The original 'StarCraft' is now free

Ahead of the release of StarCraft: Remastered, Blizzard made the original versions of StarCraft and StarCraft: Brood Wars completely free.

StarCraft and its popular expansion Brood Wars both released for PC in 1998. A surprise patch released last night that made the game free to download alongside some fixes. Whether you never got a chance to experience the endless three-sided space war of StarCraft or want to dive back into the game to scratch that nostalgic competitive itch, you can do so now by downloading the game for PC or Mac.

StarCraft features three races: the human Terrans, the psychic Protoss, and the Zerg (if you don't know what a Zerg rush is, just Google it). The game has over 50 single-player missions and a popular multiplayer mode that was a hit at LAN parties before online gaming grew to its current ubiquity.

The original StarCraft's popularity and robust multiplayer made it one of the most popular esports of its time with millions of fans watching pro-level competitions a decade before Twitch even existed. StarCraft's pro scene really made its mark in South Korea, where it continues to have its largest fanbase (although StarCraft II has never reached the popularity that StarCraft had in its hay-day).

A few weeks ago, Blizzard announced StarCraft: Remastered, which takes the original game and overhauls its graphics, soundtrack, and voices to give it a more modern feel. It is expected to release this summer and its price has not been announced.