Blizzard made the sudden announcement that it's ending paid content for StarCraft 2. The game, a formative pillar of esports, will still see balance updates for the foreseeable future.
The news comes from a Thursday night blog post where Blizzard assures fans that it's still committed to supporting StarCraft 2 "for the long-term." This will come in the form of season rolls and the occasional balance update. Blizzard also makes it a point to say that StarCraft 2 esports is safe for now, due largely to the activities of partners GSL and ESL Gaming.
What is going away is for-purchase StarCraft 2 content. Blizzard highlights Commanders and War Chests as things that are on the chopping block. They acknowledge that many fans will be disappointed by this news, but write that these changes will free up the team to consider the future. Could this mean StarCraft 3 is on the horizon? With Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2, on the way, it just might.
The seeming end of StarCraft 2 comes as a blow to Blizzard fans after World of Warcraft Shadowlands was delayed. Earlier this month, Blizzard announced the closure of its Versailles, France office. The decision left about 266 people potentially unemployed, and French labor unions called on these people to strike in response. As usual, Blizzard is proving itself a company to watch for both good and bad reasons. February's BlizzConline will definitely be an event to watch, and hopefully has news for StarCraft fans.