A new rumor claimed that Blizzard's dormant StarCraft franchise could be revived thanks to help from Nexon, the Korea-based publisher behind ARC Raiders. As of this writing, Blizzard has not confirmed if such a StarCraft project is in development, so fans should likely temper their expectations.
Originally released in March 1998, StarCraft is a sci-fi, real-time strategy series set in the Koprulu Sector, where the Terran, Zerg, and Protoss species all vie for galactic dominance. The first StarCraft RTS title, and its Brood War expansion, paved the way for competitive eSports within the strategy genre. StarCraft was followed up by a sequel, StarCraft 2, in 2010. Despite the success of both StarCraft titles, its popularity has steadily declined over several years. The last time any StarCraft-related content appeared was in a crossover with Diablo 4 in 2025, which brought some cosmetics themed around StarCraft's main cast.
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Another StarCraft Project Could Be in the Works
Though the rumors should be taken with a fine grain of salt, StarCraft could be returning thanks to some help from outside Blizzard. According to Korean media outlet dnews (and translated by GamesRadar), Nexon could be working alongside Blizzard on developing a new entry in the StarCraft franchise. It is currently unknown what genre the rumored StarCraft project from Blizzard and Nexon could be. The report claimed that Nexon, known as the publisher behind the hit extraction shooter ARC Raiders, brought on prominent StarCraft modder Choi Jun-ho to lead the project. Jun-ho is credited with crafting a popular StarCraft map called Shinpu. The rumor also claimed that some developers behind Nexon's free-to-play title Sudden Attack have also been tasked with working on the StarCraft project.
However, the unconfirmed Nexon project is not related to a previously-rumored StarCraft shooter said to be in development at Blizzard. According to Jason Schreier on ResetEra, StarCraft's potential shooter game is being made in-house at Blizzard and likely has no connection to the project Nexon could be working on. Additionally, Schreier said he has "no idea if this is true" concerning the potential Nexon and Blizzard team-up. As for Blizzard's shooter project, it is not the company's first attempt at bringing the StarCraft series outside the RTS genre.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Blizzard previously worked on a stealth-action title called StarCraft: Ghost, featuring the Terran covert operative Nova as the main protagonist. However, the launch of the Xbox 360 console and Blizzard's sudden success with World of Warcraft caused StarCraft: Ghost to be shelved in 2006. Then-Blizzard president Mike Morhaime said in 2014 that StarCraft: Ghost was officially canceled. However, it is not clear if Blizzard's rumored StarCraft shooter title is another attempt to bring back StarCraft: Ghost or another project altogether.
StarCraft's Future Could Be Revealed at BlizzCon
While Blizzard has kept a tight lid on its plans for 2026 and beyond, fans of StarCraft and other franchises will have an opportunity in the late summer months to see what the studio is officially working on. BlizzCon 2026 returns to Anaheim on September 12 and 13, with the main keynote happening during the opening hours of the upcoming convention. Although World of Warcraft: The Last Titan is expected to have a major presence at BlizzCon 2026, Overwatch, Hearthstone, and Diablo 4 are also likely to make appearances throughout the event. Information about Blizzard's plans for BlizzCon 2026 will likely be revealed by the studio in the months ahead.
Despite StarCraft's status as a dormant Blizzard franchise, it remains one of the most popular strategy game franchises of all time. Given that StarCraft has not had a new entry in over a decade, it remains to be seen what Blizzard officially has in mind for the space-themed series, and if Nexon or other developers are part of the plan.
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