Warcraft 3: Reforgedfailed to deliver on its promises in 2020. Nearly four years later, Blizzard is seeking to make amends for its disastrous launch and the subsequent abandonment of the beloved title.Warcraft Reforged’snew 2.0 patch was announced and released on November 14th, ushering in a slew of changes and additions in an attempt to fix, frankly, a broken game.
Graphic improvements, quality of life features, and missing RTS mainstays have found their way intoWarcraft 3: Reforged. These changes are accompanied byremastered versions ofWarcraft 1andWarcraft 2, featuring high resolution graphics and technical improvements akin to Blizzard’s work onStarCraft: Remastered. All the improvements are easy to appreciate, but if Blizzard truly wants to revitalize its franchise, more work needs to be done.
2.0 Patch Seeks to Salvage Warcraft 3: Reforged’s Disastrous Launch
Missing Features And New Additions Have Found Their Way Into Reforged
Warcraft 3: Reforgedlaunched with glaring issues, enough thatBlizzard even issued automatic refundsfor players disappointed at the launch.Announced features of the remake like fully re-done cutscenes were entirely absent, and features present inWarcraft 3, such as a functioning ranked ladder, player stats, and clans, were suddenly missing. The graphical overhaul was criticized for making unit silhouettes unreadable at a glance. The original Warcraft 3 game was merged intoReforgedas well, meaning players would need to re-download a 30 gigabyte game originally made in 2002 all while missing features players enjoyed for nearly two decades.
Warcraft 3: Reforged Has The Lowest User Rating Of Any Video Game Ever
Blizzard’s most recent release, Warcraft 3: Reforged, now has the lowest user rating of any video game ever on the aggregate review site Metacritic.
The 2.0 patch, four years afterReforged’sdisappointing initial release,has finally fixed some of these problems. The patch features a host of new and returning quality-of-life improvements. A high-resolution graphics option has been added to the classic models, and the graphics are now a part of a modular system where players can choose modes for specific models. The competitive community now has access to automated tournaments and a functioning ladder. Smaller features, such as a visible number showing the number of workers collecting gold and the ability to resize the HUD, are new, welcome additions to the game.
The 2.0 Patch Hints At Future Updates & More
Even if everything isn’t fixed,Warcraft 3: Reforged’s 2.0 patch is a good sign that, after years of abandonment,Blizzard is finally looking back at the RTS genre. Perhaps some credit can be given to Microsoft,who acquired Blizzard in 2022. While Microsoft has made controversial moves like closing talented game studios, its stewardship ofAge of Empireshas resulted in quality remakes and remasters in recent years. Microsoft alsopublishedAge of Empires 4, a new, mainline title in the series, showing interest in modern developments along with catering nostalgia.
Age Of Mythology: Retold Revives The Original’s Most Memorable Feature & Improves It
The remaster of Age of Mythology: Retold is one of the best in the franchise yet, adding plenty of new and returning features that make it so iconic.
Whether Blizzard intends to follow suit is yet to be seen. The publisher’s first move, at the very least, is promising.2.0 is certainly a step in the right direction, and hopefully, future patches and additions will further improve the game. The possible addition of fresh content in the future would help justify the still hefty price-tag of the enshrined game, but truly pushing the foundational genre forward should be the ultimate end goal. With some luck,Warcraft 3: Reforged’s 2.0 patch could be a first step toward a true revitalization of not just the franchise, but RTS games as a whole.
