New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard

Blizzard is reportedly receiving a flurry of pitches from Korean studios eager to develop new video games based on the iconic StarCraft franchise. This news, highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, comes from an article in Asia Today that names four prominent Korean companies in the race: NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton. These studios have reportedly visited Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their unique visions for expanding the StarCraft universe.

NCSoft, known for its successful MMOs like Lineage and Guild Wars, is rumored to be pitching a StarCraft RPG, possibly an MMORPG. Nexon, the developer behind The First Descendant, has proposed a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, which has brought us games like Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, is aiming to create a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the powerhouse behind PUBG and inZOI, wants to leverage its development capabilities to craft a new StarCraft experience.

While pitches between game companies are commonplace, the interest in StarCraft from these major Korean studios is a significant development for fans of the franchise, especially given the time since the last StarCraft game was released. Activision Blizzard has chosen not to comment on these reports when approached by IGN.

It's also noteworthy that Blizzard has been making strides to expand the StarCraft universe in other ways. In September, it was revealed that Blizzard is working on its third attempt at a StarCraft shooter, led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022. This information came to light during a discussion on IGN’s Podcast Unlocked with Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who authored the book "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment."

Schreier mentioned that the StarCraft shooter, while in development at the time of his book's writing, could still face cancellation, reflecting Blizzard's challenging history with StarCraft shooters. Previous attempts, such as the tactical-action game StarCraft Ghost announced in 2002 and canceled in 2006, and the more recent project codenamed Ares canceled in 2019 to prioritize Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2, have not come to fruition.

More recently, Blizzard has been hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," with strong indications that it might be a StarCraft first-person shooter (FPS). Additionally, Blizzard has been actively engaging with 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.

These developments signal a renewed focus on the StarCraft franchise, sparking hope and excitement among fans for what the future might hold.