Overwatch Mobile is reportedly being referred to internally as “Overwatch 3.”
Game companies Nexon and Blizzard Entertainment are reportedly working on an upcoming mobile port of Overwatch and a brand-new StarCraft game. According to a report from MTN, Overwatch Mobile is being referred to internally as “Overwatch 3,” suggesting that it’s more than a simple mobile port of the acclaimed hero shooter.
Overwatch Mobile and new StarCraft game in the works
MTN reports that Blizzard has chosen Nexon to publish an upcoming Overwatch mobile game, as part of a package that also included the rights to develop a new StarCraft video game. Via machine translation, MTN’s report states:
Blizzard has been bidding for the right to develop content using StarCraft IP and the Korean and Japanese service rights of "Overwatch Mobile" as a package deal for leading game companies in Korea since the fourth quarter of last year. In addition to Nexon, N.C. and Netmarble actively participated in the bidding.
The exact nature of both of these games is currently unknown. Blizzard has attempted to make two recent StarCraft games in recent years, titled Ghost and Ares, though both were eventually cancelled in favour of other projects.
What's all this about an “Overwatch 3?"
The Overwatch mobile game has already been in production at Blizzard for some time now, according to Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment, a book by games journalist Jason Schreier. In the book, he wrote that “Overwatch was led by Walter Kong, who oversaw the release of regular heroes and content for Overwatch 2, as well as new projects like a mobile version of the franchise.”
Seeing as Blizzard has been developing the Overwatch mobile game in-house for some time now, fans might have to ready themselves for another Warcraft Rumble-like spin-off of the IP, rather than a straightforward adaptation. That might be for the best, given that Overwatch’s fast-based and flashy gameplay would be difficult to translate to mobile platforms. It also might explain why the game is being referred to as “Overwatch 3” internally, should it end up being more of a spin-off rather than a simple Overwatch 2 port.
Blizzard's new StarCraft game was at the centre of a bidding war
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard about the new StarCraft game, however. Last month (28 March), an Asia Today article revealed that multiple game companies were engaged in a bidding war over the rights for Blizzard’s StarCraft IP. The winning bid would get the rights to develop new StarCraft game, along with the rights to global game publishing.
The article specifically added that the contract’s scope included genres like “RPG (Role Playing Game) and shooting games.” At the time, NCSoft, Nexon, Netmarble, and Krafton were said to have thrown their respective hats into the ring to secure this deal.
It appears that Nexon has now come out on top. The video game publisher and developer recently published The Finals and developed various MapleStory titles. Earlier this month (17 April), it announced the return of old-school MapleStory with MapleStory: Classic World.
