Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos
open-in-new
<p><i>Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos</i> is a <a href="/facts/High_fantasy/1xH97ERQ">high fantasy</a> <a href="/facts/Real-time_strategy/0xmCAUgz">real-time strategy</a> computer <a href="/facts/Video_game/vmTdNASJ">video game</a> developed and published by <a href="/facts/Blizzard_Entertainment/aK5GGcN7">Blizzard Entertainment</a> released in July 2002. It is the second sequel to <i><a href="/facts/Warcraft:_Orcs_%26_Humans/KTybseLS">Warcraft: Orcs & Humans</a></i>, after <i><a href="/facts/Warcraft_II:_Tides_of_Darkness/9EfqooAU">Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness</a></i>, the third game set in the <i><a href="/facts/Warcraft/MYYjIyuD">Warcraft</a></i> fictional universe, and the first to be <a href="/facts/3D_computer_graphics/zlWW6eaF">rendered in three dimensions</a>. An <a href="/facts/Expansion_pack/tSsahykr">expansion pack</a>, <i><a href="/facts/Warcraft_III:_The_Frozen_Throne/JjsBJVWY">The Frozen Throne</a></i>, was released in July 2003. <i>Warcraft III</i> is set several years after the events of <i>Warcraft II</i>, and tells the story of the Burning Legion's attempt to conquer the fictional world of Azeroth with the help of an army of the Undead known as the Scourge, led by fallen paladin <a href="/facts/Arthas_Menethil/B7VAVqUJ">Arthas Menethil</a>. It chronicles the combined efforts of the Human Alliance, Orcish Horde, and Night Elves to stop them before they can corrupt the <a href="/facts/World_Tree/AC9xEDhA">World Tree</a>. </p><p>In the game, as in many real-time strategy (RTS) games, players collect resources, train individual units and heroes, and build bases in order to achieve various goals (in single-player mode), or to defeat the enemy player. Four playable <i>factions</i> can be chosen from: Humans, Orcs, (both of which appeared in the previous games) and two new factions: the Night Elves and the Undead. <i>Warcraft III</i>'s single-player <a href="/facts/Campaign_(video_game)/lSNYyImG">campaign</a> is laid out similarly to that of <i><a href="/facts/StarCraft_(video_game)/FGYVpmR9">StarCraft</a></i>, and is told through the races in a progressive manner. Players can also play matches against the computer, or against others—using <a href="/facts/Local_area_network/edUDxJ6J">local area networking</a> (LAN) or Blizzard's <a href="/facts/Battle.net/cP90Lg3e">Battle.net</a> gaming platform. </p><p>After <i><a href="/facts/Warcraft_II:_Beyond_the_Dark_Portal/fP9WGWIg">Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal</a></i>, the last in the <i>Warcraft</i> saga, was released in 1996, Blizzard began development of a <a href="/facts/Point-and-click_adventure/jXMz5Ds8">point-and-click adventure game</a> called <i><a href="/facts/Warcraft_Adventures:_Lord_of_the_Clans/wDTpwwnt">Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans</a></i>, which was supposed to continue the story. <i>Lord of the Clans</i> was canceled in favor of <i>Warcraft III</i> in 1998, which was presented to the public at the <a href="/facts/European_Computer_Trade_Show/YhhnXIXW">European Computer Trade Show</a> in September 1999. The game's design and gameplay was significantly altered during development, with the final game sharing little similarities with the originally presented version (see similarities to <i><a href="/facts/StarCraft_(video_game)/FGYVpmR9">StarCraft</a></i>). </p><p>The game received acclaim from critics, who praised the game's presentation and <a href="/facts/Multiplayer_video_game/8CC60Nwj">multiplayer</a> features. It is considered an influential example of RTS video games and <a href="/facts/List_of_video_games_considered_the_best/aMlP63ff">one of the greatest video games ever made</a>. <i>Warcraft III</i> was a commercial success, shipping 4.4 million copies to retail stores, selling over a million within a month. Video game <a href="/facts/Video_game_modding/Keze0GUe">modifications</a> created with the <i>World Editor</i>, such as <i><a href="/facts/Defense_of_the_Ancients/T2vAb6CV">Defence of the Ancients</a></i>, led to lasting changes and inspired many future games. In 2020, Blizzard released a remastered version of both <i>Warcraft III</i> and its expansion, <i>The Frozen Throne</i>, called <i><a href="/facts/Warcraft_III:_Reforged/svACVPRD">Warcraft III: Reforged</a>.</i> </p>