IFA, the European tech trade show equivalent to CES in the US, is just around the corner. Companies are gearing up to showcase their latest innovations, bringing us the latest product announcements, feature demonstrations, and design concepts that will shape future consumer tech releases.
IFA will open its doors between September 5th and 9th, but many of the biggest announcements will start dropping shortly before the show’s public opening. And, as always, The Verge will be covering all the latest news live from the IFA 2025 show floor in Berlin, providing you with our hands-on product experiences and first impressions of upcoming releases.
If previous years are any indication, we can expect to see a plethora of new smart home gadgets and AI-laden devices, including laptops, tablets, appliances, and even robots that will do your household chores for you — sometimes equipped with incredibly specialized features.
The Verge will be tracking all the biggest announcements on this page, so follow along with our coverage below to avoid missing out.
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ZDNET’s key takeaways
Linux has suffered from a litany of myths over the years.
If you’re on the fence, you’ll be glad to know those myths aren’t true.
Linux is easy, beautiful, and ripe for desktop users.
I’ve been using Linux since the original Jurassic Park movie was released, and it seems every year I have to set some people straight on the truth about the open-source operating system. Since the early days, there have been myths about Linux that spread like a virus and threaten to prevent users of all types from adopting the operating system.
The thing about myths is that they are often not based in reality. I’ve already covered some of the Linux myths (six of them to be exact), and it’s time to take on a few more. This is especially important with Windows 10 support coming to an end. You might have a Windows 10 computer that doesn’t support Windows 11, and the idea of having to purchase new hardware doesn’t exactly sit well with your budget. Because of that, you might be on the fence about Linux.
Also: The easiest way to try out Ubuntu Linux
Let me see if I can tip you over to the greener pastures known as Linux.
1. Linux isn’t a gaming platform
Once upon a time, this was very true. Even though I was able to get the original Diablo working under Linux (back in the early 2000s), it was quite a challenge. Thanks to the likes of Steam, Proton, and other platforms, gaming on Linux has come a very long way. According to GamingOnLinux, the Steam market share for the open-source operating system has been (with just a few exceptions) steadily climbing since 2018, and the trend continues.
Also: The 6 Linux distros I recommend most for gaming in 2025 – including my favorite
According to XDA, Linux usage on Steam has tripled in the last three years. Thanks to Steam, you no longer have to go through the steps of installing Wine and other pieces of complicated software to run your favorite games. I’ve installed Steam on many a Linux PC and found it works perfectly well (and is incredibly simple). Don’t let the myths about gaming on Linux bust you.
2. The Linux desktop is too different
I’ll admit there are some Linux desktop environments that are vastly different from what you’re used to. Just take a look at GNOME, i3, Enlightenment, OpenBox, Xfce, or AfterStep and you’ll see what I mean. Not one of those desktops looks or behaves like what you’re used to. However, there are Linux desktops that look and feel almost identical to what you’re used to. Consider KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, MATE, Pantheon, or Budgie, and you’ll find desktops that look and feel very much like what you’re used to.
Also: While Windows 10 users panic, Ubuntu makes extending support easy – here’s how
There are some desktop distributions created to look specifically like Windows 10 or 11, such as AnduinOS and RefreshOS. If you fear change, but know that change is imminent, you don’t have to worry that Linux is so vastly different that the migration will be even remotely challenging.
3. Linux is too different from Windows
How do you interact with Windows? Most likely, you use a mouse and click on things. Guess what? The same thing holds true for Linux. You can single-click, double-click, and right-click your way through the day with ease. Linux has all of the tools you’ll find in Windows, such as file managers, task managers, clickable icons, desktop menus, panels, system trays, user management tools, an app store, automatic updates, cross-platform support, and so much more. If Windows has it, Linux does as well.
Also: 6 most Windows-like Linux distros because old habits die hard
I’ve compared Linux and Windows, and every time I find Linux does the same things, only easier. Here’s another thing to consider: nearly every task you do is handled through a web browser, and Linux has plenty of those. In the end, Linux is an operating system with the goal of making your life easier, more efficient, and more productive. Sound familiar?
