Nexon may buy StarCraft rights from Blizzard, with Xbox holding the final say
Hennadiy Chemеris
A new report says Nexon could end up with the StarCraft intellectual property from Blizzard Entertainment, with Microsoft Xbox holding the final say on whether any sale happens. According to Chosun, the contract is close to being finalized, and if it goes through, Nexon could gain the rights to develop a sequel to StarCraft.
Reports also say Nexon is already working on a new shooter set in the StarCraft universe. The same report says the game could be shown at BlizzCon 2026, which is scheduled for September 12-13, 2026.
The possible sale is drawing attention because Xbox is said to be focusing on its biggest and most profitable franchises. In that context, the reporting argues that StarCraft does not fit neatly into Xbox's current priority list, even though the series remains one of Blizzard's best-known names.
StarCraft's history is a major reason the news stands out. The original 1998 release became a national game in South Korea and helped spawn televised leagues such as the Ongamenet Starleague. The franchise's competitive legacy continued with StarCraft II, which has been part of the Global StarCraft II League in Korea since 2010.
When this contract is completed, I understand Nexon will hold the rights to develop a sequel to StarCraft.
By the way, we previously published an article featuring the best strategy games on PC.
If Xbox really does get the final word on StarCraft, would Microsoft be giving up a piece of gaming history for a cleaner franchise lineup?
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