Rumors that a classic ‘Warcraft’ game is getting a big remaster reveal begin to take form
Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness, one of Blizzard Entertainment’s most iconic real-time strategy games is rumoured to be getting a remaster in honor of Warcraft’s 30th anniversary
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
What you need to know
Early morning on November 6, 2024, famed World of Warcraft fansiteWoWhead spotted key artwork and a logofor a remaster of Warcraft 2: Tides of Darknesswhich has been seemingly datamined from Blizzard Entertainment’s Content Delivery Network.
The artwork has since spread throughout the internet by various X users like@Stiven_SRBfor example, making people aware that Warcraft 2: Remastered could be real and officially announced very soon for Warcraft’s upcoming 30th Anniversary Direct stream on November 13, 2024.
Warcraft II Remastered !!! :D pic.twitter.com/txO5VyL3nSNovember 5, 2024
For those unfamiliar, Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness was the 2nd Real-Time Strategy game in theWarcraftfranchise back in the days before it transformed into the MMORPG juggernaut we know today asWorld of Warcraft.
This 1995 classic brought a ton of new innovative gameplay features to the franchise such as being able to control multiple units at once, the Fog of War mechanic (a cloud that prevented rival armies from seeing each other unless they were up close), new navel and aerial units to command, new buildings to construct, new resources to farm, and the series' first map editor.
In addition, Warcraft 2’s story expanded the lore of the Warcraft universe with many new concepts, characters, and tropes that would become staples in the franchise for years to come such as the introduction of the Alliance and Horde (previously known as the ‘Orcish Horde in Warcraft 1) factions, Deathwing, the Dark Portal, Medivh, and much more.
Aside from the obvious title logo, what makes the aforementioned leaked artwork related to Warcraft 2 is that it depicts a sea battle between the Alliance and Horde factions, which was one of the major selling points of the original game.
However, this leak should be taken with a grain of salt as this artwork could be related to a scrapped project that never materialized or be denied outright by Blizzard Entertainment. So far, Blizzard Entertainment has made no official comment about these supposed leaks for Warcraft 2: Remastered. We will need to wait until the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct next week if this leak turns out to be true.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.
🎃The best early Black Friday deals🦃
Will the Tides of Darkness indeed make a glorious return to celebrate Warcraft’s 30th Anniversary?
-Best Xbox headsets to get in 2024-Best upcoming Xbox games-Best gaming laptops in 2024-Best Xbox controller deals-Best Xbox hard drives-Best Xbox SSDs
Many fans consider Warcraft 2: Tides of Darkness (and its expansion Beyond the Dark Portal) to be one of the greatest Real-Time Strategy (RTS) games ever made and one of thebest PC gamesreleased in 1990s. People loved it and wished for a modern-day remake so much thatfans actually recreated Warcraft 2’s Horde campaign using Warcraft 3: Reforged’s game engine. So the possibility of seeing Warcraft 2 getting an official remaster by Blizzard will no doubt have most fans filled with excitement … and some with dread.
Blizzard Entertainment’s previous remaster endeavor,Warcraft 3: Reforged, was panned by critics and fans for missing many features such as Custom Campaigns and multiplayer game modes among others, possessing tons of technical issues at launch, and preventing people from playing and purchasing the original version of Warcraft 3 on Battle.Net as it was forced to update into Warcraft 3: Reforged. Better times might be ahead for Blizzard’s RTS properties, though.
Microsoft, who now owns Warcraft, has shown a ton of support for the RTS genre. The firm’s World Edge studio has revitalizedAge of Empires IIand continues the charge withAge of Empires IV, both of which receive regular new content updates. The team also recently shippedAge of Empires Mythology Retold, which remasters the original title in far better fashion than Warcraft 3 Reforged was able to do previously. Microsoft has also recently putStarCraft I and II into PC Game Pass.
If Warcraft 2: Remastered does turn out to be real and gets announced at the Warcraft 30th Anniversary Direct, will it suffer the same fate as Warcraft 3: Reforged or will Blizzard Entertainment have learned their lesson and take their time to give Warcraft 2 the proper modern-day reimagining it deserves?
We will have to tune in next week and watch Warcraft’s 30th Anniversary Direct to find out.
Alexander Cope is a gaming veteran of 30-plus years, primarily covering PC and Xbox games here on Windows Central. Gaming since the 8-bit era, Alexander’s expertise revolves around gaming guides and news, with a particular focus on Japanese titles from the likes of Elden Ring to Final Fantasy. Alexander is always on deck to help our readers conquer the industry’s most difficult games — when he can pry himself away from Monster Hunter that is!
