Since Actvision acquired Blizzard, the Xbox team has not used the StarCraft franchise in any way. Although there are frequent rumors that multiple projects are in development for Xbox itself and partners. Some insiders are even expecting a StarCraft shooter to be announced at BlizzCon this year.
Rumors appeared in a Korean newspaper North Korealocal publisher NEXON is in talks with Blizzard to purchase the rights to the entire StarCraft franchise. The publication’s sources say the agreement is in its final stages and the final decision now rests with Xbox.
For South Korea, StarCraft is particularly important – the series’ strategy is still very popular in the country. The Global StarCraft II League has been held in the region since 2010, and South Korean e-sports players lead the amount of prize money received in professional StarCraft tournaments.
There were previous rumors that NEXON was working with Blizzard to develop a shooting game in the StarCraft universe. But they’re talking about licensing the game series, not selling all its rights.
Let’s remember that Asha Sharma has stated numerous times that Xbox intends to develop its major franchises. But StarCraft is never mentioned in this context. Selling the rights to a series to interested companies could be seen as a way to generate additional revenue while giving the franchise a chance to make a comeback.