4. Linux isn’t stable
First off, I want to get something out of the way because there will be some people who will complain that “Linux is just a kernel.” Let’s set that aside because it can easily confuse new users. Okay? Good. With that said, I’ve used nearly every operating system created (with the exception of OS/2), and I can say, without hesitation or doubt, that Linux is the most stable operating system I’ve ever used. In fact, just last night MacOS on my iMac decided to go haywire, causing me to do a hard reboot. The OS wouldn’t respond, and there was nothing I could do but press and hold the power button until it restarted.
Also: 5 of the easiest, quickest Linux distros to install – and I’ve tried them all
Sure, that can also happen on Linux, but when it does, I can secure shell into my desktop and solve the problem without rebooting. The thing is, that rarely happens. There’s an app on Linux called uptime, and it tells you how long since your machine’s last reboot. I’ve seen reports of Linux machines running for over 2,000 days without needing a reboot. Try doing that with Windows or MacOS and see how far you get. Linux is very, very stable.
5. There are too many choices, which can confuse users
Yes, Linux brings with it a lot of choices. There are a lot of distributions, kernels, desktop environments, browsers, terminal apps, email clients, package managers… the list goes on and on. But other than kernels and desktop environments, all operating systems have a lot of choices.
Also: My 10 favorite Linux distributions of all time, ranked
When I am approached by a new user who feels there are too many options to know where to start, I point them to the major distributions (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Fedora) and tell them to try one of those and stick with the defaults. Those distributions have done a great job of making a lot of choices for the users (which desktop environment, package manager, browser, etc.) to alleviate this concern. Sure, there are a lot of things to choose from, but that doesn’t mean you have to worry that you must make every choice. Linux isn’t an a la carte menu, where you have to piece everything together. Pick a distribution and use it. Simple.
6. Linux is only for servers and developers
Linux powers more services than you can imagine — most of which are on the server level. Amazon, Netflix, Google, Facebook, X, Uber, and so many more depend on Linux. In fact, if it weren’t for Linux, those companies wouldn’t be nearly as successful as they are. Linux is also a very popular operating system for developers of all sorts.
Also: 5 lightweight Linux distributions that will bring your old PC back to life
Case in point, 53.4% of worldwide developers use Linux. Does that mean Linux is only for servers and developers? Absolutely not. Maybe back in the late 90s that would have been true, but today’s Linux is as much about the user as it is the service. If Linux were dedicated to servers and developers, we wouldn’t have so many different user-friendly desktop environments and simplified GUIs.
7. Linux is ugly
This is about as far from the truth as it gets. There are Linux distributions that ship with gorgeous desktops, some of which make MacOS and Windows look like trash. Consider Ubuntu Budgie, elementaryOS, FerenOS, Pop!_OS (with COSMIC desktop), Garuda Linux, KDE Neon, and XeroLinux and you’ll find desktop distributions that are as beautiful as they are user-friendly.
Also: New to Linux? 5 desktop environments I recommend you try first – and why
On top of that, nearly every Linux desktop environment can be themed and highly customized. You can tweak the UI to look old-school or more modern than any desktop available. I’ve had Linux desktops that used transparency in ways no other desktop could dream about. I’ve tweaked Ubuntu Budgie until it was as stunning as any OS I’ve ever used.
Modern Linux is far more beautiful than either MacOS or Windows.
The first major content update to Mists of Pandaria Classic—Landfall—arrives the week of September 23, bringing with it war to Pandaria as the conflict between the Horde and Alliance erupts on the shores of the Krasarang Wilds, an invitation from Wrathion with an opportunity to earn Legendary items, a chance for those itching for a fight to join the Brawler’s Guild for prestige, and more!
War Has Come to Pandaria
With the mists parted and Pandaria revealed, the race to claim its power begins. Tensions between the Alliance and Horde heat up as both factions deploy their fleets to the shores of Krasarang Wilds. Players will help establish new bases, battle over resources, and earn favor with either Operation: Shieldwall or the Dominance Offensive through daily quests.
