Blizzard Entertainment is reportedly receiving a flurry of pitches from prominent Korean studios eager to expand the iconic StarCraft universe. According to an article highlighted by the X / Twitter account @KoreaXboxnews, Asia Today has identified four Korean companies vying for the chance to develop new StarCraft games and secure publishing rights: NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton. Some of these companies have even made the journey to Blizzard's headquarters in Irvine, California, to present their proposals in person.

NCSoft, renowned for the Lineage and Guild Wars MMOs, is proposing a StarCraft RPG, potentially an MMORPG. Nexon, behind The First Descendant, has pitched a "unique" take on the StarCraft IP. Netmarble, known for Solo Leveling: Arise and Game of Thrones: Kingsroad, aims to create a StarCraft mobile game. Meanwhile, Krafton, the developer of PUBG and the upcoming Sims competitor inZOI, is interested in crafting a StarCraft game leveraging its own development strengths.

While such pitches are commonplace in the gaming industry, StarCraft enthusiasts are buzzing with anticipation over Blizzard's apparent interest in revitalizing the beloved sci-fi franchise. It's been a significant period since the last StarCraft release, making any new developments particularly exciting. When contacted by IGN, Activision Blizzard declined to comment on these reports.

In related news, Blizzard is reportedly making another attempt at developing a StarCraft shooter, marking its third effort in this genre. This project is being led by Dan Hay, a former Far Cry executive producer who joined Blizzard in 2022. The news surfaced during a discussion on IGN’s Podcast Unlocked with Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, who mentioned Hay's project in his book, Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment.

Schreier noted the project's uncertain future, saying, "If it's not canceled! This is Blizzard after all. Their history with StarCraft shooters is not good." Despite past setbacks, Schreier confirmed that, as of the book's writing, the StarCraft shooter was in development, signaling that Blizzard remains committed to the franchise.

Blizzard's previous attempts at StarCraft shooters have been less than successful. StarCraft Ghost, announced in 2002 and intended to be a tactical-action console game, was canceled in 2006 after multiple delays. A second project, codenamed Ares and described as "like Battlefield in the StarCraft universe," was canceled in 2019 to prioritize Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

More recently, Blizzard posted job listings for an "upcoming open-world shooter game," with strong indications that it might be another StarCraft FPS. Additionally, Blizzard has been actively promoting the franchise by releasing StarCraft: Remastered and StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection on Game Pass, and announcing a crossover with the Warcraft card game Hearthstone.

These developments suggest that Blizzard is slowly but surely ramping up efforts to bring new life to the StarCraft universe, much to the delight of its dedicated fanbase.