Summary
- Blizzard hinted at a potential major update for Warcraft 3: Reforged with a brief version change from 1.36 to 2.0.
- The failed launch of Warcraft 3: Reforged led to full refunds for players despite high expectations.
- The version update to 2.0 could signal a significant overhaul for the game, possibly linked to a previous survey.
For a short time, Warcraft 3: Reforged had its version updated from 1.36 to 2.0 on the internal PTR, indicating something big might be in the works for the RTS. Though this change only lasted for about 16 hours, it could be a clue that Blizzard is working on a substantial update for Warcraft 3: Reforged.
At BlizzCon 2018, Blizzard announced Warcraft 3: Reforged, a remastered version of the 2002 classic that set the stage for World of Warcraft, complete with new story content, voice acting, and a huge graphical overhaul. When it finally released in 2020, it failed to live up to most of these expectations; reception was so poor that Blizzard offered full refunds for Warcraft 3: Reforged, regardless of playtime.
You Can Now Play Part of Warcraft 2 in Warcraft 3 Reforged For Free
A group of fans have remade a massive chunk of Warcraft 2 in Warcraft 3: Reforged, which players can pick up at no additional cost.
However, it seems like Blizzard may not be finished with Warcraft 3: Reforged quite yet. On October 15 at around 5:00 PM PDT, the internal PTR for Warcraft 3: Reforged was upgraded from version 1.36 to version 2.0. This change only lasted for about 16 hours, after which the internal build was reverted to its previous version. As the change was internal, no information beyond the version change was accessible to the public, but fans and content creators like Back2Warcraft suspect it could mean Blizzard is planning a major overhaul of Warcraft 3: Reforged.
What Could Warcraft 3: Reforged 2.0 Mean?
To put this into perspective, the build for Warcraft 3: The Frozen Throne was only version 1.07. While this could be explained because of the difference in version semantics from back in 2003, even the initial launch of Warcraft 3: Reforged was only version 1.32. In the modern day, Blizzard only upgrades to new numerical versions for major expansions, like what Diablo 4 did with Vessel of Hatred, so a jump from 1.36 to 2.0 is significant.
This Warcraft 3: Reforged update could mean any number of things. In January 2023, Blizzard had sent out surveys that gauged interest in a soft relaunch of Warcraft 3: Reforged. While this is far from confirmation, the version update could be the fruits of that survey, especially with the Warcraft franchise’s 30th anniversary coming in November.
Of course, it is just as likely that this update could be for something small, or even a mistaken patch that will amount to nothing at all. Even so, this occurrence is a glimmer of hope for Warcraft 3 players, many of whom are praying for the remaster to get a second chance. Blizzard's Gamescom panel confirmed a Warcraft Direct presentation would happen before the end of the year, possibly around the upcoming anniversary, so Warcraft 3 fans should make sure to watch in case there is a big announcement for them.
Warcraft is a franchise originally created by Blizzard Entertainment starting with Warcraft: Orcs and Humans in 1994 for PC and Mac. The original trio of titles were real-time strategy games featuring factions like Humans, Orcs, Undead, and Night Elves though the popularity and success of the franchise soon saw it expand into an MMO with World of Warcraft, card battling game Hearthstone, and other media like books, comics, as well as a 2016 film adaptation that was directed by Duncan Jones.
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