StarCraft 3 might finally happen, just not built by Blizzard

[Daniel Sims]

What we know so far: Although StarCraft has seemingly been on Blizzard's back burner for several years, recent reports and events suggest that it could be planning a revival of its iconic RTS franchise. However, the plans likely involve an outside developer, Nexon, and it remains unclear whether the South Korean company aims to deliver StarCraft 3 or a spin-off.

A game industry source recently informed South Korean outlet Chosun Daily that Blizzard is on the verge of closing its rumored deal with Nexon to develop new StarCraft games. The deal might also include the rights to publish an Overwatch mobile title.

StarCraft and Overwatch have not yet appeared on Nexon's South Korean or global websites, but word of the agreement initially circulated last year, when it was reported that Nexon had outbid other Asian game publishers such as Krafton. Blizzard would hand over the rights to publish a new Overwatch title, likely a mobile MOBA, as well as the rights to develop an unspecified StarCraft follow-up.

However, the new entry's genre remains unclear. Nexon could make a first-person shooter, effectively reviving the canceled StarCraft: Ghost, or it might develop a direct sequel to StarCraft II. That game's 2010 release ended a then-historically long wait after the original revolutionized the real-time strategy genre in 1998, and nearly as much time has passed since StarCraft II's final campaign, Legacy of the Void, launched in 2017.

Blizzard transitioned the RTS into maintenance mode in 2020 but released a large update in June of 2026 that significantly rebalanced the game. After nearly six years of dormancy, some expert players described the new patch as essentially a new game, sparking speculation that Blizzard aims to revive the IP.

While StarCraft is an American property with a global appeal, handing the reins to South Korea-based Nexon would be unsurprising, as the franchise has been particularly popular and impactful in that country. StarCraft is credited with heavily influencing the development of South Korea's esports scene and even the deployment of the country's internet infrastructure. StarCraft II still ranks among South Korea's top 10 cyber café games 16 years after its initial release.

Notably, Chosun Daily's report comes a little over a week before BlizzCon 2026, set for September 12 and 13. Blizzard has not indicated whether it plans to announce any new games at the event's opening ceremony.

Permalink to story:

StarCraft 3 might finally happen, just not built by Blizzard

 

[Axeia]

With whats coming out of American studios lately (and Blizzard is no exception) I'd much prefer a Korean take on it.

Rumors have been pointing towards a shooter for a while though so I'd be surprised if SC3 was in the works.
Don't think it'll be like the cancelled SC Ghost though, single player sneaky games don't sell all that well.
I'd like to see something like an extraction shooter where you get swarmed by Zerg.

Whatever it is, being a blizzard game it has to be mad profitable. So something that sells skins and/or can be positioned as an esports title.

 

[GeoffreyA]

Was a fan of StarCraft but never played II. Don't care for Blizzard and all their Warcraft-style nonsense. I do hope to play, however, Diablo IV at some point. Seems to have the proper gothic horror of old.

 

[ComputerGuy55]

..Rumors have been pointing towards a shooter for a while though so I'd be surprised if SC3 was in the works.
Don't think it'll be like the cancelled SC Ghost though, single player sneaky games don't sell all that well.
I'd like to see something like an extraction shooter where you get swarmed by Zerg.

Whatever it is, being a blizzard game it has to be mad profitable. So something that sells skins and/or can be positioned as an esports title.

I was pretty excited when StarCraft: Ghost was being developed; I loved the idea, although like you said, these types of games don't usually sell too well. Part of me wishes they would put more effort into Single Player / Co-Op style games.

When you mentioned an extraction shooter where you fight off Hordes of Zerg, I think that would be interesting as well. Makes me think of Gears of War's Horde Mode, would be fun to play it in the StarCraft universe.
I've definitely started to enjoy more Solo / Co-Op games in the last few years. Combination of not being able to keep up competitively as well as just not enjoying the competitive gameplay loops.

What ever happens, I'll be interested to see what comes out

 

[m4a4]

Considering how Western AAA studios are nothing more than shells of their former selves, I welcome a non-Western studio to give it a try.

I would also like to finally have a non RTS game to play in this universe. Finally get a good sense of how big things actually are (and would love to play as different Protoss units).

Of course, all of this as long as there's no forced PvP. Don't care for it anymore.

 

[Kashim]

I'm familiar with Nexon. After spending serious money to win access to Blizzard's IP, the only thing they'll be focused on is monetizing the game through micro-transactions and other nonsense to get a large return on their investment.

