Blizzard are still updating Warcraft III after 15 years
Back in my day...
Warcraft III [official site] may have launched 15 years ago but that doesn't mean Blizzard is done perfecting it. The developers have launched a new patch for the RTS's multiplayer onto test servers so players can try out tweaked maps and new map pools before they make it into the full game.
You can find the full patch notes here. Perhaps the most significant changes are the altered player starting location to give equal distance to resources and choke points. But the most interesting thing about it is that the game's "first official PTR" (which I don't think is true – Blizzard used to test patches on the Westfall server) will be used to test other future changes to the game. The road map includes a revamped matchmaking system, automated tournaments and improved latency to meet modern standards.
That suggests that the update to the game last year, which brought it up to date for modern OSs, was the start of a trend rather than a one-off.
You can download the PTR client here for Windows and here for Mac.
Multiplayer is what's being targeted, of course, but it's worth remembering that Warcraft III was Blizzard's last truly campaign-led strategy game. Stick on your slippers and click here and here to reminisce about why it was so great.
