As new games from studios founded by key developers who led Blizzard Entertainment's heyday have been repeatedly shunned by the market in recent years, the industry is even talking about a "Blizzard alumni failure jinx." Unlike the brand value once symbolized by StarCraft, Warcraft and Diablo, there have been repeated cases in which games released after independence fell short of expectations. Against this backdrop, DRIMAGE, which changed its name from HYBE IM, plans to release Bonfire Studios' new title "Alcheron" this year, created by core talent from Blizzard, drawing attention to whether it can finally pull off a reversal.
◇ Stripped of systems and IP, a headfirst dive into bare ground… structural limits weigh heavy
According to the game industry on the 12th, the report cards of studios founded by former Blizzard developers over the past two to three years have been brutal. "Stormgate" from Frost Giant, which was formed by core StarCraft II and Warcraft III developers and billed itself as the "next-generation StarCraft," remained "Mixed" on Steam after early access in 2024 amid debates over graphics polish, hit feedback and content volume. Concurrent users, which once numbered in the tens of thousands, quickly dwindled, and the contraction of the hardcore RTS (real-time strategy) market also proved a drag.
Even more shocking cases followed. "Concord" from Firewalk Studios, formed by developers from Blizzard and Bungie, left an unprecedented mark by shutting down service about two weeks after launch, sending shockwaves through the industry. Elodie Games, founded by veterans from Blizzard and Riot, also began winding down service for its ambitious "Seekers of Skyveil." Despite the fresh attempt to combine MOBA (an online team battle game to seize objectives) and battle royale (a format that crowns the last survivor in a confined space), it failed to secure users. "Supervive" from Theorycraft Games, published by Nexon, likewise struggled as it failed to stem user churn despite word-of-mouth and expectations.
There are many that did not even reach full release. In fact, between 2024 and 2025, a significant number of new studios founded by former Blizzard developers failed to last a year after launch or folded projects before full service. Uncapped Games, led by former StarCraft II balance designer David Kim, scrapped the "Battle Aces" project during testing, and Gas Giant Games, founded by former Diablo III game director Jay Wilson, shuttered the studio without properly unveiling a game. One More Game from Patrick Wyatt, known as a key Battle.net developer, and Lightforge Games, which included veterans from Blizzard and Epic Games, Inc., also halted development or are effectively disbanded.
Some failed to clear the hurdles of independence and returned to their old home or vanished amid cash crunches. Proletariat, which launched the magic battle royale "Spellbreak," was acquired by Blizzard after a box office flop and reduced to a support unit, and even Chris Metzen, father of the Warcraft universe, felt the limits at Warchief Gaming and returned to Blizzard. PlayGig, which had raised around 60 billion won, also quietly shut down due to funding woes. The only notable success case is "Marvel Snap" from Second Dinner, founded by former Hearthstone director Ben Brode, but even that is widely seen as relying on mobile and IP power rather than the classic Blizzard big-title development formula, making it hard to call a "victory of Blizzard DNA."
Within the industry, the prevailing analysis is that this chain of poor performance stems not from personal ability but from structural limits. Blizzard's edge lay less in star developers than in systems amassed over decades for QA, balancing, cinematics and lore management, along with massive capital and powerful IP. With those systems and IP removed, new titles that carried over past expectations failed to meet the market's bar, and in many cases the genre trend shifted during the five to seven years of development. The consensus is that the "from Blizzard" label no longer guarantees success.
◇ "Alcheron" breaks a decade of silence… needs to prove itself on "fun," not "name value"
In this environment, "Alcheron," being prepared by DRIMAGE and Bonfire Studios, is counted among the few projects from Blizzard alumni that have not been halted and have entered the release phase. Bonfire Studios was co-founded in 2016 by Rob Pardo, then Blizzard's chief creative officer (CCO), Josh Mosqueira, the game director of Diablo III, and Nick Carpenter, who led Blizzard cinematics. At launch, it drew expectations by securing a $25 million investment from Andreessen Horowitz and Riot Games, but after years without concrete output, the industry raised so-called "vaporware" concerns about the product under development whose actual release was uncertain.
The turning point came early this year. Bonfire Studios officially unveiled "Alcheron," a top-down PvP game set in a dark fantasy universe, and in Korea, DRIMAGE took on publishing. Alcheron features free-aim combat rather than auto-aim, and blends battle royale and MOBA elements, while putting front and center a setting based on the afterlife. Instead of the traditional battle royale format with a shrinking circular field, it introduces a structure where fights repeatedly occur around objectives that spawn at specific points—another differentiator.
For DRIMAGE, Alcheron means more than just a new title. After confirming the potential for long-term live service operations through "Architect: LAND OF EXILES," it serves as a second test bed to expand from a mobile-centric portfolio into the PC and console market. Some say the success or failure of the strategy to foreground publishing capabilities after changing its name from HYBE IM hinges on whether Alcheron becomes a hit.
The market environment, however, is unforgiving. For PvP (player-versus-player)-centric games, forming the initial user pool is crucial, and if early reactions are weak, recovery is difficult. The string of struggles by new titles from Blizzard alumni is another overhang. Industry watchers say the key for Alcheron is not to bill itself as a "spiritual successor to Blizzard," but whether it can succeed in practical user validation and rapid feedback via Korea's PC rooms and communities.
A game industry official said, "There was a time when just being from Blizzard drew expectations, but now that background doesn't matter much," adding, "What matters now is proving fun early after launch rather than who made it, and Alcheron will ultimately be judged by the same standard as any other new title."