Microsoft Could Revive the Original Warcraft Brand With the Age of Empires’ Relic Entertainment
By
Max Borman
The Warcraft RTS series has not gotten much love since the release of Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos, but that should all change under Microsoft.
World of Warcraft has been dominating the MMORPG market since its inception, but it would not have been possible without the original Warcraft RTS series. This trilogy of titles introduced players to Azeroth and helped shape the fantasy world. Many players remember ransacking Alliance villages, fighting the Burning Legion for the first time, and watching as Arthas became the infamous Lich King. Some of gaming’s most memorable moments are within the Warcraft series, and it deserves to return under Microsoft.
Warcraft fans have not been short on content thanks to World of Warcraft, but many have been calling for a return to the RTS series. Recently, Xbox CEO Phil Spencer talked about bringing more RTS games to Xbox after the Activision Blizzard deal. He was specifically talking about series like Starcraft, but the original Warcraft series should also be given a bit of attention. While World of Warcraft is showing no signs of stopping, the return of the Warcraft RTS games could help further expand the world of Azeroth and tell stories that players have not seen yet, and Xbox already has the perfect developers for the job in Relic Entertainment.
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A Brief History of the Warcraft Series
The first Warcraft RTS game came out in 1994 and was called Warcraft: Orcs & Humans. This was the first time that gamers were introduced to Azeroth, and it told the story of the First Great War. It offered two different campaigns with one showing the events from the Horde’s perspective and the other from the Alliance’s viewpoint.
Each campaign offered a different ending, but only the Horde ending was canon. The gameplay was like other RTS titles, but the world felt special.
Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness hit store shelves two years later. It depicted the events of the Second Great War of Azeroth and significantly expanded the lore of the universe. The story followed the Horde and Alliance as they fought for control over the planet, and it featured some fan-favorite characters like Gul’dan and Anduin Lothar. The title also received an expansion pack Warcraft 2: Beyond the Dark Portal that introduced the planet of Draenor for the first time.
While the first two titles were pretty successful, neither compared to the sheer impact of Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos. Released in 2002, Warcraft 3 is the Warcraft RTS title that everyone fondly remembers. The game built the foundations for much of World of Warcraft‘s story with the introduction of all sorts of races and iconic characters like Thrall, Tyrande Whisperwind, Arthas, and Archimonde.
This title also helped spawn the MOBA genre thanks to its world editor, and is often considered one of the best RTS titles around. However, Blizzard chose to take the series in an entirely new direction with World of Warcraft and the Warcraft RTS series seemingly concluded here.
The Warcraft RTS Series Needs Some Attention
Many Warcraft fans have been clamoring for a return to the RTS series for a while now, but Blizzard has not delivered. The closest that the studio came to fulfilling that wish was with the release of Warcraft 3: Reforged in 2020, but that was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews from the fanbase. Since then, there have been no signs that Blizzard plans to revisit the RTS genre through any of its series. However, that may all change once Microsoft officially acquires Activision Blizzard.
Once Activision Blizzard joins the Xbox Game Studios family, that will open the door for many new opportunities.
Specifically, another studio could be given the chance to create a new Warcraft RTS title while Blizzard focuses on other projects. The best studio for the job may be Relic Entertainment which is coming fresh off the release of Age of Empires 4 which brought the classic series back after 16 years. If the studio can revive a classic RTS like Age of Empires, then it should be given the chance to do it with Warcraft as well.
Warcraft is one of the biggest brands in PC gaming, and Blizzard is preparing to expand it with Dragonflight and Warcraft: Arclight Rumble, but the Warcraft RTS series also deserves to be a part of that. Once the acquisition is approved, Microsoft should let a studio like Relic Entertainment take a stab at the series. If it is good then it would surely be a treat for fans of Azeroth and could help tell new stories within this grand fantasy world.
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Orcs and Humans – Wayward Strategy
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Contributors
by yjzhou
Throughout gaming history, RTS games have had a large impact on the industry with the popular yet niche titles such as the StarCraft, Command and Conquer and warcraft series.
With hundreds of RTS games; it is easy to find all types of unique and special games. However; with so many titles – it becomes easy to forget the humble beginnings of the RTS genre. Games such as Warcraft 1 or Dune 2 which gave birth to the genre as we know it today.
A lot of these games were released before the 21st Century. As such, many younger players (such as myself) have never had the chance to watch the genre evolve before our eyes. That’s why I’ve decided to take it upon myself to rediscover the root of all RTS games, starting with the ever-popular Warcraft franchise.
Having just finished the Orc campaign myself; I have found a sense of nostalgia within me for a game that I have never played before and which in fact came out before my birth. As an almost entirely free to play based player – to be able to play Warcraft 1, I felt like a little kid getting a video game as a present. I was so incredibly excited to try everything out!