Per Eurogamer, a fresh South Korean report has ignited speculation that the next entry in the StarCraft franchise may not be developed by Blizzard itself. The claims, if true, point to a potentially seismic licensing shift involving publisher-developer Nexon and Blizzard — but take this with a pinch of salt while details remain thin.
What Was Reported
Eurogamer relays a report from Korean newspaper Chosun (via ResetEra) claiming a contract between Nexon and Blizzard "is on the verge of being finalised". If completed, the deal would reportedly allow Nexon to develop a sequel in the StarCraft franchise. The machine-translated report is unclear on whether that sequel would be a direct follow-up to StarCraft 2 specifically, or simply a new game in the franchise.
The piece highlights how significant a Nexon-developed StarCraft would be, noting that "a Nexon-developed StarCraft 3 would be a major deal" in the context of the franchise’s long-standing popularity in South Korea’s PC bangs and competitive scene. Eurogamer also points out prior conflicting reporting: an earlier report suggested Blizzard and Nexon were collaborating on a StarCraft shooter, and that Blizzard is separately said to be working on its own StarCraft shooter project led by former Far Cry boss Dan Hay.
Finally, Eurogamer suggests we could hear something at BlizzCon — and mentions that BlizzCon takes place 12th-13th September — with the strongest recent hint being the surprise, meta-altering update StarCraft 2 received back in June, years after Blizzard ceased active development of that game.
The Source & Credibility
The original claim comes from Chosun, relayed via ResetEra and reported by Eurogamer. The story cites a "senior game industry official" as the primary informant, and quotes the contract being "on the verge of being finalised".
- Multiple Layers Of Sourcing: The claim passes from a Korean outlet to forum aggregation to Eurogamer, which increases the number of handoffs and the potential for translation or context loss.
- Unclear Translation: Eurogamer flags that the machine translation leaves ambiguity about whether the sequel would be a follow-up to StarCraft 2 or a different franchise entry entirely.
- Conflicting Past Reports: Prior reports mentioned a StarCraft shooter collaboration between the two companies, and an internal Blizzard shooter effort led by Dan Hay. These competing narratives mean we should be cautious about accepting any single report at face value.
Given those factors, treat this as a credible lead worth monitoring but not confirmed. I’m linking this development to broader corporate moves involving Blizzard — see our coverage on Blizzard for additional context on the company’s business shifts.
What It Could Mean
If the reported deal is genuine and completed, the implications would be notable. A third-party developer handling a marquee RTS franchise is uncommon for its originator, and Nexon taking on a franchise sequel (allegedly) suggests Blizzard may be open to licensing partners for its IP.
Several possibilities exist, based solely on what has been reported so far:
- Nexon Develops An RTS Sequel: If the contract covers a traditional real-time strategy sequel, a Korean studio publisher could tap into the franchise’s deep regional roots and competitive DNA.
- Nexon Works On A Different Genre: Earlier reporting mentioned a shooter collaboration, and Blizzard is reportedly working on its own shooter project internally. If the Nexon deal covers a shooter or other genre, the next "StarCraft" could depart from RTS conventions.
- Shared Or Split Responsibilities: The coexistence of multiple reports could indicate several projects or staggered responsibilities — but that is speculative until a firm announcement is made.
All of the above remains hypothetical and dependent on the reported contract actually being finalised and publicly detailed.
Why This Matters
For fans and the industry, the possibility of Nexon helming a new StarCraft project matters for a few reasons. The franchise is culturally significant in South Korea and within real-time strategy history, so a non-Blizzard-led entry would represent an unusual stewardship of a legacy IP. If true, the move could signal a broader willingness at Blizzard to partner on core franchises — or to diversify what "a StarCraft game" can be.
That said, these are reports, leaks, and translations layered together. As always, take this with a pinch of salt — we’re watching for an official confirmation, and Eurogamer suggests BlizzCon could be the venue for clarity. Until then, the industry will be parsing any hints and waiting to see whether a Nexon-developed StarCraft becomes reality.
