There must always be a Lich King
I’ll resist a tired “do you feel old joke” as much as I can, but it’s hard to believe that Warcraft III was released 15 years ago last month.
A year later Blizzard would drop the Frozen Throne expansion, which would fundamentally alter the game as we know it, kickstarting many “use map settings” custom iterations, including the original DOTA and tower defense. It helped usher in entire genres — and although the game itself isn’t as popular as it used to be, it’s still a powerhouse in its own right.
Well, Blizzard is still working on that powerhouse, and has implemented a PTR (public test realm) environment that include balance changes. Other big updates are coming in the future, including a matchmaking overhaul. We can only hope Diablo III and Overwatch will see the same level of care once Microsoft jumps to Windows 100 in a decade or so.
1.28.6 PTR [Battle.net]
