Warcraft III

Warcraft III: Reforged (source: grunex.com)

Fantasy themes are as old as humanity itself (although Tolkien fans might tell you otherwise), and they have been represented in games since the very beginning of the video game industry. One of the development studios that excels in creating fantasy worlds is Blizzard Entertainment. Their universe (primarily known for the MMORPG World of Warcraft) is iconic today, and there are very few people who haven’t heard of it. However, before WoW, there was a series of strategy games focused on a strong story. Warcraft: Orcs and Humans started a long and successful journey, which was culminated in the much more popular third installment: Warcraft: Reign of Chaos (along with its expansion, The Frozen Throne). This game rewrote the textbooks for RTS (real-time strategy) designers, wasn’t afraid to involve its community in creating new maps (from which we got the first MOBA game: Defense of the Ancients or DOTA), and helped lay the foundations of the esports world.

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History

After the success of the fantasy strategy game Warcraft II (1995) and Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal (1996), the team at Blizzard planned to continue their saga with a point-and-click adventure, but it did not meet the company’s quality standards. Thankfully, they decided to change direction. Warcraft III was supposed to be a role-playing strategy (RPS, which has several differences from RTS), but the developers agreed that this concept did not work very well. The inability to build structures and the departure from the possibilities of traditional strategies was not a wise decision and diverged from the core idea of the first two installments. After several beta playtests, Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos was released in its (almost) final form. It was the year 2002. The game had some technical shortcomings (it didn’t handle new operating systems well), but Blizzard gave it enough care (even several years later), and WC3 reached the form we know today. It was popular not only for its gameplay but also for its story and the possibility of multiplayer battles. The game was simple enough for new players, but advanced tactics and PvP matches provided enough challenge for experienced players. This was followed by several collector’s editions, a new expansion Frozen Throne, and the creation of a strong esports foundation. In 2018, a remaster of the base game and expansion was announced: Warcraft III: Reforged. There was talk of improved graphics and slight game adaptation, but the game mechanics remained the same. Fans finally got their hands on it in 2020, but it was followed by bitter disappointment. Many promised features were missing, and the negative reception from critics and fans forced Blizzard to offer refunds. A few years earlier, the development company had already been dealing with poor player perceptions, and since then, Blizzard games have been in decline (Diablo IV, World of Warcraft). The release of Warcraft III: Reforged caused one more important thing: the end of support for the original third installment of the popular strategic fantasy game. What was supposed to be the return of the king turned into another failure for Blizzard.

Warcraft III: Reforged game preview

Gameplay

The story of Warcraft takes place in the vast world called Azeroth. It offers countless different maps on which players can compete. Players must build their base during the match, train their units, and create their hero. To do this, they need resources, which are wood, gold, and food, which the worker units must gather. To limit the maximum number of units, a system (called Upkeep) was introduced, which penalizes players with a large population by reducing the resources they can gather. The goal of the game is to defeat the opponent: either wipe them off the map or force them to surrender. Before the match, the player chooses which side they want to play. There are four options: The Human Alliance (a coalition of humans, elves, and dwarves), Orcish Horde (a coalition of orcs, tauren, and trolls), Undead Scourge (the undead), and Night Elves (night elves). Each race has its unique buildings, heroes, and units, which also means that the player’s strategy changes according to the race they play. On the maps, we can also find neutral units that drop valuable loot upon death, usually in the form of powerful items for your hero. The hero is an essential part of every army. By participating in battles and killing units, the hero gains experience, and with each new level, they gain a new ability. In Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, there is a single-player campaign that offers long hours of entertainment and an interesting story. However, the multiplayer part of the game is far more popular because players compete against each other. In addition, there are countless community-created maps and game modes (DOTA, Tower Defense…).

Images of the different races

Esports

The successful multiplayer part of the game is why WC3 appeared in major esports tournaments at the beginning of the millennium (World Cyber Games, World E-sport Games, World Series of Video Games…). Hundreds of thousands of players from around the world dreamed of participating in such tournaments, and the number of semi-professional fighters increased. The prizes for good placement were very high for that time. It didn’t take long for tournaments focused solely on Warcraft to emerge, and players competed in events such as the Warcraft III World Championships. Given the large player base at the time, the top teams frequently changed (European SK Gaming and Meet Your Makers or Asian World Elite), and spectators were never sure who the favorite was. As with most older titles (CS 1.6, Starcraft), the game’s popularity began to decline over time, and the player base moved to more modern titles. By the end of 2010, most players were from China, and with the arrival of League of Legends, DOTA 2, and Starcraft 2, Warcraft III left its place as a main esports game. Today, an active competitive scene can still be found, but only in Asia, where WC3 tournaments are still held. Most of the best players (Sky, ToD, Infi) are from China (except for the now inactive professional player Grubby), and the same goes for the teams currently dominating Warcraft (World Elite). There is currently no active WC3 league or tournament in the Czech Republic, although a few years ago, with the release of the Reforged version, there were some attempts to bring this game back to the local esports scene. The legacy of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos is felt to this day. Thanks to it, we have an entirely new video game genre (MOBA) and the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game, World of Warcraft. The game’s story has also permeated other parts of pop culture (movies, books) and has become a beloved high fantasy universe. It’s just a shame that after years of success, Blizzard Entertainment is now struggling and quickly losing the favor of its players.

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2️⃣ What is Warcraft III: Reforged?

3️⃣ Are esports tournaments for Warcraft still held?

Peter Broz

Article author – esports expert
Email: peter@slothbet.com

I came into contact with playing computer games long before a billion-dollar business with professional teams emerged around them. Although I never reached the professional level, I still have many acquaintances among the top esports players today. At SlothBet, I will primarily contribute to the esports section.

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