According to Jez Corden, a journalist at Windows Central, on The XB2 podcast, Blizzard is collaborating with an external Western RTS studio on an unannounced project. This studio previously worked with Microsoft on a strategy game, but Corden did not reveal its name nor confirm which Blizzard IP is involved.
Corden speculates that Blizzard may be drawing on Microsoft's management approach for the Age of Empires series, where an internal team oversees creative direction, narrative, and overall design, while actual development is outsourced to specialized external studios. This model helps Blizzard rebuild its strategy game output capabilities without needing to reconstruct a large, dedicated internal RTS development team.
The timing of this news is particularly noteworthy. BlizzCon 2026 will take place on September 12–13, and Blizzard has already begun building hype for StarCraft ahead of the event. The official StarCraft website recently displayed unusual glitch effects and mysterious transmission signals, leading many to speculate that the series will see a major announcement at the convention.
According to previous reports, at least one more project set in the StarCraft universe is in development, rumored to be a third-person or open-world shooter led by former Far Cry executive producer Dan Hay. Corden expects this project to be officially announced at BlizzCon. Additionally, Korean media reported that Nexon is negotiating with Blizzard over development rights for the StarCraft IP. Corden commented that Microsoft is unlikely to sell the IP, suggesting a licensing partnership model instead.
Since StarCraft II stopped receiving paid content updates and Warcraft III shifted its focus to remasters, Blizzard has been quiet in the RTS space for quite some time. If this collaboration is confirmed, it would mark a significant reconstruction of Blizzard's strategy game development framework. However, Corden did not confirm whether the external project is StarCraft III, and related speculation will have to wait for an official announcement from Blizzard.