There’s no denying that Warcraft III was one of the most influential real-time strategy games of all time. It cemented Blizzard’s name as masters of their craft, laid the foundation for World of Warcraft, the most successful MMORPG game of all time, and even gave birth to a new game genre, MOBA, with its Defence of the Ancients mod. So, naturally, when Blizzard announced their plans to release a remastered version of the game – everyone went insane. Today, we want to talk a bit more about this release and share the latest Warcraft III: Reforged news while we wait for the launch of the title.
Warcraft III: Reforged launch date
First things first – the launch date for the game. While we still don’t know the exact date for the full launch of the game, we know an approximate window. According to Blizzard, Warcraft III: Reforged should launch by the end of 2019, which means that the game will be out in its full glory in less than a month. Of course, there’s always a slight chance of delay, but considering that Blizzard delays their games rarely, it’s unlikely.
It’s also worth mentioning that the game is currently in beta testing and the majority of people who pre-purchased the game have access to it, it’s clear that the development of Warcraft III: Reforged is nearing its final stage.
How will it differ from the original?
In case you were wondering about the changes that Blizzard might add to the original Warcraft III formula – forget it. Official Warcraft III: Reforged news states that the game retains the gameplay of the original Warcraft III game (with only some slight changes to gameplay balance) but revamps all the visuals. The game will get new updated unit models, new animations and even remastered CG cinematics. Just look at this glorious piece of a video:
However, one thing is changing though. Blizzard revealed that it’s trying to improve modding capabilities and add more social functionalities into Warcraft III: Reforged. No wonder, the game will be released on new and improved Battle.net platform! By now, modern modded gameplay and advanced connectivity features shouldn’t surprise anyone.
The original Warcraft III RTS game was released in 2003 so players of the original title had plenty of time to figure out the best and smartest ways to play the game. In order to keep the gameplay fresh and exciting, Blizzard released some Warcraft III: Reforged news that divided the fanbase. Warcraft III: Reforged is intended to be less pure and play around with some numbers in order to balance the game’s factions. Not a big tweak, but enough to make some purists raise an eyebrow…
Two in one
Originally Warcraft III was released in two parts. In 2002 Blizzard released Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and a year later its expansion Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Warcraft III: Reforged will combine the two into a single game. It’s also worth mentioning that some of the game’s parts will see some minor tweaks to the story to bring it on par with the later Warcraft media. However, these changes will be minor and won’t affect the key storyline.
Possible future for Warcraft?
Lastly, we have to talk about some rumors. Some internet corners are silently whispering about the new game possibly being created as a platform to bring even more content to the Warcraft universe. While it does sound silly and no official Warcraft III: Reforged news can confirm any of this, don’t rush to discard this idea.
First of all, Warcraft III: Reforged will come with a new map editor enabling many things that previously weren’t available. Second, Blizzard already confirmed that it is changing a couple of things in the original Warcraft III storyline to bring it in-line with the bigger story.
The developers have all the tools to expand Warcraft III: Reforged solo campaign with some new missions which would give players a chance to experience later Warcraft history periods in the RTS environment. Of course, this might impact World of Warcraft’s popularity, so at least for the time being, it seems unlikely.
Lastly, if the remake is a success, Blizzard could consider transferring older Warcraft RTS games into Warcraft III: Reforged environment. Wouldn’t it be cool to play original Warcraft RTS or Warcraft II with shiny new models and animations? Personally, I think we wouldn’t mind…
Oh… the last thing. While we wait for some official news about Warcraft III: Reforged, you can pick up the original Warcraft III games from our store at a ridiculous price. It will be easier to draw conclusions and compare both games if you’ll first replenish your memory veil with the elder titles’ awesomeness.