Director Claims Games Similar to Warcraft 3 Offer the Ultimate Storytelling Experience for the Franchise

For those who see Warcraft 3 mainly as a real-time strategy game, diving into its new campaign, The Forsaken Kingdom, might come as a surprise. This installment leans heavily into RPG elements, leaving traditional RTS mechanics like base building behind.

This shift isn’t entirely unexpected for Warcraft 3, as the original game featured bonus content with Rexxar that also focused on RPG gameplay and was well-received. However, it may catch some players off guard who anticipated a more classic RTS experience.

During a chat with senior manager Brad Chan and game director Ion Hazzikostas at BlizzCon, I had to ask about the absence of base building.

“This RPG-centric campaign was designed to enhance the story, focusing on character-driven narratives—think of it as exploring the lives of everyday characters rather than high-ranking nobles,” Chan explained. “You’re playing as a city guard, not a prince or a king. This approach allows us to tell a more grounded story. One of the great things about Warcraft 3 is that it’s not just an RTS; it’s also an RPG. It’s arguably the only RPG RTS that has truly succeeded. We embraced this direction because of the story, and if we want to explore large-scale battles and commanding forces again, we’ll definitely go there.”

That said, traditional RTS fans might feel a bit left out, especially since there hasn’t been much new content since Reforged launched, which can be disappointing. I was curious about Chan and Hazzikostas’s thoughts on the current relevance of the RTS genre.

Chan was optimistic, confidently mentioning several successful RTS titles like Total War, Company of Heroes, Dawn of War, Age of Empires, and Tempest Rising.

Hazzikostas, with a broader perspective, added, “We’re re-entering this space.”

“We’re thrilled to present a new story and experience in Warcraft 3, but many of our future steps will be shaped by community feedback—what players want more of and what they want less of. If we hear that players are enjoying the game but miss the base-building aspects, we’re all for exploring that direction,” he said.

I noted that this new campaign seems to connect with various announcements from Blizzard. It bridges the gap between Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft, and it also ties into upcoming events in WoW: Forever. The Last Titan expansion will take players back to Northrend, the former stronghold of Arthas. Additionally, the upcoming limited-time “remix” game mode will highlight the climax of Arthas’s story, Wrath of the Lich King. Undead paladins are set to appear in both WoW and WoW: Forever. Arthas’s narrative and its associated lore have consistently been some of Blizzard’s most popular content, whether in Warcraft 3, World of Warcraft, or other titles. I asked if this was a strategic move to synchronize multiple relevant stories across Blizzard’s Warcraft universe.

“There’s definitely some franchise-level cohesion and timing to it all,” Hazzikostas confirmed. He elaborated:

“It’s the best storytelling medium that Warcraft has ever had. From the WoW perspective, an MMO can be tricky when it comes to building connections with characters because players experience the narrative from an outside view. You see their actions but don’t get inside their heads while trying to carve out your own adventure. A big reason why a character like Arthas remains iconic and beloved is that players got to step into his shoes and experience his journey, where the ends justify the means as he descends into darkness. That’s something you can only achieve in this medium.”