StarCraft Games in Order: Release Order, Story Order and Novels
Every StarCraft game in order, from the 1998 original to Nova Covert Ops. Release order and story order are the same list, so this guide covers where to start, whether you need the first game before StarCraft II, and which expansions, remasters and novels are optional.
There are six StarCraft games that tell the main story, and they came out in the same order the story happens: StarCraft (1998), its expansion Brood War (1998), the StarCraft II trilogy (2010 to 2015) and the Nova Covert Ops mission pack (2016). The story runs from December 2499 to after the End War in 2508. The list below matches the StarCraft timeline. (StarCraft; StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void; StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops)
Release order#
These are the story games in the order they came out. All of them launched on Windows, with Mac versions alongside or soon after.
- StarCraft (1998). Three campaigns, terran, zerg and protoss, as the zerg and protoss reach terran space and Arcturus Mengsk betrays Sarah Kerrigan. See StarCraft story explained. (StarCraft)
- StarCraft: Brood War (1998). The expansion: Earth's fleet invades, and Kerrigan fights everyone for control of the Swarm in the Brood War. (StarCraft: Brood War)
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty (2010). Jim Raynor's terran campaign to bring Kerrigan back. See the StarCraft II story. (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty)
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm (2013). Kerrigan rebuilds the Swarm and goes after Mengsk. (StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm)
- StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void (2015). Artanis leads the protoss against Amon, and the epilogue ends the End War. See Legacy of the Void ending explained. (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void)
- StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops (2016). Three mission packs following the ghost Nova Terra after the End War. (StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops)
Story (chronological) order#
Because the games came out in story order, the list is the same. Here's where each one sits.
- StarCraft: December 2499 into 2500, the Great War. (StarCraft)
- StarCraft: Brood War: July to October 2500. (StarCraft: Brood War)
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty: 2504, the start of the Second Great War, four years after Brood War. (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty)
- StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm: straight after Wings of Liberty, ending with Mengsk's death in 2505. (StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm)
- StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void: the End War, 2506 to 2508. (StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void)
- StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops: after 2508. (StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops)
Where to start#
Start with the original StarCraft and Brood War, through StarCraft: Remastered. StarCraft II is built on the first game's story. Raynor's grudge against Mengsk, Kerrigan's transformation and the death of Tassadar are all set up there, and Wings of Liberty doesn't stop to explain much of it. (StarCraft: Remastered; StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty)
The honest catch is that the 1998 games feel old, even remastered. If you only want to play one era, StarCraft II is the more welcoming one, and the StarCraft story explained page covers what you missed. Leave Nova Covert Ops until last. It's a short coda, not a new chapter. (StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty; StarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops)
Spin-offs, remasters and extras#
None of these are needed. Most are remasters or side stories.
- StarCraft: Remastered (2017): StarCraft and Brood War with updated graphics and sound. Same story. (StarCraft: Remastered)
- StarCraft 64 (2000, Nintendo 64): a console port of StarCraft and Brood War. (StarCraft 64)
- StarCraft: Ghost: a console action game about Nova that was never released. Its story moved into the novels and StarCraft II. See StarCraft: Ghost. (StarCraft: Ghost: Nova)
- The novels, in story order: I, Mengsk; Heaven's Devils; Devils' Due; Uprising; Liberty's Crusade; Ghost: Nova; Queen of Blades; Shadow of the Xel'Naga; the Dark Templar Saga (Firstborn, Shadow Hunters and Twilight); and Evolution. Liberty's Crusade and Queen of Blades retell the first two campaigns of StarCraft, so read them after playing it. The Dark Templar Saga covers the years between Brood War and StarCraft II, and Evolution is set after the End War. (StarCraft: I, Mengsk; StarCraft II: Heaven's Devils; StarCraft II: Devils' Due; StarCraft: Uprising; StarCraft: Liberty's Crusade; StarCraft: Ghost: Nova; StarCraft: Queen of Blades; StarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga; StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Firstborn; StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters; StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Twilight; StarCraft: Evolution)
Frequently asked questions
- What order should I play StarCraft in?
- StarCraft, Brood War, Wings of Liberty, Heart of the Swarm, Legacy of the Void, then Nova Covert Ops. The games came out in story order, so release order is story order.
- Do I need to play StarCraft 1 before StarCraft 2?
- It helps a lot. Wings of Liberty assumes you know why Raynor hates Mengsk and how Kerrigan became the Queen of Blades, and both happen in the original and Brood War. StarCraft: Remastered is the easy way to play them.
- Is Brood War part of the story?
- Yes. Brood War is the expansion to StarCraft and carries the main story on directly. It ends with Kerrigan in control of the Swarm, which is where StarCraft II picks up.
- Is Nova Covert Ops canon?
- Yes. It is a three-part mission pack set after the End War, in which Nova Terra uncovers the Defenders of Man conspiracy. It is the last game in the story.
