The Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct is currently underway and as part of that, the developer has confirmed the release of the remastered versions of two of their most beloved RTS titles.
Warcraft 1 & 2 are releasing on to the Battle.net store immediately, with entirely new, hand-drawn visuals. Players will be able to switch between the OG appearances and the new set entirely on the fly.
The changes don’t end there. Warcraft: Orcs & Humans has updated control systems that bring it more in line with modern RTS games. Right-click move and box select, as well as a faster game speed.
There are also UI and UX improvements for both games, with a much-needed increased unit selection.
Warcraft 2 also features full multiplayer functionality, and every legacy custom map is entirely compatible and playable.
The Warcraft Battle chest also returns, allowing players to buy Warcraft 1, 2, and 3 in one convenient package.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
As mentioned earlier, eager fans don’t have to wait to get their hands on the new games, with both available on the storefront right now.
Elsewhere, Classic players had a very Direct, with several major announcements for that vein of the MMO. Mists of Pandaria has been confirmed as the next step, in news that will surprise few, with a release date set for Summer 2025.
Additionally, they are launching an entirely fresh set of servers that the developer is pitching as the “Classic Classic” experience. These include major quality-of-life features that the original run took some time to implement fully.
The idea here is that it will enable new players who would otherwise have been put off by being too far behind the competition to join the fun. The refreshed economies will also reduce issues with GDKP runs and other gold trading that still causes problems on the OG servers.
Those are set to release very soon, with a full rollout on November 21, that includes PvE, PvP and Hardcore servers for an entirely level playing field.