Aside from the 2017 remaster and occasional esports moments, Blizzard’s expansive sci-fi universe hasn’t seen a brand-new direction in a long time. That might finally be changing, but not in the way longtime RTS fans probably expected. According to the business outlet DNews Korea via Google Translate, Nexon is preparing a new shooter game using the StarCraft IP. The project is reportedly being handled by the company’s shooter division — the same internal group behind the looter-shooter The First Descendant.
That alone would already sound wild, but there’s more fuel to the fire. Nexon has reportedly recruited modder Choi Joon-ho, best known for creating the massively popular Korean StarCraft custom map Temple Destroyer (신전부수기). While unheard outside Korea, many players there remember it as fondly as global fans remember Aeon of Strife or Defense of the Ancients.
Bringing in someone who deeply understands its multiplayer aspect suggests it might not revolve around a traditional solo campaign. Let’s hope it’s not just a The First Descendant clone with a StarCraft skin.
Blizzard didn’t just hand the StarCraft universe to Nexon out of nowhere, however. Back in 2025, the WarCraft owner opened a bidding war among Korea’s biggest publishers, including NCSoft, Netmarble, Krafton, and Nexon. Nexon ultimately won and entered negotiations to develop StarCraft content. A year later, and here we are, it seems.
Still, the timing is rather interesting. First of all, a couple of years back, there was a rumor that Blizzard was cooking up a StarCraft shooter led by Far Cry veterans. Then, recently, the company held its 2026 Showcase, and despite plenty of announcements, there was zero mention of any StarCraft shooter spin-off — or a Ghost revival. You know, that stealth-action spin-off that would’ve starred Nova if it hadn’t been cancelled back in 2006? That sort of surprise would definitely draw a lot of attention back to the studio and series overnight.
Of course, in development doesn’t mean it’s a guaranteed release, let alone launching any time soon. DNews’ report notes the StarCraft shooter project is still going through ‘internal prototype evaluation’ and ‘business viability’ checks. After all, Nexon has cancelled high-profile licensed projects before, including a mobile reboot of Final Fantasy 11, if it doesn’t pass internal checks.
For now, take it with a grain of salt and temper your expectations. Still, if this is true, then StarCraft might not return with gameplay and camera angles that hardcore fans remember.
