Blizzard Entertainment celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Warcraft series in a three-hour livestream last night. During the stream, the company not only discussed the series’ innovations, but the team also took the opportunity to thank its community for its many years of support.
Warcraft I and II Remastered: The beginnings in new splendor
The remastered versions of “Warcraft: Orcs & Humans” and “Warcraft II” revive the first battles between humans and orcs in a modernized form. Players can switch between classic and remastered graphics and enjoy an enhanced experience with revised controls. It’s particularly exciting that “Warcraft II” is bringing back its multiplayer mode and fully supporting custom maps from the original game.
Warcraft III: Reforged – A new update
The anniversary update has also enhanced “Warcraft III: Reforged”. The new patch improves the lighting effects and brings high-definition assets and an optimized user interface. Players can switch between classic and high-resolution assets and customize their hotkeys. The revised ranking system allows players to compete against each other in a modern format.
World of Warcraft: “The War Within” and Classic content
The new “World of Warcraft” expansion, “The War Within”, offers fresh adventures and new areas such as Siren Isle, where players can pursue an epilogue quest line. The goblin city of Lorenhall, which is characterized by political conflict, becomes the setting for the new dungeon Operation: Lock and the raid Liberation of Lorenhall.
There is also news for WoW Classic players: In addition to the release of “Cataclysm Classic”, “Mists of Pandaria Classic” will be released in 2025. A special anniversary edition of Classic will also launch with new realms that will revive the early phases of the game.
Warcraft Rumble and Community Rewards
“Warcraft Rumble” celebrates its first anniversary with daily rewards and introduces new playable dual leaders like Sylvanas Windrunner, who can switch between the Horde and the Undead. The PC beta version launches in December, giving players their first chance to experience the chaotic gameplay on their computers. Community members can also unlock exclusive rewards for the games by watching Twitch and TikTok streams of the franchise.
Hearthstone and the StarCraft crossover
In January 2025, “Hearthstone” fans can expect a special expansion with “StarCraft” characters. Zerg, Protoss and Terran bring fresh game mechanics to the game with their respective heroes – Sarah Kerrigan, Artanis and Jim Raynor. In addition, Arena mode is getting a major update for the first time in 10 years. Arena will now be split into two modes: a shorter Arena and the “Underground Arena,” which offers players the opportunity to change their deck after a loss.
Diablo IV: “Vessel of Hatred” Update and the connection to Warcraft
Blizzard draws parallels to the Warcraft world in Diablo IV, particularly through the “Vessel of Hatred” update, which reflects the dark atmosphere and complex character development in Azeroth. Diablo fans can expect an intense journey through dark stories that share some similarities with the Warcraft War story.
For more details on the Warcraft anniversary stream, visit the official website at
