Blizzard announces brand-new survival game set in new universe
Blizzard Entertainment, the studio behind popular titles like Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Diablo, and Starcraft, has announced that a new AAA game is officially underway.
The studio confirmed in a recent job listing posted in its blog that it is currently looking for people who can work on its brand-new survival game for PC and console.
“Blizzard is embarking on our next quest. We are going on a journey to a whole new universe,” it said in a statement.
Although other details are still being kept under wraps, the studio described its upcoming game as a “place full of heroes we have yet to meet, stories yet to be told, and adventures yet to be lived. A vast realm of possibility, waiting to be explored."
The job listing also came with two pieces of artwork. The first one shows an axe-wielding woman wearing a fur cape and a Cubone-esque headgear. The second one, meanwhile, shows two individuals who stumble upon a portal leading to what appears to be a new dimension.
“For thirty years, Blizzard has been creating universes for millions of players around the globe. This requires a diverse team of developers willing to lend their voices, to listen and to be heard. That is our mission,” it said.
Currently, Blizzard Entertainment is seeking to hire people who will work in various departments including art, design, and engineering. Some of these positions include environment artist, senior character artist, technical artist, VFX artist, senior character concept artist, associate level designer, level designer, lead software engineer (engine), and senior software engineers for audio, server, and tools.
“Do you like survival games? Do you want to join a collaborative team of experienced developers at the early stage of a new project in a new world...and help write the next chapter in Blizzard's story?” it added.
Meanwhile, Blizzard chief Mike Ybarra said in a tweet that he has already “played many hours of this project with the team and I’m incredibly excited about the team’s vision and the brand-new world it presents for players to immerse themselves in together. Join us to help make it a reality!”
The announcement of a new AAA survival game came on the heels of Microsoft’s plan to acquire Blizzard. The tech giant earlier confirmed spending nearly $70 billion to acquire the Santa Monica-based company.
The deal, which is valued at $68.7 billion, includes the acquisition of iconic franchises such as the massively popular online multiplayer first person shooter, Call of Duty. This means that these games may soon likely join the gaming company’s Xbox Game Pass, which currently has over 25 million subscribers around the world.
“Upon close, we will offer as many Activision Blizzard games as we can within Xbox Game Pass and PC Game Pass, both new titles and games from Activision Blizzard’s incredible catalog,” Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer said.
Microsoft didn’t mention a specific date for the completion of the acquisition. However, Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, in an email to employees, previously said that that the deal between the two companies is expected to close next year.