# Blizzard games that were never made: Starcraft MMO and Crossworlds | Jeff Kaplan and Lex Fridman Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAgK1QaBOOs Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/eAgK1QaBOOs Generated: 2026-03-13T12:33:28.976+00:00 --- ## Quick Overview The discussion between Jeff Kaplan and Lex Fridman reveals that Blizzard had two major game concepts, a StarCraft MMO and a Crossworlds project, which were ultimately shelved because they were too ambitious for the available time and scale, leading to a shift in focus toward more manageable projects like Overwatch. **Key Points:** - Blizzard considered a massive StarCraft MMO and a separate 'Crossworlds' game, both of which were ultimately deemed too large in scope. - The team initially allocated six weeks for pitching the StarCraft MMO, but the scope ultimately demanded an unrealistic 5-10 years of development. - The vision for StarCraft MMO involved a gritty, realistic tone, contrasting with the more fantasy-driven World of Warcraft, focusing on elements like spaceports, alien encounters, and smugglers. - Jeff Kaplan revealed that the team decided against the ambitious scope, realizing they could not deliver the required experience within a feasible timeframe, leading to the cancellation of both projects. - The team ultimately decided to create the game 'Overwatch' because it was a more manageable scope, allowing them to focus on a tighter vision. - Kaplan expressed strong admiration for designer Chris Metzen's vision for the StarCraft universe, calling his art 'second to none'. - The decision to pivot away from massive MMOs was partly influenced by the realization that the scope of work, including content updates like new classes or raid bosses, was too vast for the team's timeline. ![Screenshot at 00:27: Jeff Kaplan describes the creative direction for the StarCraft MMO concept, which was envisioned with a gritty, realistic tone, contrasting it with World of Warcraft's fantasy setting.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eAgK1QaBOOs/00-00-27.jpg) **Context:** This segment features an interview between Lex Fridman and Jeff Kaplan, a prominent figure in game development, known for his work at Blizzard Entertainment, particularly on titles like World of Warcraft and Overwatch. The discussion centers on Blizzard's ambitious, unreleased game concepts, specifically a massively multiplayer online game (MMO) set in the StarCraft universe and another project called 'Crossworlds,' detailing the creative vision and the practical reasons why these massive projects were ultimately cancelled. ## Detailed Analysis Jeff Kaplan recounts the early development phase at Blizzard where a creative group was tasked with pitching new concepts, resulting in three pitches, one of which was a StarCraft MMO and another a 'Crossworlds' concept. Kaplan strongly favored the StarCraft MMO pitch, which aimed for a darker, more grounded, space-opera feel, focusing on elements like spaceports, alien species, mercenaries, and smugglers, rather than a pure military focus. He notes that the initial timeline set for pitching was only six weeks, but the scope of the vision required at least five to ten years of development, which was deemed unrealistic. He specifically praises Chris Metzen's artistic vision for the StarCraft universe, calling it 'second to none.' Kaplan explains that the team eventually decided to pivot away from such enormous scopes, realizing that creating a game with 50-100 classes and extensive world-building (like the environment of the planet Charon) required trade-offs that they were unwilling to make. The team felt they needed to distill the experience, leading to the creation of Overwatch, which had a much more focused design philosophy, allowing them to execute their vision effectively within a shorter timeframe. Kaplan contrasts this with the MMO approach, where the sheer volume of content required for longevity (like continuous class or raid boss additions) became a bottleneck, suggesting that the scope was too large for the available resources and time. ### Cancelled Projects - StarCraft MMO pitch - 'Crossworlds' pitch - Initial team allocated six weeks for pitches ### StarCraft MMO Vision - Gritty, realistic space opera - Focus on smugglers, aliens, and spaceports - Contrast with World of Warcraft's fantasy setting ### Development Challenges - Scope required 5-10 years - Team decided against massive scale - Design decisions involved trade-offs (e.g., 50-100 classes) ### Pivoting to Overwatch - Shifted focus to a more manageable scope for execution - Overwatch allowed for a tighter vision ### Key Personnel Praise - Jeff Kaplan highly praised Chris Metzen's art direction for StarCraft - Mentioned Metzen designed the vision for the world of 'Wow' (World of Warcraft) and the initial StarCraft concepts ![Screenshot at 00:04: The guest, Jeff Kaplan, is seated in the podcast studio, speaking into a microphone, beginning to describe the creative process behind cancelled Blizzard games.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eAgK1QaBOOs/00-00-04.jpg) ![Screenshot at 00:27: Jeff Kaplan uses hand gestures while describing the intended tone of the StarCraft MMO concept, contrasting it with established Blizzard IPs.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eAgK1QaBOOs/00-00-27.jpg) ![Screenshot at 01:52: Lex Fridman listens intently, leaning on his hand, as the speaker details the ambitious scope of the cancelled StarCraft MMO project.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eAgK1QaBOOs/00-01-52.jpg) ![Screenshot at 08:01: A graphic appears identifying Chris Metzen as a Game Designer, as Kaplan praises Metzen's artistic vision for the StarCraft universe.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/eAgK1QaBOOs/00-08-01.jpg)