Blizzard's History With StarCraft Shooters 'Is Not Good': Will Third Attempt Succeed?

Microsoft Corp.’s MSFT Blizzard Entertainment is once again setting its sights on developing a StarCraft shooter, with the project being helmed by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay.

This marks the third time Blizzard has attempted to branch out the StarCraft franchise into the first-person shooter (FPS) genre, a goal that has eluded the developer for nearly two decades.

See Also: Blizzard’s Diablo 4 Generates $150M From Microtransactions, Contributing To Over $1B In Sales

StarCraft’s Past Attempts And Challenges

Blizzard's first foray into a StarCraft shooter dates back to 2002 with the announcement of StarCraft: Ghost, a tactical-action game where players would take on the role of a Ghost operative.

Despite high anticipation, the project suffered multiple delays and was ultimately canceled in 2006. The second attempt, codenamed Ares, emerged in 2019 and was described as "Battlefield in the StarCraft universe." Like Ghost, Ares was also shelved as Blizzard shifted focus to titles like Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2.

Now, Blizzard appears determined to make the StarCraft FPS a reality under Hay’s leadership, hoping the third time's the charm.

StarCraft Shooter In Expert Hands

Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022, brings with him a wealth of experience from his time at Ubisoft, where he made his mark on the Far Cry franchise.

While no official details have emerged about this new StarCraft shooter, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier confirmed the game is currently in development during an appearance on IGN's Podcast Unlocked.

Schreier, who has extensively covered Blizzard in his book “PLAY NICE: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment,” said, "Yes, that is a project that as far as I know is in development, or at least as of the time that I wrote this book was in development. They are working on a StarCraft shooter, StarCraft is not dead at Blizzard."

A Legacy Of Unfinished StarCraft Shooters

Blizzard's turbulent history with StarCraft shooters looms large over the project. As Schreier pointed out during the podcast: "Their history with StarCraft shooters is not good."

Phil Spencer, head of Xbox, recently fueled speculation about StarCraft's return when he wore a StarCraft-themed t-shirt during Microsoft's Tokyo Game Show 2024 broadcast.

Read Next:

• PS5 30th Anniversary Chaos: Scalpers Sweep Up Stock, Leaving Fans Empty-Handed

Image credits: Shutterstock.