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Blizzard Shadow-Drops Warcraft 3's First New Campaign in 23 Years at BlizzCon 2026
WarcraftBlizzCon 2026RTSBlizzard Entertainment

Blizzard Shadow-Drops Warcraft 3's First New Campaign in 23 Years at BlizzCon 2026

Sep 13, 20268 sources0 comments

In one of the biggest surprises of BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony, Blizzard announced and immediately launched "Forsaken Kingdom," a brand-new single-player campaign for Warcraft 3: Reforged. It marks the first official new campaign for the classic real-time strategy game in 23 years, catching fans completely off guard with a same-day release. The campaign stars familiar faces Arthas and Sylvanas, exploring the origins of the Forsaken and the formation of the Undercity, serving as a narrative bridge that leads directly into the events of World of Warcraft.

According to early impressions from IGN, Forsaken Kingdom manages to maintain the feel of classic Warcraft 3 while weaving in fresh ideas, and it arrives alongside a new graphics mode for Reforged. PCGamesN describes it as "a fresh adventure in the classic RTS," while outlets like Polygon and PC Gamer noted the shadow-drop as a standout moment in what is already being called a strong year for surprise expansions to beloved older games.

Key Insights

  • 1Forsaken Kingdom is the first official new Warcraft 3 campaign in 23 years, making it a landmark release for the long-running RTS franchise.
  • 2The campaign was shadow-dropped at BlizzCon 2026's opening ceremony, becoming available to play on the same day it was announced.
  • 3The story stars Arthas and Sylvanas, focusing on the origins of the Forsaken and the Undercity, bridging the lore gap between Warcraft 3 and World of Warcraft.
  • 4Forsaken Kingdom launched alongside a new graphics mode for Warcraft 3: Reforged, suggesting a broader update to the 2020 remaster.
  • 5Early reviews describe the campaign as preserving the classic Warcraft 3 feel while introducing new gameplay ideas, pointing to a strong reception from the RTS community.

Sources

Blizzard Shadow-Drops New Campaign for Warcraft 3 at BlizzCon 2026

IGN · 3d ago

Warcraft 3 Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom Review So Far

IGN · 2d ago

Warcraft 3 Reforged Forsaken Kingdom is a new campaign for the classic RTS, and it's out right now

PCGamesN · 3d ago

Warcraft 3 Just Got Its First Official New Campaign in 23 years

Polygon · 3d ago

Blizzard just dropped a new Warcraft 3 campaign, the first in 23 years

PC Gamer · 3d ago

Warcraft Getting Its First New RTS Campaign In Two Decades–And It's Playable Today

GameSpot · 3d ago

Warcraft 3: Reforged To Get A New Campaign Starring Arthas And Sylvanas, Out Today

Kotaku · 3d ago

Warcraft III: Reforged Gets A New Campaign Today, Alongside New Graphics Mode

Game Informer · 3d ago

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