Warcraft 2: Remastered looks to be in the cards, as an “internal alpha” containing a logo and artwork was recently discovered on Blizzard’s servers.
Via Wowhead, the leak comes from Blizzard’s own CDN (content delivery network) servers. One of Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness’ big innovations back in 1995 was its focus on naval and airborne combat, and the leaked internal alpha includes artwork showcasing a human warship sailing on a stormy sea.
Leaked artwork for Warcraft 2: Remastered, via Wowhead.
Blizzard is currently gearing up for the Warcraft franchise’s 30th anniversary, and will be hosting a livestream on November 13 to celebrate. The developer has stated the stream will have “something for everyone,” including fans of the old Warcraft strategy games. There is no BlizzCon this year, so fans are expecting some big announcements normally reserved for Blizzard’s annual fan convention to instead be made during the 30th anniversary-stream.
That certainly makes it seem like Warcraft 2: Remastered will be announced during the livestream, but Blizzard so far has not officially announced the game. It wouldn’t be the first classic Blizzard title to receive the remaster treatment, with Blizzard having previously remastered the original StarCraft in 2017 as well as Diablo 2 in 2021 as Diablo 2: Resurrected.
Blizzard also, infamously, remastered one of the most beloved RTS games of all time with 2020’s Warcraft 3: Reforged. Often hailed as Blizzard’s first “bad game,” the remaster for many fans wasn’t what was originally promised, and in many ways felt like a step down from the original Warcraft 3. The reception to Warcraft 3: Reforged was so bad that Blizzard offered “no-questions asked” refunds, with a later report stating the game was a victim of budget cuts and mismanagement.
There is evidence to suggest Blizzard may be giving Warcraft 3: Reforged a redo as well. A Blizzard survey asking players about a potential Reforged relaunch last year generated headlines. Last month, the game’s public test realm servers briefly showed an unannounced 2.0 build before being removed several hours later, but nothing has been officially announced.
Not content to wait for an official Blizzard remaster, fans have already taken to updating Warcraft 2 for the modern age. One fan project, called Warcraft: Chronicles of War, reimagines Warcraft 2 using Warcraft 3: Reforged’s engine. Its Horde campaign is currently playable for free for those who already own Reforged.
As fans wait for more news during the 30th anniversary-livestream, Blizzard has offered a number of ways to celebrate the franchise across its various games, including Warcraft-themed skins in Diablo 4 and Overwatch 2. World of Warcraft: The War Within’s latest update is almost entirely centered around the game’s 20th anniversary, letting players tackle “Timewalking” versions of original WoW dungeons and earn updated versions of some of the game’s most iconic armor sets.
