New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard

Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly receiving multiple pitches from Korean studios eager to develop new games based on the iconic StarCraft IP. According to a report highlighted by @KoreaXboxnews on X / Twitter, Asia Today listed four prominent Korean companies in the running: NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton. These companies are not only competing to create new StarCraft games but also vying for the coveted publishing rights. Some of these studios have even traveled to Blizzard’s headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their pitches.

NCSoft, known for developing the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, has proposed an intriguing StarCraft RPG, possibly an MMORPG. Nexon, the creator behind The First Descendant, has pitched a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, with titles like Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad under its belt, is aiming to develop a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the powerhouse behind PUBG and inZOI, is looking to leverage its development capabilities to craft a StarCraft game.

While it's common for game companies to pitch ideas to secure development and publishing deals, there's no guarantee these proposals will materialize into actual projects. However, this news is sure to excite StarCraft fans who have been eagerly awaiting new developments in the beloved sci-fi universe, especially given the significant time since the last release in the franchise. When approached by IGN, Activision Blizzard declined to comment.

Adding to the buzz, Blizzard has been making another attempt at developing a StarCraft shooter, as reported by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier on IGN’s Podcast Unlocked. This project, led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022, marks Blizzard's third try at a StarCraft shooter. Schreier, in discussing his book "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment," mentioned the ongoing development of this shooter, emphasizing that "StarCraft is not dead at Blizzard."

Blizzard's history with StarCraft shooters has been fraught with challenges. The first attempt, StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002, aimed to be a tactical-action console game centered around a Ghost operative but was ultimately canceled in 2006 after multiple delays. The second attempt, codenamed Ares, envisioned as a "Battlefield in the StarCraft universe," was also canceled in 2019 to prioritize Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

More recent developments include Blizzard's November hiring spree for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," which many believe is a StarCraft FPS. The momentum for StarCraft continues to build, with Blizzard releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass and announcing a StarCraft crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone.