New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly in discussions with several Korean studios interested in expanding the beloved StarCraft universe. According to an article highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews from Asia Today, four prominent Korean companies—NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton—are vying to develop new games using the StarCraft IP and secure publishing rights. Representatives from these companies have reportedly traveled to Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, to pitch their concepts.

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 presented a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, with hits like Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, is pitching a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the creator of PUBG and the upcoming The Sims competitor inZOI, aims to create a StarCraft game leveraging its own development strengths.

While it's common for companies to pitch ideas to secure publishing rights, it's uncertain whether these pitches will lead to actual projects. However, the interest from Blizzard in expanding the StarCraft universe is noteworthy, especially since the franchise hasn't seen a new release in some time. Activision Blizzard declined to comment when approached by IGN.

Adding to the excitement, Blizzard is reportedly making another attempt at a StarCraft shooter, led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022. This news surfaced during a discussion on IGN’s Podcast Unlocked with Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who mentioned the project in his book, "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment." Schreier noted that while the project's future is uncertain, it underscores Blizzard's ongoing interest in the StarCraft IP.

Blizzard has a history of trying to expand StarCraft beyond its real-time strategy roots. The infamous StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002, was meant to be a tactical-action console game but was canceled in 2006. Another attempt, codenamed Ares and described as "like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe," was canceled in 2019 to focus on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. More recently, Blizzard has been hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," hinting at yet another StarCraft FPS.

The StarCraft franchise is seeing renewed activity, with Blizzard releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass, and announcing a crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone. These developments suggest that Blizzard is keen on reviving and expanding the StarCraft universe.