How to Download the Original StarCraft for Free

You can download the original, non-HD StarCraft and Brood War for free through Blizzard’s Battle.net desktop app. Sign in with a Blizzard account, open the StarCraft game menu, and choose Install. Blizzard says the download does not require a DVD or activation code.

Download StarCraft through Battle.net

1. Download and install Blizzard’s official Battle.net desktop app.

   #	Preview	Product	Price
   1		Diablo: Battle Chest	$20.98	Buy on Amazon
   2		Warcraft III Battle Chest - PC/Mac	$18.75	Buy on Amazon

2. Sign in with a Blizzard account. Blizzard’s StarCraft installation instructions require an account for this route.

3. Find StarCraft in the app’s game menu. The app’s navigation may vary by operating system, region, or version.

   ×

   What’s actually slowing this PC down?

   Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.

   Crashes & glitchesFree fix →System errors & instabilityFree fix →Outdated driversFree fix →Junk files & broken settingsFree fix →
   Special offer. See more information about Outbyte and uninstall instructions. Please review EULA and Privacy policy.

   #1 Best Overall

   

   Diablo: Battle Chest

   • Experience Five Bold Character Classes - Battle Hell’s minions as the Amazon, Sorceress, Necromancer, Paladin, or Barbarian, each with unique skills and abilities.
   • Explore Four Expansive Realms - Storm a vast underworld of twisted dungeons and uncharted wilderness as you journey across the immense world of Sanctuary.
   • Battle With an Ever-Expanding Arsenal - Learn new skills, find powerful new weapons and armor, and enhance your gear with magic as your hero’s power and legend grow.
   • Master Multiple Levels of Difficulty - Take on the minions of Diablo in Nightmare Mode for greater challenge and greater rewards. Grow strong enough and enter Hell Mode, where your foes become truly fearsome, but the rewards are epic!
   • Defeat Diablo Online With Your Friends - Take the fight online with up to seven of your friends via Battle.net, Blizzard Entertainment's free online gaming service. Find games, trade, and compete in regional ladders during ongoing seasonal competitions.

   $20.98

   Buy on Amazon

4. Select Install when it appears, then follow the app’s prompts to complete installation.

Blizzard describes the free download as StarCraft Anthology, which includes StarCraft and Brood War. Its support page states that both are free to download and need no DVD or activation code.

What is included in the free download?

The free download provides the original, non-HD game content. It is not the same as StarCraft: Remastered: a Blizzard support response clarifies that the HD textures require a purchase. The distinction is the graphics presentation and purchase requirement, not whether the original game content is available.

Blizzard’s franchise page also describes StarCraft II as free to play. That is a separate game; use the StarCraft entry in Battle.net if you want the original.

Rank #2

Warcraft III Battle Chest - PC/Mac

• Warcraft III Battle Chest

$18.75

Buy on Amazon

Why use the official app instead of an old disc or mirror?

Blizzard support says installation from old discs is no longer supported and directs players to the updated Battle.net client. A disc is therefore not needed for the supported installation route.

Use Blizzard’s official download channel rather than a third-party mirror or abandonware site. Blizzard’s legacy StarCraft EULA describes the program as licensed, not sold, and restricts redistribution outside its license terms.

If StarCraft is not appearing in the app

Blizzard’s published guidance gives the general route—sign in, find the game menu, and choose Install—but does not establish identical screen labels or placement for every operating system, region, or app version. Check that you are signed in and looking in the game menu. If the current client still does not show the game or Install option, consult Blizzard’s installation and patching support page for the current guidance.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Diablo: Battle Chest

$20.98

Bestseller No. 2

Warcraft III Battle Chest - PC/Mac

Warcraft III Battle Chest

$18.75

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.