Landing in the modern landscape that the original inadvertently shaped, Reforged gives us a rare moment to reflect on Warcraft III’s legacy.
In that vein, Warcraft III: Reforged, Blizzard’s new remaster of the 18-year-old strategy classic, comes at a fascinating time.
It’s impossible to guess history’s trajectory when dealing in hypotheticals, but we rarely stop to think about how much old favorites have shaped the gaming industry’s future. Without a leg up, does the latter go on to become a massive mainstream success that changes the industry’s approach to games-as-a-service forever? Similarly, Warcraft III’s commercial success wouldn’t have helped World of Warcraft gain early momentum. In turn, Valve never acquires the rights to the mod and goes on to create DOTA 2, a game that sets the stage for the modern esports boom.
In this reality, nobody uses the game’s world editor tool to create Defense of the Ancients. Imagine, for a moment, a world without Warcraft III.
