New StarCraft may not be from Blizzard - and it may not even be an RTS

Almost a decade after the last major franchise release, a new project related to StarCraft would be in development — but, this time, not exclusively by Blizzard Entertainment. According to recent research by the South Korean broadcaster MTN, the publisher Nexon won a bid to develop new content within the series' universe, originally created in 1998.

According to the report, four companies participated in the process: Nexon, Netmarble, Krafton, and NCSoft. The information about opening the StarCraft IP to new developers was initially disclosed in early 2025 by the portal Asia Today, suggesting that Blizzard might be open to collaborations or outsourcing involving its classic franchises.

The most surprising news: the new game may not be an RTS (real-time strategy). The proposal submitted by Nexon would have no limitations on genre or type of content, opening up the possibility for new approaches within the franchise's sci-fi universe — something unprecedented since the release of StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void in 2015. The last new content was StarCraft: Remastered, released in 2017, which simply updated the original game from 1998.

“Some proposals did not include gender or content scope restrictions,” points out the MTN report, without detailing the specific proposal from Nexon.

In addition to StarCraft, Nexon would also be involved in a new title related to the Overwatch franchise. Tentatively titled Overwatch Mobile, the project would not be a simple adaptation of the original shooter for mobile phones, but rather a MOBA. According to MTN, Nexon would have acquired the publishing rights for the game in South Korea and Japan, while development remains the responsibility of Blizzard.

Despite there being no official announcement yet, the involvement of South Korean companies with Blizzard IPs marks a significant change in the management of their intellectual properties. Until now, the developer maintained direct control over most of its main franchises.

We must wait for the next chapters — or subgenres — of this new phase of StarCraft.