New Scenarios
Landfall will usher in five thrilling scenarios to queue for:
Alliance:
Lion’s Landing: The Alliance base is under attack by the Horde. Work with SI:7 to defeat them.
Horde:
Domination Point: The Alliance descends upon the base, hoping to nip Garrosh’s fortifications in the bud. Show the enemy that your people are not easily taken advantage of by pushing them off the beach.
Both Factions:
Assault on Zan’vess: Break the defenses of Zan’vess and recover the invaluable Mantid weapons. You can’t step on these bugs.
A Little Patience: The blessed Temple of the Red Crane is the ancestral home of Chi-Ji, the celestial embodiment of hope. From within the temple’s ornate halls, the Red Crane wings out to oppose the despair that spreads through the murky Krasarang Wilds.
Dagger in the Dark: Aid Vol’jin in investigating a mysterious source of power… and defend him from attempts on his life.
Step into the Ring with Brawler’s Guild
Underground fighting rings have sprung up in Stormwind and Orgrimmar, inviting those itching for a fight to test their mettle for bragging rights. Test your skills in the Brawler’s Guild, facing off against bosses in one-on-one arena battles. Watch others take on encounters or challenge yourself!
Entry into the Brawler’s Guild is by invitation-only, so you’ll need to acquire a Blood-Soaked Invitation. They can be found on the Black Market Auction house, sent from somebody already in the guild, and occasionally drop from killing certain Horde and Alliance NPCs in Krasarang Wilds. Horde players can make their way to Brawl’gar Arena in Orgrimmar’s Valley of Honor, while Alliance members should head to Bizmo’s Brawlpub, located on the lower level of the Deeprun Tram in Stormwind. Once you arrive, sign up for a fight by speaking with a Bouncer.
As your Brawler’s Guild rank increases, unlock rewards and activities within the Brawler’s Guild.
A Word with Wrathion
The next chapter of the Legendary questline will begin—and Wrathion has taken a keen interest in the escalating war between the Alliance and Horde in the events along the coast of the Krasarang Wilds. Those who have aided the Black Prince in the past will now have new quests to complete as they advance Wrathion’s agenda for Pandaria and their own progress toward Legendary power.
Reputation Required: Black Prince – Revered
Prerequisites: Complete “Breath of the Black Prince”, unlock Domination Point/Lion’s Landing.
Reward: Eye of the Black Prince, which adds a prismatic socket to any Sha-Touched weapon.
New to Mists of Pandaria Classic with Landfall
Alt-Friendly Leveling and Reputation Gains
Leveling and reputation farming just got a whole lot easier in Landfall. The Blacktalon Quartermaster now sells a Grand Commendation once you hit Revered with the Black Prince. Use it, and every character on your account will earn bonus reputation with the faction.
Leveling from 85–90 has been supercharged, with the experience boost jumping from 10% to 65% meaning less grind and more time diving into endgame content.
PvP Levels Up
The growing conflict between the Horde and Alliance has spread across Azeroth. At level 90, mighty combatants can now rise to the challenge and queue for epic conflicts waging in Wintergrasp and Tol Barad.
The Group Finder now includes a dedicated PvP section with full cross-realm support, making it easier than ever to find matches. Honor and Conquest vendors have returned to their original locations on the Serpent’s Spine. Each Arena Ladder bracket now awards its own set of achievements for Gladiator and Malevolent Gladiator. For example, if you are Malevolent Gladiator in 3v3 and Gladiator in 2v2, you will now get two Achievements—one that says Malevolent Gladiator (2v2) and another for Gladiator (3v3). Players who dominate and miraculously obtain Malevolent Gladiator in 2v2, 3v3, and 5v5 in a single season earn the brand-new “Undisputed Gladiator” title.
Gear Upgrades
Want your gear to hit harder? Landfall introduces item upgrades for both PvE and PvP gear, letting you boost your favorite pieces by several item levels. Just bring your currency to the Ethereal merchant in your Pandaria capital and power up your loadout.
