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Choose by the kind of play you want. Start with Warcraft for fantasy real-time strategy, StarCraft for science-fiction strategy, or Diablo for a hero-focused action RPG about exploring, fighting monsters, and improving one character. If you want the earliest story entry, use Warcraft I: Remastered or the original Diablo; if you want a broader later campaign, choose Warcraft III: Reforged; if you want the most complete classic StarCraft package, choose StarCraft: Remastered.

The short answer

There is no single correct first Blizzard game. The three series ask you to play in fundamentally different ways:

  • Warcraft: build a base, gather resources, command armies, and follow a fantasy conflict between humans and orcs.
  • StarCraft: play real-time strategy in a science-fiction war involving Terran, Protoss, and Zerg forces, each with a different feel.
  • Diablo: control one hero in an action RPG, move through dangerous areas, defeat monsters, and replace equipment as your character grows.

Blizzard’s catalog classifies Warcraft and StarCraft as real-time strategy games and Diablo as an action RPG. That genre distinction is more useful than release order when you are deciding where to begin.

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Which game fits your preferred play style?

If you want… Start with Why
Fantasy strategy and a long-running setting Warcraft I: Remastered It covers the initial human-orc war and is the chronological starting point.
A later Warcraft campaign with more factions and systems Warcraft III: Reforged It offers campaigns, armies, several factions, and multiplayer matchmaking.
Science-fiction strategy StarCraft: Remastered It includes the original game and Brood War, with all three races and online play.
A single hero, monsters, loot, and action Diablo It is the action-RPG choice rather than a base-building strategy game.
The most historically direct starting point Warcraft I: Remastered or the original Diablo Each represents the beginning of its series’ central story or setting.
Modernized presentation while retaining classic gameplay Warcraft I: Remastered, Warcraft II: Remastered, or StarCraft: Remastered The remastered editions update visuals and audio; Warcraft I and II also let you switch to original graphics.

Start with Warcraft if you want fantasy real-time strategy

Warcraft is the natural choice when the appeal is commanding armies in a fantasy world. You manage a base and its economy, produce units, attack or defend, and advance through a campaign rather than directing one continuously upgraded hero.

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Warcraft I: Remastered — the chronological beginning

Blizzard identifies Warcraft: Orcs and Humans from 1994 as the first Warcraft game. Its two faction campaigns present the initial human-orc war. Blizzard also describes 21 bonus maps for custom games and two-player versus play, so the first entry is more than a short historical prologue.

Warcraft I: Remastered is the best starting point if you want to see the conflict in its earliest form. The remaster adds updated hand-painted art, widescreen battles, rebalanced music, interface changes, and modern control options. It also allows switching between original and remastered graphics, letting you compare the presentation without changing the underlying campaign.

The early design is deliberately more old-fashioned than later strategy games. Missions can feel less forgiving, and the interface reflects its era. That is a reason to choose it for history and chronology, not necessarily the easiest introduction to the series’ mechanics.

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Warcraft II: Remastered — the middle chapter and the seas

Warcraft II expands the conflict and takes it to the seas. Naval warfare is the defining addition for a newcomer comparing the classic entries: maps and missions can involve ships and coastal positioning as well as land forces.

The remastered edition, launched with Warcraft I’s remaster in November 2024, lets you switch between original and updated graphics. If you want the narrative bridge between the first human-orc war and the later Warcraft setting, Warcraft II is the middle chapter to play after Warcraft I.

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Warcraft III: Reforged — a later, broader campaign entry

Warcraft III: Reforged is the better first Warcraft for readers who want a more expansive campaign immediately rather than strict chronology. Blizzard describes campaigns, armies, several factions, and multiplayer matchmaking. That broader faction and campaign structure gives you more variety than the earliest game.

Its presentation has also received a substantial update path. Patch 2.0 brought changes to environments, lighting, the interface, high-definition assets, and quality-of-life features. Those updates improve the modern usability of the release, but they do not turn Warcraft III into a different genre: it remains real-time strategy built around bases, units, and battlefield decisions.

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How to choose among the Warcraft entries

  • Choose Warcraft I: Remastered when release order and the initial human-orc story matter most.
  • Choose Warcraft II: Remastered when you want the next historical chapter and naval warfare.
  • Choose Warcraft III: Reforged when you prefer a later campaign with more factions, armies, and matchmaking.

Warcraft I and II remasters were described by Blizzard as November 2024 releases. Their switchable visual modes are useful if you are unsure whether you prefer the original look or the updated art.

Start with StarCraft if you want science-fiction strategy

StarCraft uses the same broad real-time-strategy foundation as Warcraft—economy, bases, production, armies, and battlefield control—but its setting and faction design are science fiction. The central choice is not humans versus orcs; it is how you want to play among Terran, Protoss, and Zerg forces.

StarCraft: Remastered — the complete classic starting package

StarCraft: Remastered includes the original StarCraft and its Brood War expansion. It preserves the classic campaign structure while upgrading graphics and audio, and it supports online multiplayer after or alongside the campaign. That combination makes it the clearest first purchase for someone who wants the original StarCraft story without assembling separate releases.

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The remaster changes presentation rather than the core strategic identity. You still learn to balance workers, production, scouting, territory, and timing. The result is a game that can feel demanding if you have never played classic real-time strategy, but the campaign gives you a structured way to learn before competing online.

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Which StarCraft race should you try first?

