South Korean publisher Nexon is reportedly on the verge of nailing down development rights for the next StarCraft game, leaving Blizzard on the sidelines while Microsoft hangs onto the IP.

The fresh report from Korean outlet Chosun, picked up by Eurogamer and others, cites a senior industry source saying the contract is "on the verge of being finalised," giving Nexon the green light to develop a sequel—likely StarCraft 3. This builds on earlier rumors from February and April where Nexon was already tied to a potential StarCraft shooter project, complete with a dedicated team in their shooter division and even a famous StarCraft modder on board. StarCraft still crushes in its home market, sitting in Korea's PC top 10 nearly 30 years later, which explains why Nexon is pushing hard while Blizzard stays quiet.

BlizzCon is right around the corner on September 12-13, and the rumor mill is already spinning that a StarCraft announcement could drop there. Microsoft has zero comment, Nexon says nothing to reveal, and the whole thing smells like Xbox cashing in on dormant IP without doing the work themselves. If it lands, the franchise that made Korea an esports powerhouse might finally get its next chapter from the guys who actually give a damn about it.