Here’s how it works:
PvE Upgrades:
PvE Epic Gear: Upgrade by 4 item levels for 1000 Justice Points (instead of 250 Valor). Fully upgrading takes 2000 Justice instead of 500 Valor, as you can upgrade twice, giving you more flexibility without burning precious Valor.
Dungeon Rare Gear: Upgrade by 8 item levels for 750 Justice Points.
Players can convert their Valor Points into Justice Points at a rate of 1:4 by using the new Commendation of Justice purchased from Commander Oxheart at Niuzao Temple for 125 Valor and granting 500 Justice (550 after the universal 10% Justice Increase).
PvP Upgrades:
PvP Epic Gear: Upgrade by 4 item levels for 1000 Honor Points (previously 750 Conquest). Fully upgrading now costs 2000 Honor instead of 1500 Conquest, as you can upgrade this gear twice.
PvP Rare Gear: Upgrade by 8 item levels for only 750 Honor Points (down from 1500).
Players may now convert their Conquest Points into Honor Points at a rate of 1:4 by using the new Commendation of Honor. Purchased from each faction’s Conquest vendors located on the Serpent’s Spine for 125 Conquest, and grants 500 Honor (550 after the 10% Honor Increase).
You will be able to gear multiple specs more easily and won’t feel locked into a single one.
Kick Your Graphics Up a Notch
Just like we did in Cataclysm Classic, the Landfall content update will also include a way for players to turn on High-Definition Textures as an option, which will provide enhanced visual fidelity to many new Mists of Pandaria textures in the game. This update allows for a revitalized game world while preserving the Classic aesthetics of the game.
You’ll be able to activate this option in-game by selecting Menu, then System, then Graphics. In Battle.net, click Options (next to “Play”), then Modify Install, then HD Textures.
Pack Light and Take a Portal Instead
Barnaby Fletcher, a mage hailing from Dalaran and hard on his luck, has found a new home in Pandaria.
He occasionally visits Halfhill Market to peddle Portal Shards (and take advantage of the Tillers’ hospitality), a new type of seed. Portal Shards grow into consumable items that can be used to open a single-use portal from Sunsong Ranch to a major faction city.
“Chaotic arcane energy crystalized from high-traffic portals. The soil of Sunsong Ranch will stabilize this energy, yielding a shard that can be broken on the farm to open a one-shot portal to a major city.”
Ready yourselves, champions! Mists of Pandaria Classic: Landfall will deliver epic battles on war-torn beaches, intense arena showdowns, and powerful gear upgrades to help you conquer the wilds of Pandaria!
The symptoms: The patient had a prior diagnosis of osteoarthritis of the knee — a degenerative joint condition that causes pain and stiffness. She had previously sought medical attention, and was treated with painkillers and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for the condition. She had also previously received steroid injections directly into her knees, but her pain remained.
She then started to get bad stomach pain from the medications, so she had stopped them altogether.
What happened next: The woman decided to seek alternative treatments to ease her joint pain and began having weekly acupuncture. She increased the frequency to multiple times a week when the pain was particularly bad.
She later went to the hospital because her knees were very sore. X-rays of her left knee revealed that the shinbone in the inner part of the joint had thickened and hardened. There were also bony growths, called spurs, on the inner portions of the shinbone and thigh bone by the knee joint.
The doctors also saw hundreds of flecks on the X-ray around the knee joint, which turned out to be tiny gold threads.
The diagnosis: The doctors learned that the threads had been inserted as part of the woman’s acupuncture treatments. These short, sterile golden threads were purposefully left in the tissue to provide continued stimulation.
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The treatment: The doctors did not report whether the gold threads were removed from the patient, but in previous cases, the threads have been left in place.
Leaving the threads in place is not risk-free, as it has led to cysts forming in past cases.
What makes the case unique: Gold-thread acupuncture is commonly used to treat both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis in Asia, the doctors wrote in a report of her case. However, there is no evidence the practice works, and some cases suggest it can indirectly worsen arthritis by keeping people from getting appropriate, timely treatment.
