Blizzard is reportedly considering several pitches from Korean studios for new StarCraft video games, signaling a potential revival of the beloved franchise. According to an article highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews and Asia Today, four Korean companies—NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton—are in the race to develop new games using the StarCraft IP and secure publishing rights. Some of these companies have even traveled to Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their ideas.
NCSoft, known for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, is said to be pitching a StarCraft RPG, possibly an MMORPG. Nexon, the developer behind The First Descendant, has proposed a "unique" use of 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 company behind PUBG and the upcoming The Sims competitor inZOI, is looking to develop a StarCraft game leveraging its own development strengths.
While pitches are a common occurrence in the gaming industry, the interest from Blizzard in expanding the StarCraft universe is noteworthy, especially given the time elapsed since the last game in the franchise. Activision Blizzard has declined to comment on these developments.
In related news, 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 information was revealed by Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier on IGN's Podcast Unlocked, discussing his book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. Schreier noted that while the project was in development at the time of his writing, Blizzard's history with StarCraft shooters has been fraught with challenges.
Blizzard's past attempts to expand the StarCraft franchise include StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002 and canceled in 2006, and another project codenamed Ares, canceled in 2019 to prioritize Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. More recently, Blizzard has been hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," believed to be a StarCraft FPS.
The interest in StarCraft is further evidenced by Blizzard's recent actions, such as the release of StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass, and a StarCraft crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone. These moves indicate that Blizzard is actively working to keep the StarCraft universe alive and engaging for its fans.
