How to Start Playing StarCraft Through the Official STARCRAFT Site

Updated

The official STARCRAFT site at starcraft.blizzard.com is the starting point for playing the series: its "Play Through the History of StarCraft" section presents two titles, StarCraft: Remastered (the classic experience, rebuilt) and StarCraft II (labeled free to play). Pick StarCraft II if you want to jump in at no cost, or StarCraft: Remastered if you want the original campaign and multiplayer as they were, upgraded.

What the Site Offers

The page is organized around a single path rather than a storefront. The relevant section is titled PLAY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF STARCRAFT, and it lists:

Title Genre label What the site says
StarCraft: Remastered Real-time strategy "Relive a Blizzard classic. Remastered upgrades the essential sci-fi strategy experience from beginning to end."
StarCraft II Real-time strategy • Free to play "Experience the game that redefined the real-time strategy genre. Terran, Zerg, or Protoss – do you have what it takes to become the galaxy's greatest commander?"

Both are real-time strategy games, so the choice is about era and price rather than genre.

Steps to Get Started

  1. Open starcraft.blizzard.com in a browser.
  2. Scroll to the PLAY THROUGH THE HISTORY OF STARCRAFT section.
  3. Choose your entry point:
    • StarCraft II — the free-to-play option, and the more modern of the two.
    • StarCraft: Remastered — the classic title, remastered from beginning to end.
  4. Follow the link on the card for the game you picked to reach its download or play page.
  5. If you want news and announcements rather than a download, use Join the Dominion to sign up for updates.

Expected result: you land on the page for the specific game you selected, where the actual download or account steps live. The site itself is a hub, not the launcher.

Choosing Between the Two

  • Choose StarCraft II if cost is the deciding factor — the site explicitly labels it free to play — or if you want the more recent entry in the series.
  • Choose StarCraft: Remastered if you want the original game's experience with updated presentation, described on the site as an upgrade of the classic "from beginning to end."
  • Choose both if you want the full history: the section is framed as playing through the series' history, not picking a single title.

Common Sticking Points

  • The site is not the game client. Expect to be sent onward to a Blizzard download or account page after clicking a title; don't look for an in-browser play button here.
  • "Free to play" applies to StarCraft II only. The page carries that label for StarCraft II and not for StarCraft: Remastered, so don't assume the classic title is also free.
  • "Join the Dominion" is not a play button. It is the updates sign-up, useful for news but not a way to start a match.
  • Language and region. The page is served in English (en-us); if you need another language or region, check Blizzard's regional sites rather than this page.