Blizzard Entertainment is once again exploring a potential expansion of the StarCraft universe beyond its established real-time strategy roots, this time in the form of a shooter. The company has reportedly partnered with Korean gaming giant Nexon to develop the title, marking at least the third known attempt by Blizzard to break into the shooter genre with its iconic sci-fi IP.
The news, initially reported by The Korea Economic Daily, indicates that Nexon has assembled a dedicated development team within its shooting division to spearhead the project. Notably, the team includes Choi Jun-ho, a prominent StarCraft modder known for creating popular maps within the Korean community. This suggests a deliberate effort to tap into the deep understanding and passion of the existing StarCraft fanbase.
Nexon’s involvement is particularly interesting given its recent successes in the shooter space. The company owns Embark Studio, the developer behind The Finals and Arc Raiders, both of which have garnered attention for their innovative gameplay mechanics and competitive focus. This acquisition provides Nexon with a strong foundation of expertise in developing and publishing successful shooter titles.
However, Blizzard’s history with StarCraft shooters is fraught with cancellations and abandoned projects. StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002, was envisioned as a tactical-action console game centered around a Ghost operative. Despite years of development, the project was ultimately scrapped in 2006 due to a series of delays and shifting priorities. A second attempt, internally codenamed Ares, met a similar fate in 2019, reportedly because Blizzard wanted to concentrate resources on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. Ares was described as a Battlefield-style shooter set within the StarCraft universe.
More recently, in 2024, Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier reported on a third internal StarCraft shooter project led by Dan Hay, formerly of Far Cry fame. The current status of Hay’s project remains unclear, raising the question of whether Nexon’s undertaking is a continuation of that effort, a parallel development, or a completely new initiative. The fact that Nexon’s game appears to be in a more nascent stage of development – with the team only recently being assembled – suggests it may be a separate endeavor.
The challenges facing this new collaboration are not insignificant. Nexon’s previous partnership with Square Enix on a Final Fantasy spin-off reportedly stalled during the planning phase, highlighting the complexities of adapting established IPs into new genres. Successfully translating the strategic depth and lore of StarCraft into a compelling shooter experience will require careful consideration of gameplay mechanics, balancing, and faithfulness to the source material.
The decision to pursue a shooter format reflects Blizzard’s apparent reluctance to return to the real-time strategy genre that initially made StarCraft a global phenomenon. TheGamer notes that Blizzard “seems wholly uninterested in developing a new real-time strategy game,” making a shooter a logical, if risky, avenue for revitalizing the franchise. The enduring popularity of StarCraft in South Korea, where it remains a cultural touchstone, provides a strong incentive for Blizzard to explore new ways to engage its dedicated fanbase.
While Blizzard has yet to officially comment on the partnership or the project’s details, the reports suggest a renewed commitment to the StarCraft universe. Whether this latest attempt will finally yield a successful shooter remains to be seen, but the combination of Blizzard’s iconic IP and Nexon’s shooter expertise presents a potentially compelling proposition for fans of both franchises. The project is reportedly being handled by Nexon’s Shooting Division, which also oversees the long-running Korean shooter, Sudden Attack, further solidifying the expectation of a first- or third-person shooter experience.