Blizzard’s official race guide describes Terran, Protoss, and Zerg as distinct play styles and recommends trying all three rather than selecting one permanently from a description. That is practical advice: the race that sounds best on paper may not match the decisions you enjoy during a real match.

  • Sample Terran if you like a conventional military toolkit and want to learn the game through flexible units and fortified positions.
  • Sample Protoss if you prefer powerful units and a smaller number of high-impact decisions.
  • Sample Zerg if you enjoy rapid expansion, swarms, and a more fluid approach to production and territory.

These are starting descriptions, not rigid rules. Play campaign missions or a few low-pressure matches with each race, then keep the one whose economy and combat rhythm feel natural.

Start with Diablo if you want an action RPG

Diablo is the right answer when “play a Blizzard classic” means controlling a hero rather than managing an army. You explore hostile areas, fight monsters directly, collect equipment, and improve your character. There is no base-building economy to maintain and no need to command groups of workers and combat units simultaneously.

The original Diablo — the historical starting point

Blizzard dates the original Diablo to December 31, 1996 and describes it as the game that introduced Sanctuary. The original was later made available through GOG in preserved form with compatibility fixes. That release history is useful context, but an old storefront price quoted in Blizzard’s announcement is historical and should not be treated as current pricing.

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Choose the original Diablo when you want to experience the beginning of Sanctuary and the series’ earliest action-RPG design. Its pacing, interface, and audiovisual presentation are products of the 1990s. Those qualities are part of its historical appeal, but they can also make it less immediately comfortable than a newer game.

Do not choose Diablo expecting strategy-game systems

Diablo still involves decisions about abilities, equipment, risk, and route planning, but its moment-to-moment focus is direct combat. If you are deciding between Diablo and Warcraft or StarCraft, the decisive question is whether you want one character’s progression or an entire force’s logistics. Diablo is not a shorter version of an RTS; it is a different genre.

Chronology versus the easiest entry

Release order is valuable when you want to watch mechanics and world-building develop, but it is not mandatory for understanding the basic choice.

Goal Recommended first game What you gain
Follow Warcraft from its first release Warcraft I: Remastered The 1994 starting point and the initial human-orc conflict.
Follow Warcraft while reaching a broader later campaign quickly Warcraft III: Reforged Several factions, armies, campaign content, and matchmaking.
Experience classic StarCraft in one package StarCraft: Remastered The original game plus Brood War, upgraded presentation, and online multiplayer.
See where Diablo’s setting begins Diablo The original Sanctuary introduction from 1996.

Starting with a remaster does not mean skipping the original design. Warcraft I and II let you switch between original and remastered visuals, while StarCraft: Remastered upgrades graphics and audio while retaining classic gameplay.

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Solo campaign, custom games, or online play?

If you mainly want a solo story

Pick the campaign that matches your setting preference. Warcraft offers linked fantasy campaigns; StarCraft: Remastered includes the original campaign and Brood War; Diablo’s progression comes through repeated exploration and combat with one hero. The campaigns differ in structure, so “solo” does not mean the same experience across all three.

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If you want multiplayer strategy

Warcraft’s earliest entry included two-player versus play, while Blizzard describes Warcraft III: Reforged as supporting multiplayer matchmaking. StarCraft: Remastered supports online play in addition to its campaign. Classic Warcraft releases distributed through GOG were described as adding LAN or peer-to-peer multiplayer, while the classic Warcraft II Battle.net-compatible version retained classic Battle.net access. Blizzard’s 2019 description said those GOG releases were English-only at that time; language and storefront details can change, so verify the current listing for your region.

If you are unsure about competitive play

Begin with a campaign. It teaches the basic economy and combat loop without requiring you to learn an opponent’s build order immediately. In StarCraft, you can then sample all three races as Blizzard recommends. In Warcraft, try the early missions first and decide whether the resource-and-army loop is enjoyable before moving to custom or online games.

A practical decision path

  1. Choose the genre. Select Diablo for action-RPG combat with one hero. Select Warcraft or StarCraft for real-time strategy with bases and armies.
  2. Choose the setting. Select Warcraft for fantasy and StarCraft for science fiction.
  3. Choose your entry philosophy. For chronology, begin with Warcraft I: Remastered or the original Diablo. For a later, broader Warcraft campaign, begin with Warcraft III: Reforged. For StarCraft, begin with the remastered package that includes Brood War.
  4. Choose your first mode. Start with a campaign if you want guided learning; move to custom or online play when you want opponents or experimentation.
  5. Check the current edition in your territory. Storefront availability, language support, prices, and system requirements are not fixed by the historical descriptions above. Confirm the listing and requirements before buying or installing.

What the remasters change—and what they do not

  • Warcraft I and II: updated presentation with an option to switch between original and remastered graphics; Warcraft I also adds modern control options.
  • Warcraft III: Reforged: patch 2.0 updates environments, lighting, interface elements, high-definition assets, and quality-of-life features.
  • StarCraft: Remastered: upgraded graphics and audio while retaining the classic gameplay and including Brood War.

These changes affect readability, controls, and presentation. They do not change the fundamental recommendation: Warcraft and StarCraft are strategy games, while Diablo is an action RPG.

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Bottom line

Pick Warcraft I: Remastered for chronological fantasy strategy, Warcraft III: Reforged for a later and broader Warcraft campaign, StarCraft: Remastered for science-fiction strategy with three contrasting races, or Diablo for direct hero-and-monster action. The best first Blizzard game is the one whose moment-to-moment decisions you actually want to make: command an army, master a race, or survive as a single hero.

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