For instance, in another case, a 58-year-old South Korean woman had received gold-thread acupuncture in an attempt to ease rheumatoid arthritis pain in her wrists. The patient’s condition had gotten particularly severe by the time she sought medical attention, and the doctors in that case believed her disease had progressed so far because she had not taken anti-rheumatoid medications early enough and had instead relied on the alternative medicine approach.
Also, the threads can migrate within the body, and fragments can damage neighboring tissue. For example, gold threads inserted into a 75-year-old South Korean woman’s back migrated to her lower right leg over a 10-year period, causing cellulitis — a deep skin infection.
In their report of the knee case, the doctors noted that gold threads inserted during acupuncture can make it challenging to read X-rays.
Others have warned that these embedded gold strands stop people from being able to have MRIs because of the risk of the metal moving and damaging an artery.
As such, doctors have noted that health care providers should be aware of the potential risk factors associated with gold-thread acupuncture. However, the fact that they are easy to identify on X-rays ensures that their location can be tracked over time if necessary.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
It increasingly feels like Google’s AI assistant is omnipresent across our devices and, starting next month, it could also be in your home.
In an X post on Tuesday, the company teased, “Gemini is coming to Google Home” and told us to “Come back October 1.”
At its Made by Google event in August, the company announced Gemini for Home among a slew of other product announcements, so this has been in the works for a while.
Tuesday’s X post teaser appears to show an image of a Nest camera, which Google last upgraded four years ago, suggesting the security camera could be set for a refresh. An upgraded Nest speaker and doorbell, both with 2K camera support, could also be part of the Oct. 1 unveiling.
Google did not immediately respond to CNET’s request for comment.
The company announced last month that Gemini for Home will eventually replace Google Assistant in its smart home devices. You’ll still activate Gemini with “Hey Google,” but the advanced AI tech will be able to better interpret more complex and nuanced instructions and questions.
Maybe you’re stumped as to what to make for dinner, so it could be: “Hey Google, what quick pasta dish can I cook in less than an hour?” or “Give me a recipe for Caesar salad.” Gemini is also designed to work with thermostats and smart lights, so you might tell it to “turn the temp to 68 degrees” and “turn off all the lights except in the kitchen.”
The market for smart home technology is expected to grow by 23 percent over the next five years, according to Grand View Research.
Today, we’re just giddy to share an early look at what’s waiting for you in our next expansion, Disney Dreamlight Valley: Wishblossom Ranch. Prepare for serene new Biomes, delightful new friends, and an entirely new way to explore the Valley!
This new adventure will take you on a sweeping journey through three brand-new Biomes nestled deep within the mountains, each brimming with surprises and magical moments. Today, we’re sharing an early glimpse at one of them: Wishing Alps.
On this journey, you’ll be partnered with Snow White, the first princess from Disney’s Snow White, the magical pixie herself, Tinker Bell, from Disney’s Peter Pan, as well as the headstrong steed from Disney’s Tangled, Maximus! And those are just a few names: during your stay at Wishblossom Ranch, you will be joined by several new Disney friends, including a few more Disney horses to befriend!
Speaking of horses, this expansion will introduce horseback riding! A brand-new feature that will change the way you travel, and how you accomplish a great many activities in your Valley!
Alongside some of your favorite Disney horses, you will also unlock a fully customizable horse that you can tailor to match your truest Disney Dreamlight self.
Wishblossom Ranch, packed with a slew of horses, will also offer plenty of stable and ranch decors to fulfill your rustic ranch lifestyle dreams!
And this is just the tip of the haystack, so to speak. For a deeper dive into the remaining biomes, characters and features arriving in Wishblossom Ranch, be sure to tune into our Showcase stream on October 15th! Mark your calendars and we’ll see you there!
Apple debuted the iconic and now wildly popular iPad in 2010. A few months later, Instagram landed on the App Store to rapid success. But for 15 years, Instagram hasn’t bothered to optimize its app layout for the iPad’s larger screen.
That’s finally changing today: There’s now a dedicated Instagram iPad app available globally on the App Store.
