Blizzard announced a new expansion for Warcraft 3 at BlizzCon 2026, and it is the first new campaign for the game in 23 years. That is a long time for a beloved real-time strategy game to go without fresh content. The announcement follows a broader trend of studios revisiting their catalogues, offering fans more ways to return to games that have become fixtures of their Steam libraries. The Witcher 3 received Songs of the Past, and Quake got a new episode. Now Warcraft 3 has followed suit, and the question is whether other RTS titles will follow.
Warcraft 3 Reforged’s Forsaken Kingdom Expansion
The expansion is called Warcraft 3 Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom, and it was announced at BlizzCon 2026. The announcement of a 2030 StarCraft open-world game might as well be a note that says “IOU one bag of magic beans, dated 2030.” In other words, the expansion is a real thing, while the StarCraft announcement feels like a promise that may never arrive.
Why RTS Games Deserve New Content
The writer argues that RTS games have a particular relationship with nostalgia. Because the genre has been stagnant for so many years, offering new content for old titles is a way to breathe life into games that have otherwise sat quietly in the background. The comparison to Age of Empires is central to the argument. Microsoft has kept updating the series, and Age of Empires 2 remains vastly more popular than the newer AoE4.
The writer admits that part of the excitement comes from loving RTS games personally. But the broader point is that these games have a cultural weight that newer titles struggle to match. Fans of the genre have spent decades playing these games, and the opportunity to see them updated is a rare treat.
The Dawn of War Example
Last month, Relic revealed that Dawn of War: Definitive Edition has sold 750,000 copies. The remaster is priced at $30/£24, and there is a discount if you owned the original version. That is a solid result for a lightly spruced-up remaster. The writer suggests that a new faction and a bunch of new missions and maps for $10-15 would likely go down well, given the persistent interest in faction mods for the game.
The Dawn of War example shows that there is demand for new content in the RTS space. A lightly spruced-up remaster worked well, and a full expansion could do even better. The writer imagines a scenario where a new faction and a slew of new missions and maps could reheat interest in a game that hundreds of thousands of people have kicking around their Steam libraries.
What Other RTS Games Could Get Expansions
The writer offers several suggestions for which RTS games deserve belated expansions. The list includes:
- Rise of Nations
- Supreme Commander
- Dune 2 (another Westwood classic)
- Star Wars: Empire at War
These games are all at least 15 years old, and the writer argues that they remain beloved by fans. A re-release combined with new content would be a great fit for each of them. The idea is simple: take a game that people already own, polish it, and add enough new material to justify a purchase.
The writer also mentions a few more specific ideas. For a less egregious suggestion, they propose a whole expansion themed around the giant ants missions from Counterstrike. For something more ambitious, they suggest that Yuri, the psychic commander from RA2, travel back in time to the events of Red Alert 1 to try and defeat that reality’s Stalin. These are playful ideas, but they illustrate the creative possibilities.
The Cost of Nostalgia
The writer acknowledges that creating new RTS games is not a profitable endeavor. They wish King Art Games the very best as they try to satisfy the fickle Dawn of War fanbase with December’s fourth game. But if any genre has an excuse to ethically cash in on nostalgia, it is the deeply dadcore RTS.
The writer’s view is that the RTS genre has a special claim on nostalgia. Most of the games that players are still excited about are at least 15 years old. Looking to the past may not be the worst path forward.
The Broader Trend
The trend is not limited to RTS games. The Witcher 3’s Songs of the Past is one of several recent announcements, and Baldur’s Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 are still drawing attention. Quake got a new episode, and Thief is getting a new campaign in Nightdive’s upcoming remaster.
The common thread is that these games have long tails. They were hits when they launched, and they continue to be played today. New expansions give players a reason to return, and they give studios a way to monetize games that have already paid off.
The Age of Empires Playbook
Age of Empires has been a model for this approach. Microsoft has been making hay with updates for years, and the series has remained relevant despite the newer AoE4 struggling to match its predecessor’s popularity. The writer sees this as proof that the approach works.
The writer hopes that Warcraft 3 Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom becomes a trend. They want more RTS games to follow the same playbook. The genre has been stagnant for so many years, and new content could be exactly what it needs to thrive again.
The Bottom Line
The RTS genre deserves new DLC. The writer’s argument is simple: these games have been around for decades, and fans have shown persistent interest in them. Warcraft 3’s expansion is a sign that studios are listening, and the writer hopes it encourages more of the same.
The key facts are straightforward. Warcraft 3’s last campaign was 23 years ago, and the new expansion was announced at BlizzCon 2026. The Dawn of War: Definitive Edition has sold 750,000 copies. AoE2 remains vastly more popular than AoE4. And the writer’s suggestions for future expansions range from modest ($10-15) to absurd (Yuri vs. Stalin).
The RTS genre has a rich history, and fans have spent years playing these games. Warcraft 3’s expansion is a step in the right direction, and the writer wants to see more of the same. Whether studios agree is another matter, but the evidence from Dawn of War and Age of Empires shows that the approach works.
Key Facts Box
– Warcraft 3’s last campaign: 23 years ago
– Dawn of War: Definitive Edition sales: 750,000 copies
– Price: $30/£24 (remaster), $10-15 (suggested expansion)
– AoE2 vs. AoE4: AoE2 vastly more popular
– BlizzCon announcement: 2026
– StarCraft open-world game: dated 2030
– Yuri vs. Stalin: suggested expansion concept
Numbered List
1. Warcraft 3’s last campaign was 23 years ago.
2. Dawn of War: Definitive Edition has sold 750,000 copies.
3. AoE2 remains vastly more popular than AoE4.
4. The StarCraft open-world game is dated 2030.
5. The Yuri vs. Stalin expansion is a suggested concept.
Source material: “After Warcraft 3's first new campaign in 23 years, let's normalize releasing new DLC for ancient RTS games,” PC Gamer.
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