Blizzard remembers it still has StarCraft, as the iconic RTS crosses over into Diablo 4

If you ask fans of both the original and the sequel, Blizzard's StarCraft franchise has been missing in action for far too long. Unlike Warcraft, which has successfully transitioned from its RTS roots into the world of massively multiplayer games, mobile experiences, movies, and competitive card games, StarCraft has rarely moved beyond its RTS origins.

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Which is why it's always exciting to see news from Blizzard with StarCraft in the title, even if it's the announcement that the sci-fi franchise is crossing over into the world of another Blizzard IP, Diablo. Yes, the studio has just released a batch of new premium paid-for skins for Diablo 4 inspired by the iconic characters, races, and units of the StarCraft universe.

'The Rebel Marshal' skin for the Barbarian sees the melee-focused character get a Terran makeover inspired by Jim Raynor. The 'Overqueen of the Swarm' skin for the Necromancer class takes its inspiration from Broodmother and the second-in-command of the Zerg Swarm, while the 'Queen of Blades' skin for the Spiritborn takes its inspiration from the Queen of Blades herself, Sarah Kerrigan.

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Rounding out the skins, there's a Protoss High Templar makeover for the Sorcerer, a Protoss mystic Zeratul skin for the Rogue, and a Zerg-infested and corrupted Arcturus Mengsk skin for the Druid. As with other premium skins for Diablo 4, the quality of the artwork is impressive, as is the animation and lighting for each skin. However, priced at around $25 each, even die-hard fans will probably stick to just one for their favorite class.

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In addition to the skins, there's also a Zergling Rush mount and 'Foe to Friend Companion' in the form of a cute little Hydralisk. For those wondering if this means Activision Blizzard or Xbox is considering bringing back StarCraft with a new game, or even a potential StarCraft 3, that remains to be seen.

In recent years, credible sources have reported that Blizzard is currently developing a shooter set in the StarCraft universe, which would apparently be its third attempt at combining the RTS game with a contemporary shooter.