New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard: Report

Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly exploring new horizons for the iconic StarCraft franchise, with several Korean studios vying for the opportunity to develop fresh titles. According to a report from Asia Today, highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, four prominent Korean companies—NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton—are in the race to secure publishing rights for new StarCraft games. Representatives from these companies have even made trips to Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, to pitch their ideas.

NCSoft, renowned for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, is said to be envisioning a StarCraft RPG, possibly an MMORPG. Nexon, the team behind The First Descendant, has proposed a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, known for titles like Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, aims to create a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the powerhouse behind PUBG and the upcoming The Sims rival inZOI, is interested in leveraging its development capabilities to craft a StarCraft game.

While these pitches are common in the gaming industry, they signal Blizzard's potential interest in expanding the beloved sci-fi universe. It's been some time since the last StarCraft game was released, and fans are eager for any developments. When approached by IGN, Activision Blizzard declined to comment on these reports.

Adding to the excitement, Blizzard is reportedly making another attempt at developing a StarCraft shooter, led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022. This news emerged in September, and was discussed by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier on IGN's Podcast Unlocked, in relation to his book, "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment." Schreier noted the project's uncertain fate, saying, "If it's not canceled!" He emphasized that while the book focused on Blizzard's past, the ongoing development of a StarCraft shooter shows the company's persistent interest in the franchise.

Blizzard's history with StarCraft shooters is fraught with challenges. The first attempt, StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002, was intended to be a tactical-action console game but was canceled in 2006 after numerous delays. A second project, codenamed Ares, envisioned as "like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe," was also canceled in 2019 to prioritize Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

More recently, in November, Blizzard was seen hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," which many believe to be a StarCraft FPS. The franchise is seeing renewed attention, with Blizzard releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass, and announcing a StarCraft crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone.