Why Did Blizzard Announce Diablo and StarCraft So Early?

In the world of video games, projects are often announced years and years in advance of their release date for various reasons, from building anticipation to satisfying investors. Blizzard, in turn, has resorted to this practice multiple times in the past, and at the recent BlizzCon, it did so again, revealing Diablo V arriving in 2029 and a StarCraft slated for 2030.

Johanna Faries Explains Blizzard's Moves

The two announcements were made with impressive cinematic trailers, which, however, showed nothing of the games themselves. It's striking that Blizzard not only unveiled the new games but also indicated the periods of their launch windows, despite them being so far in the future. Why did the American company act this way? The explanation comes from President Johanna Faries, who told Bloomberg that there is an intention to "convey confidence" for important future projects.

The phrase itself isn't very clarifying, but it can perhaps be read in light of the difficult period being experienced by parent company Xbox. Blizzard may have felt the need to reiterate its importance in the eyes of its boss, and for this reason, it not only showed its hand but also provided dates to make things "concrete." In this light, one wonders if the big announcements at BlizzCon were aimed more at players or at Microsoft...