Image: Blizzard Entertainment
We almost got Netflix adaptations of Blizzard games before a lawsuit got in the way.
Blizzard Entertainment has been revealed to have reportedly worked with Netflix to create adaptations of its Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft franchises. According to Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier, however, these adaptations were ultimately cancelled when Blizzard filed a lawsuit against Netflix for poaching its chief financial officer in 2020.
Understandably, that move would have soured their relationship a tad.
Overwatch, Diablo and Starcraft adaptations were in the works at Netflix
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier held a Reddit AMA this week to promote his upcoming book Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future of Blizzard Entertainment, which covers the many ups and downs the titular company has faced since its inception. In the AMA, the reporter was asked by a Reddit user why Blizzard hasn’t branched out more into movies, TV shows and animation to adapt its franchises.
Schreier’s response was: “The book reveals that they had series in development with Netflix for StarCraft, Overwatch, and Diablo. But uh…” The reporter then linked a Variety article covering a 2020 Netflix lawsuit, which saw Activision Blizzard sue the streamer for poaching its chief financial officer Spencer Neumann when he was “less than two years into a three-year contract.”
At the time, Activision’s lawyers argued that “Netflix has demonstrated a pattern of caring only about attracting and employing whoever Netflix wants, regardless of whether it violates the law along the way. Netflix’s unlawful conduct is not trailblazing or innovative - it is just reflective of Netflix’s contempt for the law of the State of California.”
Netflix had already been sued twice before over alleged poaching disputes by Fox and Viacom, before Acitivision Blizzard filed their lawsuit in 2020. It’s likely that Schreier’s book will go into more detail on these cancelled projects when it releases, but for now, at least we know that we almost got more lore for Overwatch before its sequel was released - and seemingly cancelled all of its upcoming story content.
Interestingly, Schreier has also claimed that Blizzard is now incubating a new shooter set in the StarCraft universe - so all hope is not lost for fans of that particular franchise.