Blizzard is working on a brand new survival game that could define its next era

techcrunch.com:

It might still be in the headlines every day for organizational chaos, union busting and being part of the biggest gaming acquisition ever, but Blizzard is apparently hard at work on its next original gaming world.

Though it offered few specifics, the company teased a “survival game in an all-new universe” this week, known for now only as “Unannounced Survival Game.” The company linked to a job postings page with the announcement, which also featured a few glimpses of art from the forthcoming game.

Join us in writing our next chapter: https://t.co/yf7W5p9ERQ pic.twitter.com/vWtkDYh1kX

— Blizzard Entertainment (@Blizzard_Ent) January 25, 2022

In the art, a hunter clad in furs and some kind of skull helmet situation crouches with an axe, appearing to track something near a fairy tale-esque portal. Another piece of concept art shows a modern scene with two people peering through another portal to a magical land.

The art doesn’t give much away, but the concept does look compelling, particularly for a company so good at building creative, seamless multiplayer worlds. And the survival game concept would be a fresh and probably very refined entry into a genre popularized on Twitch by games like Fortnite and Rust. Blizzard’s last major fresh IP was esports mega-hit Overwatch, which has a now-delayed sequel on the way at some point, possibly 2023.

It’s a tumultuous time for one of the world’s biggest gaming studios. Activision Blizzard, which publishes hit games like the Call of Duty franchise, Overwatch and World of Warcraft, remainsembroiled in a scandal that broke open with news of a California state lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and