Warcraft III releases new campaign
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Blizzard shadow-dropped Forsaken Kingdom, a new Warcraft III: Reforged campaign, at BlizzCon 2026 on September 12.
It is the first new Warcraft 3 campaign since The Frozen Throne in 2003.
Background
Warcraft 3: Reforged launched in 2020 as a full remake of the original game, but it was poorly received due to bugs, missing features, and technical changes that upset long-time fans. Blizzard has since worked to address those complaints, including a 2.0 update in 2024 for the franchise's 30th anniversary. The new campaign, Forsaken Kingdom, is the first new Warcraft 3 campaign since The Frozen Throne expansion in 2003, making its surprise release notable.
How it unfolded
- 2003Warcraft 3's Frozen Throne expansion was released; the new campaign is the first since then.
- 2020Warcraft 3: Reforged launched as a full remake of the original Warcraft 3, but it was full of bugs, missing features, and technical adjustments that didn't go over well with long-time fans.
- 2024Blizzard released a 2.0 update as part of the franchise's 30th anniversary that sought to address many common complaints about the remaster.
- Sep 6, 2026A new campaign for Warcraft III continuing the story of The Frozen Throne was released, prepared by a modder telling the story of Sylvanas Windrunner.
- Sep 12, 2026Blizzard shadow-dropped the new campaign Forsaken Kingdom for Warcraft 3: Reforged at BlizzCon 2026, going live today following the Opening Ceremony. The campaign is a two-part prologue for the 24-year-old RTS and can be bought standalone. The 3.0 update for Warcraft 3 Reforged is free for all players and includes World Editor updates, new visual improvements, and quality-of-life features, also releasing today.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Blizzard announced and released Forsaken Kingdom as part of its BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony announcements.
- Analysts
- Kotaku described the update as a surprise major update including a brand new campaign starring multiple beloved Warcraft characters, alongside a graphics overhaul and other new features.
- Analysts
- IGN described Forsaken Kingdom as a two-part prologue for the 24-year-old RTS, buyable standalone, going live today, September 12, following the BlizzCon 2026 Opening Ceremony.
- Analysts
- GameSpot reported the campaign explores the origins of the Forsaken and the formation of the Undercity.
- Analysts
- PC Gamer reported that for the first time since its Frozen Throne expansion in 2003, Warcraft 3 is getting a new campaign.
Still unverified
Reports from the time indicated Warcraft 3: Reforged was the victim of budget cuts and rocky development.