New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard: Report

Blizzard is reportedly receiving a flurry of pitches for new StarCraft video games from Korean studios, signaling potential new developments for the beloved franchise. According to an article highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, Asia Today listed four Korean companies vying for the chance to develop new games using the StarCraft IP and secure publishing rights: NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton. It's said that representatives from these companies have even traveled to Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their proposals.

NCSoft, known for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, has proposed a StarCraft RPG, possibly an MMORPG. Nexon, the developer behind The First Descendant, has pitched a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, responsible for titles like Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, is aiming to create a StarCraft mobile game. Krafton, the powerhouse behind PUBG and inZOI, wants to develop a StarCraft game leveraging its own development strengths.

While pitches and discussions between video game companies are common, StarCraft fans are buzzing with excitement at the prospect of expanding the iconic sci-fi universe, especially since it's been some time since the last game in the franchise. When contacted by IGN, Activision Blizzard declined to comment on these developments.

Adding to the intrigue, in September, it was revealed that Blizzard is making its third attempt at developing a StarCraft shooter. This project is being led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022. The news emerged during a discussion on IGN's Podcast Unlocked with Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who mentioned Hay's project in his book, "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment."

Schreier noted the project's status: "If it's not canceled! This is Blizzard after all. Their history with StarCraft shooters is not good." He confirmed that, as of the book's writing, the StarCraft shooter was in development, emphasizing Blizzard's persistent interest in the franchise despite past challenges.

Blizzard's previous attempts at a StarCraft shooter include the infamous StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002 but canceled in 2006 after numerous delays. A second project, codenamed Ares and described as "like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe," was also canceled in 2019 to prioritize Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

More recently, in November, Blizzard was spotted hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," with indications suggesting it could be a StarCraft 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 moves indicate that things are slowly but surely ramping up for StarCraft, much to the delight of its dedicated fanbase.