It has been a long time coming. Even before Apple began splitting its mobile operating system from iOS into iOS and iPadOS, countless apps adopted a fresh user interface that embraced the larger screen size of the tablet. This was the iPad’s calling card at the time, and those native apps optimized for its precise screen size are what made Apple’s device stand out from a sea of Android tablets that largely ran phone apps inelegantly blown up to fit the bigger screen.
Except Instagram never went iPad-native. Open the existing app right now, and you’ll see the same phone app stretched to the iPad’s screen size, with awkward gaps on the sides. And you’ll run into the occasional problems when you post photos from the iPad, like low-resolution images. Weirdly, Instagram did introduce layout improvements for folding phones a few years ago, which means the experience is better optimized on Android tablets today than it is on iPad.
Instagram’s chief, Adam Mosseri, has long offered excuses, often citing a lack of resources despite being a part of Meta, a multibillion-dollar company. Instagram wasn’t the only offender—Meta promised a WhatsApp iPad app in 2023 and only delivered it earlier this year. (WhatsApp made its debut on phones in 2009.)
The fresh iPad app (which runs on iPadOS 15.1 or later) offers more than just a facelift. Yes, the Instagram app now takes up the entire screen, but the company says users will drop straight into Reels, the short-form video platform it introduced five years ago to compete with TikTok. The Stories module remains at the top, and you’ll be able to hop into different tabs via the menu icons on the left. There’s a new Following tab (the people icon right below the home icon), and this is a dedicated section to see the latest posts from people you actually follow.
After years of requests from users, Instagram will finally have a dedicated app for iPad. Beginning Wednesday, September 3rd, users will be able to download the new app built specifically for Apple’s tablet. But it will be slightly different than the mobile app users are accustomed to.
Most significantly, the iPad app will open directly to a feed of Reels, the company’s TikTok competitor — perhaps a sign of the short-form-video times. Back in April, reporting indicated that Meta was working on an iPad app for Instagram after years of dragging its feet, in part prompted by the legally and politically iffy spot TikTok found itself in. For years, Instagram for iPad was something to tackle “at some point” — until its biggest competitor was facing what would effectively be a ban in the US. From this perspective, opening the app straight to Reels makes perfect sense.
Other features will be available on iPad: Stories will still line the top of the homepage, and users will be able to switch to a “Following” tab where they’ll be able to swipe between feeds that more resemble the mobile Instagram experience (including a chronological option). The bigger screen means more space and fewer clicks: comments on Reels will appear next to full-size videos, and the DMs page will have your inbox alongside chats, similar to what Messenger looks like on desktop.
Instagram head Adam Mosseri has said in the past that the group of people wanting an iPad app just wasn’t big enough for it to be a top priority. So what’s changed in the last few years? Perhaps the number of kids using tablets has changed the calculus, or TikTok’s regulatory vulnerability bumped this up on the to-do list. One thing that’s obvious from this is that Instagram is not letting up on Reels: it’s extended the length of clips, added the ability to repost and fast-forward them, and earlier this year was trying to recruit popular TikTokers. The company sees a future for Instagram on tablets — and it’s short-form video all the way down.
Remember when Blizzard Entertainment used to make strategy games? Even after the company turned much of its attention towards other genres — conquering the planet with World of Warcraft — StarCraft 2 arrived in 2010 to critical and player acclaim. But 15 years later, the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty launch still feels like the last big hurrah of the real-time strategy (RTS) genre as a whole.
That’s not to say the genre is extinct. Sure, most major publishers have abandoned it in favor of multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) releases like League of Legends or DOTA 2 — which ironically owe their births to Blizzard’s 2002 masterpiece Warcraft 3 — but smaller studios and companies have stepped up to fill the void. We have countless indie teams trying to replicate the magic of the golden era of RTS games, and the recently announced Dawn of War 4 looks like it might be one to watch.
The exception to ‘nobody in the AAA space is still working on RTS projects’ might be Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios; Age of Empires — one of the undisputed greats of the genre — is still alive and regularly getting new entries, expansions, and smaller content packs. With Activision-Blizzard and everything under that dome now fully absorbed by Xbox, should we expect StarCraft 3 at any point in the future? It’s complicated. We don’t expect the powers that be to Zerg-rush into such a project, but hope isn’t completely lost.
