FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Tech

This Is What Your Zerg Rush Does to 'Real People' in the 'StarCraft' Universe

Live-action Starcraft short gives the Zerg Rush new, terrible meaning.
Kekekekeke. Image: The Rush

The Zerg rush is one of the most infamous tactics in video game history: a soul-crushing swarm of space-bugs that lives in infamy. In this short film, it's unleashed upon a mother and child in a helpless space colony.

Directed by web series regular Freddie Wong and Matthew Arnold, The Rush shows what at first might appear to be some dedicated Star Wars: The Phantom Menace cosplay before it descends into mayhem reminiscent of a different geeky thing. We meet a young little boy playing with a ball, but I'm going to call it a space-ball, while his mother checks in on the vespene gas levels. The ground begins to quake, sirens flare, and dust kicks up on the horizon. For this family and so many Terrans before them, it is simply too late.

In StarCraft, a Zerg rush is when a player overwhelms their foes with a swarm of basic attack units—fast, easy production being one of the most famous traits of the Zerg race. StarCraft players have seen this play out hundreds of times on the battlefield, though perhaps seeing it destroy innocent civilians and would be space-ball stars could evoke different emotions in fans.