It’s been so long since the last Starcraft that all I can remember is that Zergs build on creep, the Protoss Void Ray is a glorified Xmas bauble, and Jim Curry went to space. I’m pretty sure at least one of those things is from some other strategy game universe. Maybe Worms. How long must we wait for a Starcraft 3? A long time yet, but possibly not forever, for Blizzard are apparently handing the rights to the cherished RTS series to Nexon, publisher of Dave the Diver and The Finals.
As reported by South Korean finance site MTN (via Google translation) and written up by PCGamer, Nexon have been selected as the “preferred” candidate for Starcraft development rights following a bidding war with Guild Wars publisher NCSoft, Solo Leveling: Arise creators Netmarble and PUBG: Battlegrounds outfit Krafton. Nexon are also, it’s claimed, in the running to land Korean and Japanese service rights for a new Overwatch mobile game, referred to by some bidders as Overwatch 3, but in actuality a MOBA spin-off.
According to MTN, the bidders have pitched several new Starcraft concepts at Blizzard, ranging from spin-off games to “platforms”, though it’s not known what Nexon specifically proposed. Apparently, the negotiations have been “complicated” by the fact that while making a new RTS game is the obvious choice and doubtless the best usage of the license, nobody wants to go toe-to-toe with Blizzard’s own Starcraft 2, which remains a huge hit in South Korea despite reports of its “death” as an esport. There’s also been talk of a MOBA adaptation, as with Overwatch mobile. Good luck selling that to the Windows 98 diehards.
Why aren’t Blizzard themselves making a new Starcraft RTS? Who knows, such a project may exist deep within the company, lost in a trove of Diablo 4 merchandise, but all they’re talking about at present is the latest Quixotic effort to make a Starcraft shooter.
