'Warcraft 3' Receives Major Patch Amid Remaster Rumors
"Warcraft 3" just received a new major patch just as rumors of an upcoming remaster abound. Developer Activision Blizzard recently launched the remastered version of its classic title "StarCraft: Brood War" and many fans believe that the 16-year old strategy game is next in line for a facelift.
The update is now live on the game's public test realm includes balance changes to many of the heroes, 24-player lobbies and widescreen support. The map pool was also revised along with the game's map editor with promises to take into account player feedback.
In a recent post on Battle.net, Activision Blizzard announced the first "Warcraft 3" Invitational which is set to be held from Feb. 27 through 28. Well-known competitors from around the world will be at Blizzard's Irvine, California headquarters including Manuel "Grubby" Schenkhuizen, Park "Lyn" Joon and Kim "ReMinD" Sung Sik will play the game along with the new updates.
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One interesting entry on the patch notes also is that this update will be the "last version to support Windows XP" suggesting bigger changes to come in the future. Many took this as a hint that the remaster is on the way following last year's revelation that a number of Activision Blizzard's classic titles are due for an overhaul.
"Warcraft 3" has been one of the most popular real-time strategy games of the past decades and continues to have a loyal following even to this day. The third installment of the storied "Warcraft" franchise, the game revolutionized the genre by the addition of hero units.
This decision later paved the way for the game's lasting legacy: the creation of the Multiplayer Online Battle Arena. Utilizing the game's map editor and hero units, players created "Defense of the Ancients" mod, popularly known as "DOTA," which in turn inspired several spiritual successors many of whom became respected esports titles in their own rights.
