StarCraft Archives

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April 19, 2025

The Best PC Games Right Now (2025)

PC gaming in 2025 features a mix of innovative remasters, indie titles, and new intellectual properties, providing a wide range of experiences for gamers. The most played games on Steam include Counter-Strike 2, PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS, and Dota 2, with Counter-Strike 2 leading in player engagement due to its esports scene. Notable new releases include Blue Prince, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, and Promise Mascot Agency. Other popular games outside Steam are Minecraft, Fortnite, and Valorant. Genre-specific leaders include South of Midnight for action, Myst (Remastered) for adventure, and Street Fighter 6 for fighting. Upcoming anticipated titles include Grand Theft Auto 6 and Elden Ring: Nightreign. Trends in 2025 highlight esports engagement, indie innovation, purposeful remakes, and cinematic storytelling. Last Epoch's Season 2 update has revitalized player interest with new content and enhancements. The year 2019 was significant for PC gaming, with acclaimed titles like Resident Evil 2, Control, and Disco Elysium, and marked by the influence of digital distribution platforms.

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April 8, 2025

Blizzard vet Bill Petras has died

Bill Petras, a long-time staff member at Blizzard Entertainment, has passed away, leaving a significant impact on those who knew him. He worked at Blizzard for nearly two decades and contributed to iconic titles such as StarCraft, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch, where he served as art director. His friendship with fellow veteran Harley D. Huggins II lasted 28 years, marked by deep conversations about various topics including game development and art.

AppWizard

November 15, 2024

Best PC Games to Play (2025)

PC gaming is thriving with a wide variety of titles catering to different tastes. Notable PC games include: 1. Baldur’s Gate 3 - Features deep role-playing mechanics and engaging storytelling with turn-based combat and character customization. 2. Elden Ring - An action RPG with challenging combat and an expansive open world, including a new DLC titled "Shadow of the Erdtree." 3. Cyberpunk 2077 - Set in a futuristic world, it combines action with narrative depth and character customization. 4. Red Dead Redemption 2 - Offers a richly detailed open world and compelling narrative in a Wild West setting. 5. Disco Elysium - A detective RPG focused on dialogue and decision-making within a unique world. 6. Hades II - A fast-paced roguelike where players battle through the underworld. 7. Half-Life: Alyx - A benchmark for VR gaming with a gripping narrative. 8. Doom Eternal - An intense first-person shooter against demonic forces. 9. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - An epic RPG with an expansive world and intricate quests. 10. Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Features strategic turn-based combat and cooperative multiplayer gameplay. Top games currently on Steam include: 1. Counter-Strike 2 - 563,733 current players, 1,442,806 peak players. 2. Dota 2 - 312,401 current players, 797,599 peak players. 3. Banana - 212,617 current players, 483,731 peak players. 4. Call of Duty® - 208,292 current players, 313,313 peak players. 5. Rust - 90,821 current players, 182,603 peak players. 6. THRONE AND LIBERTY - 84,819 current players, 229,014 peak players. 7. PUBG: BATTLEGROUNDS - 83,168 current players, 755,939 peak players. 8. Grand Theft Auto V - 61,381 current players, 172,551 peak players. 9. Baldur’s Gate 3 - 55,111 current players, 107,242 peak players. 10. Factorio - 48,876 current players, 118,166 peak players. PC Gamer’s Top 10 Games of 2024 include: 1. Baldur’s Gate 3 - 97% rating. 2. Disco Elysium. 3. Elden Ring. 4. Minecraft. 5. Persona 5 Royal. 6. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. 7. Half-Life 2. 8. Balatro. 9. Stardew Valley. 10. Doom (1993). Popular multiplayer games include Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, Apex Legends, and Among Us. Free-to-play games with critical acclaim are Dota 2, Fortnite, Path of Exile, and Warframe. Classic PC games include Half-Life 2, Portal, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, and Minecraft. Recommended games for low-spec hardware include Stardew Valley, Terraria, FTL: Faster Than Light, Celeste, and Undertale.