An overdue sequel with a twist
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
The original StarCraft and its Brood War expansion were released in the ancient year of 1998. Blizzard would later move on to Diablo 2, Warcraft 3, and — of course — World of Warcraft and its expansions. By the mid-2000s, fans had lost almost all hope of ever seeing a second StarCraft game, but they were shocked on May 19, 2007, by the surprise announcement of a full-blown sequel that had actually been in development since 2003.
The bigger surprise was that Blizzard’s plans for the sequel extended beyond a single story campaign. In June 2008, it was revealed that two expansions — Heart of the Swarm and Legacy of the Void — would continue the campaign of Wings of Liberty, the base-game StarCraft 2 release. Did this mean Jim Raynor and Sarah Kerrigan’s return would be a short affair by the time it launched in 2010? Quite the opposite, as Wings of Liberty was a huge sci-fi epic that greatly expanded the Terran-Zerg-Protoss conflict, expertly deploying several plot twists to keep things interesting into the latter two installments.
Evolution was key to survival
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
StarCraft is all about three core factions. Humanity is represented by the Terran Dominion, but they’re joined by two unique alien races: the insectoid Zerg and the psionically-charged Protoss. Each faction has a deep well of lore and, crucially, a distinct playstyle on the battlefield. It’s entirely possible to be terrible with one faction but excel as one of the others.
Following critical acclaim in 2010, which also extended to the other two entries, StarCraft 2 evolved over the years by primarily targeting the hardcore crowd, while also expanding its mode selection to entice new players. Follow-up releases Heart of the Swarm (2013) and Legacy of the Void (2015) weren’t just new massive story campaigns and a selection of extra maps and units; they substantially reshaped the systems and mechanics as the competitive multiplayer community around it grew older.
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Substantial support continued until 2017, when StarCraft 2 fully embraced a free-to-play model for its base multiplayer and co-op modes, as well as the Wings of Liberty chapter of the campaign. With hundreds of millions in combined franchise revenue at that point, the move made sense to keep the three-part sequel alive for as much time as possible.
StarCraft 3: Is there a chance?
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
Fast-forward to 2025, and we’re still playing StarCraft 2 for two key reasons: First, well, it’s arguably the best RTS ever made. Second, it’s a great space opera well worth revisiting every few years if you’re more of a solo player. Few studios, no matter the genre, have achieved such heights of science fiction storytelling in video games. Sure, it’s still a Blizzard game, so the story is a bit convoluted and world-salad-y at times, but it’s rare to see this level of care put into the worldbuilding and characters, especially in an RTS. SC2 is often remembered as the last game in which Blizzard was firing on all cylinders, and even after all these years, it’s easy to see why.
StarCraft 2: Wings of Liberty’s production budget was reported to be below $100 million (but still quite expensive) in 2010, not taking into account the money that later went into finishing the expansions, as well as the years of post-launch support for each entry. Even back in the day, it was the sort of RTS behemoth that only Blizzard could afford to make with such production values, so is it realistic to expect a follow-up on that scale in the near future, with the genre barely breathing?
Considering the cost-cutting measures happening across the games industry as I write this and the dire state of affairs at Xbox specifically, I wouldn’t hold my breath… for now. As stated before, Age of Empires is alive and kicking, and StarCraft is arguably the bigger IP despite only having two games, so it’s hard to imagine Xbox never ever going back to this iconic RTS series. Don’t be surprised if the next StarCraft project leaves behind its strategy roots, though.
StarCraft 2 is available on PC (Windows & macOS). The competitive and co-op multiplayer modes, as well as the first single-player campaign, are free-to-play. The whole collection is included with Game Pass subscriptions.
Text description provided by the architects. Designed to nurture discoveries that will shape the biotech industry, the new Vantage Development offers a cutting-edge, purpose-built life science campus to serve the region’s academic, commercial, and industrial science and technology research institutions.
