New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly receiving several pitches for new StarCraft video games from various Korean studios, according to an article highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews and published by Asia Today. The companies vying for the opportunity to develop and secure publishing rights for new StarCraft games include NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton. Some representatives from these studios have even visited Blizzard’s headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their proposals.

NCSoft, known for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, has proposed a StarCraft RPG, potentially an MMORPG. Nexon, the creator of The First Descendant, is pitching a "unique" use of the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, which developed Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, is aiming to create a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the company behind PUBG and the upcoming The Sims competitor inZOI, wants to leverage its own development capabilities to craft a StarCraft game.

While pitches between video game companies are commonplace, it remains uncertain whether any of these proposals will come to fruition. However, StarCraft fans are undoubtedly excited by Blizzard's interest in expanding the beloved sci-fi universe, especially considering the significant time that has passed since the last entry in the franchise. Activision Blizzard has declined to comment on these developments when approached by IGN.

In related news, Blizzard has been making another attempt at developing a StarCraft shooter, led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022. This information came to light through Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who discussed his book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, on IGN’s Podcast Unlocked. Schreier noted that while the project was in development at the time of writing, its future remains uncertain given Blizzard's history with StarCraft shooters.

Blizzard’s previous attempts at StarCraft shooters include the canceled StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002 and intended to be a tactical-action console game, and the codenamed Ares, which was canceled in 2019 to shift focus to Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. More recently, Blizzard has been hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," with indications pointing toward another StarCraft FPS.

The StarCraft franchise is showing signs of renewed activity, with Blizzard releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass, and announcing a StarCraft crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone.