A new job advertisement from Blizzard Entertainment has fuelled speculation regarding an upcoming open-world shooter. The posting, for an Associate Design Director of Innovation, explicitly mentions an "upcoming open-world shooter game," sparking excitement amongst fans and industry analysts alike. The advert's description hints at a project aiming for significant innovation, quoting David Bowie's encouragement to embrace creative risk-taking.
The announcement follows previous reports indicating Blizzard's third attempt at developing a StarCraft-themed shooter. This information, detailed in Jason Schreier's book "Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment," reveals that former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay, who joined Blizzard in 2022, is reportedly leading the project. While speaking to IGNâs Podcast Unlocked, Schreier confirmed the game's existence, albeit cautiously noting Blizzard's chequered past with StarCraft shooters. He highlighted the project's ongoing development status (at the time of writing his book), stressing the persistent allure of StarCraft for Blizzard, despite previous setbacks.
Blizzard's history with StarCraft first-person shooters is indeed fraught. The ambitious "StarCraft Ghost," announced in 2002, was ultimately cancelled in 2006 after considerable delays. This tactical-action console game, featuring a deadly Ghost operative, failed to materialise, leaving a significant void in the StarCraft universe. A second attempt, codenamed "Ares," met a similar fate in 2019, reportedly resembling a "Battlefield" game set within the StarCraft universe, but shelved to prioritise the development of "Diablo 4" and "Overwatch 2." The cancellation of "Ares" appeared to signal a definitive end to Blizzard's foray into StarCraft shooters.
However, Hay's extensive experience in open-world game development, honed during his tenure at Ubisoft where he contributed to several successful Far Cry titles, including Far Cry 3, 4, 5, and the Primal and New Dawn iterations, suggests a potential shift in approach. His appointment as GM/VP at Blizzard in 2022 might signify a renewed commitment to realising the long-held ambition of a successful StarCraft shooter.
Recent moves by Blizzard further suggest a renewed focus on the StarCraft franchise. The release of "StarCraft: Remastered" and "StarCraft 2: Campaign Collection" on Xbox Game Pass, coupled with the announcement of a StarCraft crossover with the "Hearthstone" card game, point towards a strategic revitalisation of the property. This renewed interest, combined with the job posting for an open-world shooter and the ongoing development of Hay's project, strongly suggests that a significant StarCraft title could be on the horizon. Whether this third attempt will finally break the curse of past failures remains to be seen, but the signs are certainly pointing towards a potential breakthrough for this long-awaited project. The open-world aspect adds a new dimension that could potentially redefine the StarCraft experience and finally deliver the successful shooter that has eluded Blizzard for so long.
