Warcraft III: Reforged missed the mark, but Blizzard says it’s ‘committed’

‘We’re going to continue to update the depth of the game’

Warcraft III: Reforged should have been a feel-good story for fans, but Blizzard dropped the ball – hard. It’s going to take a lot of time and energy to redeem this remaster and attempt to change the narrative.

A recent patch (Version 1.32.1) brings some much-needed fixes, including one for hitching. It’s a start.

Changes and Bug Fixes

• Campaign
  • Players should no longer be met with a “defeat” screen after loading into a mission.
  • Audio levels for some dialogue have been adjusted.
  • The animations, triggers, and cameras for some cutscenes have been tweaked.
  • Disconnecting or logging out will no longer change the save file folder.
  • Fixed a number of issues that would block progression or not give credit for completing missions.
    • Developer’s note: Updating a map for these types of fixes invalidates prior saves. This is similar to how replays from prior game client versions no longer work. Campaign progress will not be lost.
• Custom Games
  • Multiboards should no longer crash custom games.
  • Joining lobbies for the same map no longer creates duplicate versions of the map.
    • Developer’s note: This also resolves disconnects from improper map names.
• Gameplay
  • The rendering of Classic mode has been updated.
  • Resolved an issue with hitching when constructing buildings or training units for the first time.
  • Fixed Ziggurat upgrade animation in Reforged mode.
  • Adjusted animations and portraits for multiple units and buildings.
  • Units completing training while off-screen again have voices.
  • Starting locations are again obscured by the fog of war.
• Interface
  • Whispers now include the name of the sender.
  • Locale settings for audio and subtitles can now be adjusted independently in Battle .net prior to launching the game.
  • Non-Latin glyphs no longer overlap.
  • A tooltip now displays when hovering over truncated text.
  • Chat keeps up with the latest messages.
  • Heroes on the match results screen are now contained by boundaries.
  • All menus are now distinct between Classic and Reforged graphic settings.
    • Developer’s note: We’ve implemented a temporary solution to better inform whether you are playing in Reforged or Classic mode, by applying a sepia tone to the background images for Classic.

The update isn’t nothing – it’s progress! – but if you were expecting a comprehensive patch, this isn’t it. For the time being, Warcraft III players will just have to hang tight while they wait for further fixes (if they haven’t requested a refund and moved on). That said, Blizzard has heard everyone’s complaints.

“Our community has come to expect really amazing things from us, and we’ve heard from them that we did not achieve that bar,” Blizzard president J. Allen Brack told investors yesterday after an analyst raised a question about “negative press” during Activision Blizzard’s Q4 2019 earnings call.

“We stand behind our games and have consistently shown that not only do we support them, but we continue to build on them even after launch. And we’re committed to doing that here as well.”

“We’re going to continue to update the depth of the game,” he added.

I hope they turn things around, for Warcraft III‘s sake. The game deserves better. It’s an all-time great.