Blizzard is hiring for a 'AAA open-world shooter' that could be set in the StarCraft universe

To its many fans, StarCraft is one of those Blizzard franchises that has remained dormant for way too long. That said, we've been hearing rumors of a new StarCraft game for years, and that it will arrive as a first- or third-person shooter. This dates back to 2024, when Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier said, "StarCraft is not dead," and that ex-Far Cry lead Dan Hay was leading development.

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Fast-forward to 2026, and rumors that the game could be revealed and fully announced at BlizzCon 2026 later this year suggest the project is far enough along in development and design to be ready for a public reveal. This week, we've got word that Blizzard is hiring a "Lead Designer, Innovation" for an "Unannounced Game" that might be this new mysterious StarCraft project.

And we say that because the job listing is looking for a "Lead Game Designer to spearhead gameplay and content innovations for an upcoming AAA open-world shooter." Unless it's referring to a third shooter currently in development at Blizzard, counting Overwatch, there's a good chance this role could be related to the next StarCraft game.

The job listing also mentions that it's looking for someone with Unreal Engine experience, which likely means the game is being built with Unreal Engine 5.

Although the job listing is light on specifics about the unannounced game, calling it a "AAA open-world shooter" suggests a game as large in scope as Destiny 2, Borderlands 4, or Far Cry 6. If it's set in the StarCraft universe, it'll be interesting to see how it pans out, fits into the lore, and whether it leans into the Starship Troopers and Helldivers vibe of the original RTS.