According toKorean website MTN, a newStarcraftgame and a mobile version ofOverwatchcould be on the way from Nexon in the future. The report says that Nexon beat out three other companies that were competing with them since the end of last year.
While one particular company was selected, the two sides are currently in negotiations for what the collaboration could look like. Early talks look to include Nexon owning theOverwatch Mobilerights in Japan and Korea, and it being a MOBA rather than a hero shooter, but Blizzard retaining the full rights everywhere else globally. The game is being referred to asOverwatch 3internally.
What to Expect From the New Starcraft and Overwatch Games
In the case ofStarcraft, the kind of game it will be has not been nailed down yet, so this may not necessarily be an RTS game like the series is known for. That being said, the Starcraft games are particularly popular in Korea because of the competitive crowd, so it may still happen. There have been rumors that Blizzard is in the early stages of development for aStarcraftopen world shooter, though it is unknown the current status of that project or if it has any relation to this.
What Games has Nexon Made Before?
In recent years, Nexon has been tied to a couple of notable video game titles, includingFirst Berserker: KhazanandThe Finals. Both of those titles are the first from Nexon to release on consoles, with their library largely being focused on the mobile crowd with PC thrown in there as well. If the deal with Blizzard goes through, this is not Nexon’s first time working with a large outside IP. The company co-developedCounter-Strike:Nexonalongside Valve.
The New Starcraft and Overwatch Games
While there are some shooters in Nexon’s portfolio, there’s a bit of a mix of various genres. At this time, what the newStarcraftgame could be is totally in the air. If Blizzard is going forward with making an open-world FPS internally, it is hard to imagine Nexon would be making their own shooter. That being said, it’s also hard to envision something likeStarcraft 3coming from outside of Blizzard. We would speculate that there is at least a pretty decent shot that this new game is a mobile-only title to join other games likeDiablo ImmortalandWarcraft Rumble.
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For the mobileOverwatchgame, MTN specifically says that this new game is a MOBA entry, breaking away from the hero shooter formula that the series is known for. That being said, the original iteration ofOverwatchwas a MOBA called Project Titan, which eventually was canceled and repurposed into what we have today.
Overwatch 2’snew Stadium mode also has a lot of MOBA elements to it. For this new mobile game, expect the characters to maintain their iconic powers, though the way you play with them will certainly be quite different to the full game. It may be a third-person camera view, or even a top-down approach.
When Will We Learn More?
Given that Nexon and Blizzard seem to be negotiating what the newStarcraftand mobileOverwatchgames will be, do not expect to see anything on either title for a long time. We would not be surprised if there is a tech demo or two that has been put together, but it sounds like things are very much in the early going.
Of course, there is also the chance that negotiations completely break down and nothing comes out of this at all. It would not be the first timeStarcraftandOverwatchhad things fall through in their respective series'.