- What order should I read the StarCraft novels in?
- In story order: I, Mengsk, Heaven's Devils, Devils' Due, Uprising, Liberty's Crusade, Ghost: Nova, Queen of Blades, Shadow of the Xel'Naga, the Dark Templar Saga (Firstborn, Shadow Hunters, Twilight) and Evolution.
Sources
- GameStarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment, 1998
- GameStarCraft: Brood War, Blizzard Entertainment and Saffire, 1998
- GameStarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, Blizzard Entertainment, 2010
- GameStarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, Blizzard Entertainment, 2013
- GameStarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, Blizzard Entertainment, 2015
- GameStarCraft II: Nova Covert Ops, Blizzard Entertainment, 2016
- GameStarCraft: Remastered, Blizzard Entertainment, 2017
- GameStarCraft 64, Mass Media and Blizzard Entertainment, Nintendo, 2000
- BookStarCraft: I, Mengsk, Graham McNeill, Pocket Star, 2008
- BookStarCraft II: Heaven's Devils, William C. Dietz, Pocket Star, 2010
- BookStarCraft II: Devils' Due, Christie Golden, Pocket Star, 2011
- BookStarCraft: Uprising, Micky Neilson, Pocket Books, 2000
- BookStarCraft: Liberty's Crusade, Jeff Grubb, Pocket Books, 2001
- BookStarCraft: Ghost: Nova, Keith R. A. DeCandido, Pocket Star, 2006
- BookStarCraft: Queen of Blades, Aaron Rosenberg, Pocket Star, 2006
- BookStarCraft: Shadow of the Xel'Naga, Gabriel Mesta, Pocket Books, 2001
- BookStarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Firstborn, Christie Golden, Pocket Star, 2007
- BookStarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Shadow Hunters, Christie Golden, Pocket Star, 2007
- BookStarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga: Twilight, Christie Golden, Pocket Star, 2009
- BookStarCraft: Evolution, Timothy Zahn, Del Rey, 2016
Spotted a factual error or a primary source we missed? Email a correction. Every flagged claim gets reviewed.
Followed from this entry
StarCraft Story Explained: StarCraft and Brood War
The whole story of the original StarCraft and its expansion, campaign by campaign. Mengsk betrays Kerrigan, the Overmind remakes her as the Queen of Blades, Tassadar dies killing it, and in Brood War Kerrigan beats everyone.
Legacy of the Void Ending Explained: Amon, the Void and the Epilogue
How StarCraft II's last campaign ends and what it means. The protoss cut themselves free of the Khala to retake Aiur, then Kerrigan becomes a xel'naga in the Void and destroys Amon for good.
StarCraft II Story Explained: the Whole Plot from Wings of Liberty to Nova Covert Ops
The StarCraft II story in order, one campaign at a time. Raynor frees Kerrigan, Kerrigan kills Mengsk, and the protoss and the Swarm finish Amon, with Nova Covert Ops as the coda.
StarCraft: Ghost, the Cancelled Game and Its Story
StarCraft: Ghost was a console action game starring the ghost Nova, announced by Blizzard in 2002 and shelved in 2006. It never came out, but its heroine and much of its plot found their way into the novels and StarCraft II.
StarCraft Timeline: every major event from the xel'naga to the One-Day War
The full StarCraft chronology, from the xel'naga uplifting the protoss and the zerg to the peace that followed the End War. Events are grouped into ten eras, oldest first, with Gregorian years wherever the games and novels give one.
Brood War: Kerrigan's war for the Swarm
The Brood War was a zerg civil war between Kerrigan and the cerebrate Daggoth over who would succeed the Overmind. The UED invaded from Earth at the same time.
Mentioned in4 entries
StarCraft II Story Explained: the Whole Plot from Wings of Liberty to Nova Covert Ops
The StarCraft II story in order, one campaign at a time. Raynor frees Kerrigan, Kerrigan kills Mengsk, and the protoss and the Swarm finish Amon, with Nova Covert Ops as the coda.
StarCraft Story Explained: StarCraft and Brood War
The whole story of the original StarCraft and its expansion, campaign by campaign. Mengsk betrays Kerrigan, the Overmind remakes her as the Queen of Blades, Tassadar dies killing it, and in Brood War Kerrigan beats everyone.
StarCraft Timeline: every major event from the xel'naga to the One-Day War
The full StarCraft chronology, from the xel'naga uplifting the protoss and the zerg to the peace that followed the End War. Events are grouped into ten eras, oldest first, with Gregorian years wherever the games and novels give one.
StarCraft: Ghost, the Cancelled Game and Its Story
StarCraft: Ghost was a console action game starring the ghost Nova, announced by Blizzard in 2002 and shelved in 2006. It never came out, but its heroine and much of its plot found their way into the novels and StarCraft II.
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