Blizzard Entertainment may no longer enjoy the same golden reputation it once held during the peak eras of StarCraft and Warcraft, but its commitment to delivering above-average, high-quality titles, especially in the live-service space, continues to earn recognition. However, there’s always time to return to the roots. New reports suggest that Blizzard is shifting its focus back to one of its largest markets, South Korea, with renewed attention on two of its franchises: StarCraft and Overwatch.
As exclusively reported by South Korean media outlet MTN, the gaming giant has reportedly partnered Nexon Games as the developer and publisher for new projects related to both franchises. This move could mark a significant development in Blizzard’s global strategy, particularly within the Asian market.
The report notes that Blizzard had offered development and publishing rights for these projects to various Korean publishers in a package deal as early as the fourth quarter of 2024. Specifically, the rights include developing a new game based on the StarCraft IP and serving as the regional publisher for Overwatch Mobile in both South Korea and Japan.
Interestingly, Blizzard reportedly did not mandate that the new StarCraft title adhere to the traditional real-time strategy (RTS) genre. This opens the door for an entirely different interpretation of the franchise, possibly aligning with past rumours of a StarCraft shooter. That is a concept Blizzard has explored and shelved on at least two occasions in the past.
As for Overwatch Mobile, the project is reportedly known by an internal codename, Overwatch 3, fueling speculation that this might be more than just a scaled-down port of the existing game. While the company has made no official statement, the internal naming alone has sparked curiosity and raised expectations among fans.
Currently, Blizzard remains deeply invested in supporting its ongoing titles, including World of Warcraft and Diablo IV. The latter has development roadmaps stretching as far as a decade into the future. Should these rumours prove true, Blizzard’s upcoming titles could mark a major return to form for the developer, especially in a region as crucial and competitive as South Korea.
