Report: Blizzard Partners with Nexon to Revive StarCraft as a Shooter

Report: Blizzard Partners with Nexon to Revive StarCraft as a Shooter

The sci-fi strategy giant may be returning as an action-packed FPS.

In a stunning turn of events that has set the gaming community abuzz, new reports suggest that Blizzard Entertainment is teaming up with South Korean publishing giant Nexon to revive the legendary StarCraft franchise. However, fans of the classic real-time strategy (RTS) formula might be surprised to learn that the project is reportedly being developed as a shooter.

The Nexon Connection

According to industry insiders, the collaboration involves Nexon-owned developer Embark Studios. If you aren't familiar with the name, Embark is the Stockholm-based team founded by former EA and DICE executives, responsible for the upcoming extraction shooter Arc Raiders and the team-based shooter THE FINALS.

The report suggests that Blizzard is leveraging Embark’s expertise in creating high-fidelity, destructive shooter environments to bring the gritty, war-torn universe of the Koprulu Sector to the first-person perspective.

From RTS to FPS: A Long-Time Coming?

For long-time Blizzard fans, the idea of a StarCraft shooter isn't entirely new. The ill-fated StarCraft: Ghost was a stealth-action shooter that spent years in development hell before being cancelled. Since then, the universe has remained strictly confined to the strategy genre.

Shifting StarCraft to a shooter format makes sense in the modern market. With the massive success of extraction shooters like Escape from Tarkov and arena shooters like Overwatch (another Blizzard property), the market is ripe for a sci-fi shooter that features the distinct lore of Terrans, Zerg, and Protoss.

What Can We Expect?

While details are scarce, rumors indicate the project is in the early stages of development. Given Embark’s pedigree, here is what we might speculate:

• Focus on Destruction: Utilizing the same technology that powers THE FINALS, we could see fully destructible terrains in a sci-fi setting.
• Asymmetric Warfare: A project like this could perfectly balance the different races, perhaps allowing players to play as Zerg rushing against Terran fireteams.
• A Live-Service Model: Nexon is known for live-service games, suggesting this could be a free-to-play or ongoing multiplayer experience rather than a single-player campaign.

Skepticism and Hope

It is important to note that neither Blizzard nor Nexon has officially confirmed these reports. The gaming industry is no stranger to canceled projects, and fans are cautiously optimistic. Many are hopeful that this partnership will finally give StarCraft the spotlight it deserves after years of relative silence from Blizzard regarding the IP.

Would you play a StarCraft shooter developed by the makers of Arc Raiders? Let us know in the comments below!