New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly exploring new horizons for its iconic StarCraft franchise, with multiple pitches coming from Korean studios eager to expand the universe. According to an article highlighted by @KoreaXboxnews on X / Twitter, Asia Today detailed four prominent Korean companies vying to develop new StarCraft games and secure publishing rights: NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton. Representatives from these companies have reportedly traveled to Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their innovative ideas.

NCSoft, known for its MMOs Lineage and Guild Wars, has proposed a StarCraft RPG, possibly an MMORPG. Nexon, creators of The First Descendant, is pitching a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, with hits like Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, is aiming to develop a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the force behind PUBG and inZOI, is interested in crafting a game leveraging their robust development capabilities.

While pitches for collaborations and development contracts are commonplace in the gaming industry, the potential for new StarCraft projects has sparked excitement among fans, especially given the franchise's long hiatus since its last major release. Activision Blizzard has declined to comment on these developments when approached by IGN.

Adding to the buzz, Blizzard is reportedly making another attempt at a StarCraft shooter, with former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay leading the project since joining Blizzard in 2022. This news was shared by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on IGN's Podcast Unlocked, where he discussed his book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment. Schreier noted the project's tentative status, saying, "If it's not canceled! This is Blizzard after all. Their history with StarCraft shooters is not good."

Blizzard's previous attempts at StarCraft shooters, such as StarCraft Ghost announced in 2002 and the codenamed Ares canceled in 2019, have been fraught with challenges. StarCraft Ghost, envisioned as a tactical-action console game, was canceled in 2006 after numerous delays. Ares, described as "like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe," was abandoned to prioritize Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. More recently, Blizzard has been hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," which many believe to be a new StarCraft FPS.

Amidst these developments, Blizzard has been actively engaging the StarCraft community by releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass and announcing a crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone. As anticipation builds, StarCraft enthusiasts eagerly await what the future holds for this beloved sci-fi universe.