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November 6, 2024

The StarCraft Games Have Officially Joined PC Game Pass

StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft II: Campaign Collection are now available on PC Game Pass. The original StarCraft was released on March 31, 1998, and became a cornerstone of the real-time strategy genre. The remastered version was released by Blizzard in 2017. The announcement was made via the official StarCraft Twitter account and Xbox Wire. Currently, these games are exclusively available on PC Game Pass, marking a significant step in the integration of Activision Blizzard titles into Xbox’s services.

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November 5, 2024

‘StarCraft: Remastered’, ‘StarCraft II’ Now Available on PC Game Pass

Blizzard Entertainment has added ‘StarCraft: Remastered’ and ‘StarCraft II Campaign Collection’ to the PC Game Pass lineup. Players can install these titles via the Battle.Net client. ‘StarCraft: Remastered’ enhances the original game and its expansion, ‘StarCraft: Brood War’, with improved graphics and audio while maintaining classic gameplay. ‘StarCraft: Cartooned’ offers a whimsical reimagining of the game in a cartoon style. The ‘StarCraft II: Campaign Collection’ includes over 60 missions across three campaigns: Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, and Legacy of the Void, featuring the three races: Terran, Zerg, and Protoss, each with unique characteristics and strategies.

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October 15, 2024

9 games from the PC Gamer Top 100 given eternal life thanks to modders

The PC Gamer Top 100 2024 list highlights the impact of modders on various games, showcasing titles that have been enhanced through community modifications. - Bloodlines (Rank: #96): - Bloodlines Unofficial Patch by Wesp5: Fixes bugs and restores cut content. - VTMB: Clan Quest Mod by burgermeister01: Adds new questlines and areas. - VtM: The Final Nights by Zer0morph: Overhauls gameplay with new clans and mechanics. - Morrowind (Rank: #57): - Morrowind Rebirth by Trancemaster & crew: Comprehensive overhaul of the game. - Tamriel Rebuilt by the Tamriel Rebuilt Team: Expands the game’s map with new cities and quests. - Skyrim: Home of the Nords by SHOTN Team: Introduces new quests set in Skyrim. - The Binding of Isaac (Rank: #55): - Fiend Folio: Reheated: Expansion with new environments and monsters. - Skill Trees by Ab Aeterno: Adds a meta-progression system. - Epiphany by The Epiphany Team: Introduces new character variants and mechanics. - Starcraft 2 (Rank: #31): - Starcraft: Mass Recall by karlprojektorinski & crew: Recreates original campaigns in Starcraft 2 engine. - UED: First Light by NexusCore Games: Custom campaign with voiced missions. - Azeroth Reborn by Synergy: Remake of Warcraft 3 with enhanced gameplay. - Halo: The Master Chief Collection (Rank: #30): - Cursed Halo Again by InfernoPlus: Whimsical remix of the original game. - Halo 4 Reflow by d3ad connection: Rebalances Halo 4. - Ultimate Firefight Series by Weaver900: Roguelite twist on Firefight mode. - Thief Gold (Rank: #28): - The Black Parade by an all-star team: Campaign with ten replayable missions. - Between These Dark Walls by Skacky: Trilogy of missions. - The Scarlet Cascabel by PukeyBrunster & Tannar: Two exploration maps. - Total War: Warhammer 3 (Rank: #12): - SFO: Grimhammer 3 by Venris & team: Comprehensive gameplay rework. - Lost Factions: Araby by Team OvN: Introduces new factions and units. - The Old World Campaign by ChaosRobie: New campaign map with objectives. - Doom (1996) (Rank: #10): - Eviternity 2 by Dragonfly & crew: Campaign with new aesthetics. - Abysm 2: Infernal Contract by Jazzmaster: Dark Souls-like experience. - Space Cats Saga by DerTimmy: Humorous mod with chaotic gameplay. - Minecraft (Rank: #4): - Better Minecraft by LunaPixel Studios: Enhances environments and features. - Drehmal: Apotheosis by Primordial Team: Adventure map with lore and quests. - Pixelmon by the Pixelmon Mod Team: Introduces Pokémon into Minecraft.

