New StarCraft Game Pitches from Korean Developers to Blizzard: Report

Blizzard is reportedly receiving pitches from several Korean studios interested in developing new games using the iconic StarCraft IP. According to an article highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, Asia Today revealed that four prominent Korean companies—NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton—are in the running to secure publishing rights and develop new StarCraft games. Representatives from some of these companies have reportedly visited Blizzard’s headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their pitches.

NCSoft, known for their work on the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, has proposed a StarCraft RPG, potentially an MMORPG. Nexon, the creator of 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 their belt, is aiming to create a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, famous for PUBG and inZOI, is planning a game leveraging their own development capabilities.

It's common for game companies to pitch ideas to secure development and publishing rights, and it remains uncertain if any of these proposals will come to fruition. However, this news is significant for StarCraft enthusiasts, who have been eagerly awaiting new content in the beloved sci-fi universe. Activision Blizzard has declined to comment on these reports when approached by IGN.

In September, it was revealed that Blizzard is making another attempt at developing a StarCraft shooter, led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022. This information was shared by 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 noted the project's development but also cautioned about Blizzard's history of canceling StarCraft shooters.

Blizzard's previous efforts to expand the StarCraft franchise into shooters have been unsuccessful. The first attempt, StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002, was canceled in 2006 after multiple delays. A second project, codenamed Ares, was canceled in 2019 to focus on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. Ares was described as "like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe." More recently, in November, Blizzard was seen hiring for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," suggesting another StarCraft FPS in the works.

Blizzard has been actively engaging with the StarCraft community, releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass and announcing a StarCraft crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone. These developments indicate a renewed interest in the StarCraft universe, much to the excitement of its dedicated fanbase.