Blizzard announces long-awaited Warcraft 3 remaster at Blizzcon

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It's no secret that fans of Blizzard's Warcraft RTS franchise have been eagerly waiting for even the slightest hint about a potential sequel for years now.

And it isn't hard to see why - the last Warcraft game to release (not including World of Warcraft) was Warcraft 3, and that hit stores way back in 2002. It was arguably the most well-known and well-received entry in the franchise, and nowadays it's considered a classic in the RTS genre.

If you count yourself among the previously-mentioned fans who have been holding out for word about Warcraft 4, you're still out of luck. However, that doesn't mean there's no good news; on the contrary. At Blizzcon 2018 today, Blizzard unveiled Warcraft 3: Reforged, a complete remaster of the original game.

Everything from Warcraft 3's lighting and textures to character models and animations have been completely revamped while retaining the game's cartoonish aesthetic. You can watch the full gameplay trailer above for a taste of what's to come.

Blizzard hasn't revealed whether or not Warcraft 3: Reforged will launch with any new gameplay tweaks or features, but fans can look forward to an overhauled UI, remastered maps, and a new 4K resolution option.

We don't know precisely when the remaster will be available, but Blizzard says it'll come out sometime in 2019. If you want to throw your money at the developer in the meantime, you can pre-order the game's $29.99 Standard Edition, or shell out some extra cash for the "Spoils of War Edition" which comes in at $39.99.

The latter will include a Meat Wagon mount for your World of Warcraft characters, a Hearthstone card back, four Heroes of the Storm characters, and "other goodies" that have yet to be disclosed.

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I created a Battle.net account to get the free Destiny 2 (I think I tried WoW at some point, but for some reason I don't have an account), and added my old Warcraft III key to it. Then I discovered they're selling this remake and thought 'Pay money for that? Why don't they just give it to owners of the game."
 
I'm not really good at it and never played against another but it gave me some of my best gaming memories

Can't wait to try again and again that 45 min final battle :D

PS : one of the best monday morning news since AoE 4 annoucement :D
 
I created a Battle.net account to get the free Destiny 2 (I think I tried WoW at some point, but for some reason I don't have an account), and added my old Warcraft III key to it. Then I discovered they're selling this remake and thought 'Pay money for that? Why don't they just give it to owners of the game."

Because they're Activision-Blizzard

Honestly, the project surely cost something so let's just wait & see how much they'll ask for it
 
Because they're Activision-Blizzard

Honestly, the project surely cost something so let's just wait & see how much they'll ask for it

Well, it costs $30 to pre-order (as this news item says). It's not that I feel entitled to get it or anything, I just think it would be a nice thing to do, assuming that Blizzard hopes to sell this to a new audience and not only people who already own the game. It's not that I really have problems with buying remakes, but some companies do give their remakes for free, and I think that's nice.

Come to think of it, if Blizzard releases a mobile version, I'll probably buy it.
 
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I grew up playing warcraft 3, I just hope it includes the frozen throne pack as well.

It does, that's been confirmed already. Woo!

I'll definitely get this, but I was surprised when they showed the 'remastered' video of it. In my mind, the game always looked like it does in this new version - I was waiting for the new gfx!
 
By the way, I was just looking at all the Warcraft 3 patches of the last two years. Apart from being impressed, it made me think that the two games (original and Reforged) may end up compatible gameplay-wise and for online play.
 
By the way, I was just looking at all the Warcraft 3 patches of the last two years. Apart from being impressed, it made me think that the two games (original and Reforged) may end up compatible gameplay-wise and for online play.
Yep, this was already confirmed as well - WC3 and WCR players will be able to play against one another.
 
Ah, thanks. So I guess WCR is purely a graphical update?

The campaign is being tweaked a bit, all the animations and artwork have been updated, cut-scenes updated and all voice-over work re-recorded. Plus apparently better tools for online play and map editors.

But yes, mainly, a graphical overhaul first and foremost.
 
I created a Battle.net account to get the free Destiny 2 (I think I tried WoW at some point, but for some reason I don't have an account), and added my old Warcraft III key to it. Then I discovered they're selling this remake and thought 'Pay money for that? Why don't they just give it to owners of the game."
Because Blizzard is a company and their only goal is to make money. Their artistic integrity died years ago.
 
The campaign is being tweaked a bit, all the animations and artwork have been updated, cut-scenes updated and all voice-over work re-recorded. Plus apparently better tools for online play and map editors.

But yes, mainly, a graphical overhaul first and foremost.

'Better tools for online play' -- what does that mean? If both games are supposed to play together, what exactly will the difference be?

As for better a map editor, I find that the most attractive part of this update. Will maps be compatible with the old game?

Thanks for the info.
 
It does, that's been confirmed already. Woo!

I'll definitely get this, but I was surprised when they showed the 'remastered' video of it. In my mind, the game always looked like it does in this new version - I was waiting for the new gfx!
Actually didn't know that it included FT. Very good news indeed.
 
'Better tools for online play' -- what does that mean? If both games are supposed to play together, what exactly will the difference be?

As for better a map editor, I find that the most attractive part of this update. Will maps be compatible with the old game?

Thanks for the info.
Sorry man, that's the limit of my knowledge. I watched the BlizzCon opening ceremony and have basically just parroted back the info to you. As far as I know there weren't more specifics raised about the online tools.
 
Sorry man, that's the limit of my knowledge. I watched the BlizzCon opening ceremony and have basically just parroted back the info to you. As far as I know there weren't more specifics raised about the online tools.

Okay, thanks. I haven't bothered watching that, so thanks for the parroting. :) It's not that important, I'm just curious. I guess I'll learn more when the game is released.
 
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