AppWizard

October 15, 2024

RPGs are king, and 6 other things the PC Gamer Top 100 tells us about the state of PC gaming

The PC Gamer Top 100 selection process combines analytical rigor and editorial passion, utilizing votes from over 30 editors and contributors to create a curated list based on Quality, Importance, Hotness, and Playability. Despite challenges like the pandemic and the decline of E3, PC gaming has thrived in the 2020s, with notable titles such as Elden Ring emerging. Only three games from the '90s made the list, indicating a shift away from older titles. However, many influential developers from that era, like Valve and Capcom, still have multiple entries in the Top 100. The list shows a heavy siloing in PC gaming, with esports titles underrepresented compared to narrative-driven experiences. RPGs dominate the list, with the top three games being Baldur's Gate 3, Disco Elysium, and Elden Ring. The CRPG renaissance appears to be growing, with foundational titles suggesting a lasting impact on the genre. Game collections like Mass Effect Legendary Edition have also made the list, raising questions about inclusion criteria.

AppWizard

October 8, 2024

Red Dead Redemption PC release date confirmed for October 2024

Marco Wutz is a writer from Parkstetten, Germany, specializing in strategy games, with a degree in Ancient History. He began his gaming career in 2011 by covering StarCraft 2 and hosted a live tournament at gamescom 2014. He joined Bonjwa, a prominent Twitch channel, and later contributed to tl.net, which was nominated for the Best Coverage Website of the Year at the Esports Industry Awards in 2017. Wutz provided live coverage for various StarCraft 2 events and transitioned into broader gaming writing after completing his studies. In 2021, he joined GLHF, a content agency for video game coverage. His work has appeared in publications like NGL.ONE, kicker, ComputerBild, USA Today’s ForTheWin, The Sun, Men's Journal, and Parade.

AppWizard

October 8, 2024

Oof: Years before Steam, a Blizzard engineer wanted to turn Battle.net into a third-party game store, but was reportedly turned down

Blizzard Entertainment once considered transforming Battle.net into a third-party game store before Steam was launched, but ultimately rejected the idea. This decision raises questions about how the gaming ecosystem might have differed if Blizzard had pursued this path. The book also discusses the potential development of a StarCraft shooter and multiple rejected proposals for new real-time strategy games. It highlights the departure of key figures like O'Brien, Wyatt, and Jeff Strain in 2000 over creative differences related to Warcraft 3, which led to the founding of ArenaNet, known for the Guild Wars series. Jason Schreier's book, "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment," is based on over 350 interviews and explores Blizzard's history and its impact on the gaming industry.

AppWizard

September 29, 2024

Best strategy games on PC Game Pass

The Xbox Game Pass offers a variety of new releases and classic games, particularly appealing to strategy game enthusiasts. Notable titles include: - Ara: History Untold: A turn-based 4X strategy game developed by Oxide Games and Microsoft, combining elements from Civilization and Anno-like production chains. - Manor Lords: A medieval city-builder that sold over 2.5 million units since its April 2024 launch, available on Game Pass from day one. - Against the Storm: A city-builder with roguelike gameplay, recognized as the best city-builder of 2023. - Age of Empires 2: Definitive Edition: A revitalized classic with modern enhancements and new content. - Age of Empires 4: A significantly evolved installment with polished visuals and extensive content. - Age of Mythology: Retold: Features quality-of-life upgrades and balanced content, with upcoming DLCs. - Frostpunk 2: Continues the thematic depth of its predecessor with a new gameplay loop focused on survival in a frozen apocalypse. - Wartales: A tactical RPG offering a detailed mercenary simulation. - The Lamplighters League: A tactical turn-based game set in a post-WWI world with supernatural elements. - Jurassic World Evolution 2: A park management game featuring dinosaurs and genetic experimentation. - Dune Spice Wars: A blend of RTS and 4X gameplay set on the desert planet of Arrakis. - Crusader Kings 3: A game focused on medieval politics, warfare, and diplomacy. - Stellaris: A complex sci-fi strategy game allowing players to shape species across a galaxy. - Rise of Nations: Extended Edition: Combines turn-based strategy with real-time gameplay. - Command & Conquer: Remastered Collection: Revitalizes iconic RTS titles for modern audiences. - StarCraft: Remastered & StarCraft 2: Joining the service on November 5, 2024, offering revitalized classic gameplay and mission variety. The PC Game Pass features nearly twenty exceptional strategy titles, enhancing its reputation as a premier destination for strategy game fans.