What kind of goodies can you expect to unlock? We’ll have new faction-specific skins for each race—the brutal Tal’darim, Primal Zerg, and the Terran mercenaries, for example. We also plan on releasing new digital comics with each new War Chest season. The three comics will involve each of the races and you’ll be able to read them directly within StarCraft II. New command console skins will also be offered as a reward.

The War Chest is still in its early phases of development. We’ll have more details to share in the first half of 2017.

We’re preparing to release the final chapter of the Nova Covert Ops mission pack. At the end of the second chapter, the mastermind behind the Defenders of Man was revealed. Nova must act quickly to bring the conspiracy to a halt once and for all.

Along with the release of the final chapter, we’ll deploy all of the Covert Ops assets to our editor so our amazing Arcade Community will have even more tools at their disposal. We look forward to seeing these once Mission Pack 3 goes live.

And finally, we’ll be releasing a brand new comic featuring the most powerful ghost in the Dominion. “Nova: The Keep” is set during the early years of Valerian Mengsk’s reign, shortly after the events of Legacy of the Void. The story will also have a strong connection with Mission Pack 3, so don’t miss out!

Since the release of Legacy of the Void, StarCraft II Co-op has received a lot of love and attention. We’re thrilled you’ve had as much fun playing this mode as much as we did creating it, and we have even more to come in 2017.

First off, we have a brand new commander on the way: Alexei Stukov. Check out our teaser trailer.

Stukov is an infested human, part Zerg, part Terran. His units reflect his appearance and borrow mechanics from both races. His Siege Tanks attack with deadly tentacles, but can also be loaded with explosive infested infantry! Stukov can produce infested nests that constantly generate a swarm of troops that you can use to wear down your opponent’s defenses. Even his bunkers rise up and fight for their master. Expect to see him before the end of the year.

We also have two new maps planned for Co-op. The first is called “Miner Evacuation.” This map is completely overrun by hostile infested units. It will be your job to help evacuate all of the miners who were left stranded on the planet. Your objective is to protect shuttles as they load up with passengers and prepare to take off. If you’re able to fend off the hordes of bloodthirsty enemies, you’ll emerge victorious.

The second new map is actually a fan-favorite that’s been requested numerous times. You might recall the horrifying co-op Arcade game “Left2Die.” Well, we’re reviving this map and bringing it straight into Co-op. We’ll be updating the level so that it packs more of a punch to withstand your high level commanders, but you can expect to see the same day and night cycle that you enjoyed from the original maps, as well as the powerful mutant infested that specialize in wreaking havoc on your defenses. We call it: Dead of Night.

On top of the new maps and commander, we plan on adding a new feature, Co-op Mission Leaderboards. Here you’ll be able to see how well you’ve done on each mission and compare it to your friends and to everyone else in your region. Scores for specific commanders, maps, and weekly mutations will be tracked, so you’ll have a wide range of achievements to brag about. We also plan on pushing out new weekly Mutations with new Mutators in the coming year, with special, seasonal events planned.

Everything we’ve discussed today is what’s most far along from a design standpoint, but it’s not everything we have planned for the future of StarCraft II. New Arcade features, Custom Tournaments, a “Watch” tab, and more are on our roadmap. We’ve had a great year, and we look forward to bringing you even more great content in the future.