New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard

Blizzard is reportedly considering multiple pitches for new StarCraft video games from prominent Korean studios, sparking excitement among fans of the iconic sci-fi franchise. According to an article highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, Asia Today has named four Korean companies—NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton—vying for the opportunity to develop and secure publishing rights for new StarCraft games. Representatives from these companies have reportedly visited Blizzard’s headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their proposals.

NCSoft, known for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, is rumored to be pitching a StarCraft RPG, possibly an MMORPG. Nexon, the developer behind The First Descendant, is proposing a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, with titles like Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad under its belt, is aiming to create a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the powerhouse behind PUBG and the upcoming The Sims competitor inZOI, is interested in leveraging its own development capabilities to produce a StarCraft game.

While these pitches are part of the regular business of securing publishing rights and development contracts, and not all may come to fruition, the interest from Blizzard in expanding the StarCraft universe is noteworthy, especially given the time elapsed since the last game in the series. When approached for comment by IGN, Activision Blizzard declined to provide any statements.

Adding to the buzz, Blizzard has been making another attempt at a StarCraft shooter, marking their third try in this genre. This project is being led by Dan Hay, a former Far Cry executive producer who joined Blizzard in 2022. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, while discussing his book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment on IGN’s Podcast Unlocked, confirmed the ongoing development of this StarCraft shooter. Schreier noted, "If it’s not canceled! This is Blizzard after all. Their history with StarCraft shooters is not good."

Blizzard's past efforts to expand the StarCraft franchise into the shooter genre include the infamous StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002 and canceled in 2006 after numerous delays, and Ares, a project canceled in 2019 to focus on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. More recently, Blizzard has been hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," which many believe could be another StarCraft FPS.

The momentum for StarCraft is building, with Blizzard recently releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass, and announcing a crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone. These developments suggest that Blizzard is far from done with the StarCraft universe, much to the delight of its dedicated fanbase.