It’s no secret that the classic real-time strategy game has been on a steady decline since the 2010s. The transition from big blockbuster spectacles that symbolized the uniqueness of PC gaming to a handful of niche competitive scenes with few new players has been one of the largest downfalls in modern gaming. So, imagine my surprise when the Blizzcon 2026 showcase opened with a brand new expansion for a 24-year-old RTS.
When the MOBA exploded in popularity, a mass exodus of casual RTS fans left and never looked back. With a decade of catering to competitive players since, I haven’t gotten to sit down and enjoy a singleplayer RTS narrative since the Nova: Covert Ops mini-campaign for Starcraft II in 2016. But the desire never went anywhere, the mantle was just taken up by modders in the time since, filling the void with bombastic and epic campaigns like Day of the Dragon or Lord of the Clans for Warcraft III, which retell canon stories through the old-school RTS lens. However, even the most talented fans could never match the behemoth that is Blizzard entertainment when they want to tell a good story.
Wacraft III: Forsaken Kingdom comes with two full length campaigns devoted to developing new characters set to appear in World of Warcraft: Forever later this year. They are rife with fanservice for long time fans, but anyone could fall in love with the new cast that are so well written they fall right in line with the Blizzard greats like Kerrigan or Arthas. Though the $30 price tag was initially a bit intimidating, by the end of my time with the campaign I thought it was practically a steal. With a runtime in the 20-30 hours range, a gripping fully voiced story, and even a new hero for the online mode, I felt like a kid playing The Frozen Throne for the first time again.
As I wrapped up my initial playthrough, I was left with one big question: combined with the new DLC for Diablo 2: Resurrected earlier this year, could this set a new precedent in AAA gaming? Other large studios could see the success of Forsaken Kingdom and be inspired to bring their own beloved franchises back from the dead. After all, there’s nothing really stopping the development of new DLC for 10+ year old games, it’s more so just that none of the big names have ever done it. It’s not new to the AA space, but it has certainly been a big year for the novel idea: the release of Fangs of Asterkarn for the 2016 ARPG Grim Dawn and The Fire’s Edge for Darkest Dungeon, to name a few.
It is also possible that the success of the expansion could see the return of other beloved RTS franchises like Command & Conquer, Supreme Commander or, of course, Starcraft which have been left behind with no new entries in years. Even though it has seemed hopeless for RTS fans, Blizzard once again proves why they are the among the greatest of all time in PC gaming, giving me hope for a beloved genre with what looks like hardly any effort on their part.
Have you played Warcraft III: Forsaken Kingdom? We’d love to discuss it on our Facebook Group or Discord!
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