A new insider report is causing a stir. Allegedly, Blizzard has canceled a StarCraft shooter so that the team can focus more on Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. Both games are expected to be showcased to the public at BlizzCon 2019.
The magazine Kotaku has published an article that is creating quite a buzz. Jason Schreier reports from several sources at Blizzard who have spoken to him.
Just yesterday we reported that an unannounced project at Blizzard was shelved – now we also know what it was: A shooter set in the StarCraft universe.
Code Name Ares Canceled
StarCraft like Battlefield – That’s how it was supposed to be: The game with the codename Ares was supposed to be like “Battlefield in the StarCraft universe.” Players could take on the role of a Terran Marine and mow down Zerg.
There were even ideas to let players take on the role of Zerg, even though that hadn’t been implemented yet. Allegedly, the development of this title was progressing slowly, yet it was reportedly a huge shock for those involved that the project was shelved.
“It was looking pretty good by now,” said a source.
Additionally, a still unannounced mobile project is said to have been canceled as well.
Planned for BlizzCon 2019
More resources for Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2: That project Ares was canceled is reportedly to benefit two other projects. No developers were laid off; instead, they were redistributed to the teams for Diablo 4 and an still unknown Overwatch game to push development forward.
Especially the new Overwatch game is likely to be interesting, as it is expected to feature a significant PvE component.
Overwatch like Left 4 Dead: Some people from Blizzard have described the PvE element of Overwatch as “like Left 4 Dead.” This at least suggests that the missions would run similarly to the Archives missions, only probably much longer and with more enemy types.
With the Omnic Crisis and the machinations of Talon, there would definitely be many antagonists suitable as adversaries in a PvE campaign.
Presentation already at BlizzCon 2019? According to Kotaku, it is expected that Diablo 4 and Overwatch will be the main announcements at BlizzCon 2019 – but that could still change. Diablo 4 was previously intended for BlizzCon 2018, according to information from Kotaku, but was then canceled.
The increased focus on two projects at least suggests that Blizzard will reveal at least one of the two titles in November – hopefully even both. After all, both titles have supposedly been in development for several years.
Furthermore, Blizzard needs to regain the lost trust from the debacle of the last BlizzCon.
What does Blizzard say about it? Blizzard issued a statement in response to Kotaku’s inquiry, but it doesn’t provide any details or hints about the exact games. It only states:
We always have various teams working in the background on different ideas – even right now on several projects – but the reason we don’t discuss them is that during development anything can happen. This has happened several times with Blizzard in the past, and there is always the possibility that we decide to cancel a project and move on to something else.
Announcing something before it’s ready carries a high risk of frustration and disappointment, both for players and for us, not to mention the distraction and increased pressure on our developer teams.
Whether these insider reports come true, we will likely find out in a few months. Blizzard fans are eagerly looking forward to the announcements.
Do you believe this report and are you excited for Diablo 4 and “Overwatch 2”? Or do you think there’s nothing to it?
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