Warcraft 3 Reforged: Has Blizzard Finally Gone Too Far?

Once they crafted gaming's greatest franchises. Now they seemed destined to become the villain.

By Matt Dawson /

Blizzard

Ten years ago, Blizzard was was a rare sight in the entertainment industry, artistically brilliant and consistently innovative. The Blizzard of 2010 championed immersive stories, brilliantly crafted gaming experiences and some of the most addictive multiplayer of all time, so much so that many of their classic games are still played competitively to this day.

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The same company created Warcraft, Starcraft and Diablo, and that fact is truly mind-blowing.

Ten years later the Blizzard of 2020 is an entirely different creature altogether. Where once we celebrated them as a champion of fan satisfaction, they are now near universally hated by those that once praised them. Our gamer's hero turned corporate villain, we are left to beg the question as to whether Blizzard, at the end of a series of controversies, has finally gone one step too far.

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The latest in a series of troubling moves, Blizzard's remaster of the universally adored Warcraft 3 has gone wrong in every conceivable way. Announced to ecstatic fans at Blizzcon 2018, long time fans of the series were excited to see their favourite game updated with modern HD visuals. Starcraft fans had been treated to a well received remaster in 2017 after all; everything about that game fans loved was maintained with shiny new graphics. As development on Reforged progressed though, fans began to grow concerned with exactly what was being created...

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