 

[NumberNine]

Blizzard is a nothing company now. They sold off their autonomy. They sold off their artistic integrity. They sold off their credibility. Why would I play a game from a company like that?

 

[Daniel Sims]

The StarCraft Remastered website now has some kind of glitch effect going on for some reason: https://starcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/

 

[Axeia]

I was pretty excited when StarCraft: Ghost was being developed; I loved the idea

As much as I didn't like the idea of getting a console at the time (pay more for worse graphics and inconvenient controls), for SC Ghost I would have.
It never happened though.

When you mentioned an extraction shooter where you fight off Hordes of Zerg, I think that would be interesting as well. Makes me think of Gears of War's Horde Mode, would be fun to play it in the StarCraft universe.

Having to hold a chokepoint against massive numbers of zerglings/hydralisks could be a ton of fun.
Drop in an infestor mind controlling one of the defenders if you fail to kill it in time.
Have someone with the ghost role having to go out and snipe a guardian bombarding you from a distance.
Have an Ultralisk barge through forcing you to give up your position etc, could be a ton of fun.
A true to scale ultralisk would be hella scary from the perspective of a marine.

Could even try to make it a weird hybrid game where one team plays defenders as a FPS and the other team is in control of guiding where the Zerg come from and when special units pop up, when they use their abilities etc from more of a classic top down perspective.

 

[bviktor]

Sounds reasonable, their only other recent release worth mentioning was D2R, which was made by ... Vicarious Visions.

 

[GeoffreyA]

Sounds reasonable, their only other recent release worth mentioning was D2R, which was made by ... Vicarious Visions.

Those people became Blizzard Albany and made D4. Seems anyone outside Irvine does a better job.

 

[amghwk]

The new Blizzard is irrelevant nowadays anyway.

Gone is the true Blizzard of yesteryears who created the first 2 Diablo games and the original Starcraft, Warcraft, Warcraft II and III.

 

[ComputerGuy55]

As much as I didn't like the idea of getting a console at the time (pay more for worse graphics and inconvenient controls), for SC Ghost I would have.
It never happened though.

Having to hold a chokepoint against massive numbers of zerglings/hydralisks could be a ton of fun.
Drop in an infestor mind controlling one of the defenders if you fail to kill it in time.
Have someone with the ghost role having to go out and snipe a guardian bombarding you from a distance.
Have an Ultralisk barge through forcing you to give up your position etc, could be a ton of fun.
A true to scale ultralisk would be hella scary from the perspective of a marine.

Could even try to make it a weird hybrid game where one team plays defenders as a FPS and the other team is in control of guiding where the Zerg come from and when special units pop up, when they use their abilities etc from more of a classic top down perspective.

I think of all the types of Game Modes that were made as UMS maps that could have been made into entire game's themselves, like Special Forces(Rogue-Like / Lite with the upgrades).

I think that a game as you described would be pretty fun to play; with the right people developing it and looking at those details that fans enjoyed.


Your last paragraph reminds me of a Mod made for Half-Life 2 that I quite enjoyed, and follows that idea. It was called Zombie Master, and it was just as you described. Except, it wasn't a 'team' that controlled the spawning, just one, but it could certainly be done.

Honestly, some of the best games created have spawned from Modifications of games:
Rocket League apparently came from a team that use to mod for Unreal Tournament, I actually remember playing a mod similar to this within UT2004, CarBall.

DOTA from Warcraft 3

Tripwire Interactive has made a couple of their games based off their original Mod creations (Red Orchestra, Killing Floor, both UT2004 mod's originally)

We can only hope that a similar group of people create such a game for the next game in the StarCraft universe.

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Just give me Starcraft 2 Complete & Remastered on Steam already then I can properly forget about Blizzard for the remainder of my days.

 

[airbornex]

Giving StarCraft to a Korean developer is the least Blizzard development ever, but also the most logical step. South Korea probably has more institutional knowledge about StarCraft than Blizzard does at this point.

 

[Axeia]

We can only hope that a similar group of people create such a game for the next game in the StarCraft universe.

Well, I might have gotten the genre partially right at least.
And hooray, gritty and gory.. how StarCraft should be.
I feared cheesy millennial humor and 'diversity' - but they saved that for the Overwatch announcement instead.

 

[ComputerGuy55]

Well, I might have gotten the genre partially right at least.
And hooray, gritty and gory.. how StarCraft should be.
I feared cheesy millennial humor and 'diversity' - but they saved that for the Overwatch announcement instead.

I am going to try and save my excitement for when we see some actual gameplay footage.

The concept seems right, we'll just have to wait and see how they execute it.

I really do hope it pans out!