The new campaign for Warcraft 3, 'The Forsaken Kingdom,' shifts its focus from traditional real-time strategy gameplay to a more RPG-centric experience, a move explained by game director Ion Hazzikostas as a deliberate choice to better serve the narrative. This approach allows for a more character-driven story, focusing on "street-level characters" rather than powerful figures.
While this departure from base-building may surprise some RTS fans, Hazzikostas noted that Warcraft 3 has always incorporated RPG elements, citing the well-received Rexxar bonus content from the original game. He believes the game's unique blend of RTS and RPG mechanics makes it a versatile platform for storytelling. "If there is a story that we want to service, like, big-scale battles, being that overarching commander again, we’ll definitely lean into all that," he added. This flexibility means future campaigns could cater to different gameplay styles depending on the narrative needs.
Regarding the current state of the RTS genre, senior manager Brad Chan expressed confidence in its continued relevance, name-dropping titles like Total War, Company of Heroes, Dawn of War, Age of Empires, and Tempest Rising as evidence of its enduring appeal. Hazzikostas echoed this sentiment, stating that Blizzard is "re-entering this space" and that future developments will be guided by community feedback. "If people are jumping in and what we’re hearing far and wide is, ‘This is awesome, but man, I miss the base-building parts of it, I wish you guys could tell a story that was more about building up a base and forming an army and engaging at that scale of battle as opposed to heroes,’ we’re all for it and we’re here for it,” he said.
This narrative-focused campaign also aligns with broader Blizzard storytelling efforts. Hazzikostas confirmed a deliberate timing and franchise-level cohesion across various Warcraft projects. The campaign bridges narrative gaps between Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft, with direct ties to upcoming WoW expansions and events. Specifically, he pointed to the Northrend setting in the next WoW expansion, The Last Titan, and the focus on Arthas's story in the limited-time 'Wrath of the Lich King' remix mode. The introduction of undead paladins in both WoW and its successor, WoW: Forever, further underscores this interconnected narrative.
Hazzikostas emphasized that Warcraft 3's format is particularly effective for character development. "An MMO can be challenging in terms of building up and conveying a connection to characters because you’re experiencing the narrative from the outside," he explained. In contrast, Warcraft 3 allows players to "walk in [his] shoes and got to play as him going down that journey of ends justifying the means as you went down that dark path." This direct player agency, he believes, is key to why characters like Arthas remain iconic and beloved within the franchise.