New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard: Report

Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly exploring new avenues for its beloved StarCraft franchise, as several Korean game developers have pitched innovative ideas to expand the sci-fi universe. According to Asia Today, via the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, four prominent Korean studios—NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton—are vying to secure the rights to develop new StarCraft games. Representatives from these companies have reportedly visited Blizzard’s headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their pitches.

NCSoft, known for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, has proposed a StarCraft RPG, potentially an MMORPG. Nexon, the developer behind The First Descendant, has pitched a “unique” take on 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 force behind PUBG and inZOI, wants to leverage its development capabilities to craft a new StarCraft experience.

While such pitches are common in the gaming industry, the interest in StarCraft's future has caught the attention of fans, especially considering the time elapsed since the last game in the series. Activision Blizzard has declined to comment on these developments when approached by IGN.

In addition to these pitches, Blizzard has been actively working on expanding the StarCraft universe. In September, it was revealed that Blizzard is attempting to develop a StarCraft shooter for the third time, with former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay leading the project. This information came to light through Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier during an appearance on IGN’s Podcast Unlocked, discussing his book, "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment."

Schreier mentioned that Hay’s StarCraft shooter project was in development as of his book's writing, emphasizing Blizzard’s persistent interest in the franchise despite past challenges. Blizzard’s previous attempts at StarCraft shooters, such as StarCraft Ghost (canceled in 2006) and the codenamed Ares project (canceled in 2019 to focus on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2), have not been successful. However, recent job listings for an “upcoming open-world shooter game” suggest that Blizzard might be gearing up for another StarCraft FPS.

The momentum around StarCraft is building, with Blizzard recently making StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection available on Game Pass and announcing a crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone. These developments signal a renewed focus on the StarCraft universe, much to the excitement of its dedicated fanbase.