Speculation about a new StarCraft game has intensified ahead of BlizzCon 2026, which runs September 12-13. The series has been dormant since StarCraft Remastered in 2017, with the last original entry, StarCraft 2, released in 2010, despite the franchise remaining hugely popular in Korea.
The buzz began with a report from Korea's Chosun stating that Nexon is close to finalizing a deal to develop a new StarCraft game. The report suggested the project could be StarCraft 3, but this has drawn skepticism, including from the StarCraft subreddit, partly because separate reports indicate Nexon is working on a StarCraft shooter rather than a mainline RTS entry. There are also concerns tied to Nexon CEO Junghun Lee's enthusiasm for generative AI and microtransactions.
Adding to the intrigue, the official StarCraft website began glitching this week. According to GamesRadar+, the site still displays normal marketing copy for StarCraft Remastered, but with visual static and glitches that appear intentionally designed rather than accidental errors. Separately, members of the WoW subreddit noticed an unexplained roughly hour-long gap early on the first day of BlizzCon's main stage schedule, with many speculating it could be reserved for a StarCraft announcement.
However, PC Gamer reported that the BlizzCon floor map does not appear to include any dedicated space for StarCraft, suggesting that even if a new game is announced, it likely won't be playable on-site.
The Nexon shooter isn't the only StarCraft spinoff rumored to be in development. Blizzard was reportedly incubating its own StarCraft shooter in 2024 under former Far Cry director Dan Hay, whose LinkedIn still lists him at Blizzard. Blizzard has also been hiring for a 'lead designer of innovation' role for an open-world shooter using Unreal Engine, recently released a major patch for StarCraft 2, and is offering a 15-day co-op XP boost for Commander progression in StarCraft 2 as part of this year's BlizzCon rewards.
These shooter-related hints have led some, including PC Gamer, to speculate that a shooter is more likely than a StarCraft 3 RTS announcement, especially given Microsoft's reported focus on games with mass-audience appeal following changes in its post-Phil Spencer strategy. GamesRadar+, however, expressed hope that at least one of the rumored projects turns out to be a proper StarCraft 3, while cautioning against a repeat of the reaction to Diablo Immortal. Neither Blizzard nor Nexon has officially confirmed any of these reports, and BlizzCon's opening ceremony is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. PT on September 12.