The launch of Warcraft 3: Reforged was such a disaster that players revolted, and now Blizzard, which has released no statement on the game, is offering instant refunds for the remastered classic. The game, which has the lowest rating of any video game in history, launched to an excited crowd of fans. Players eagerly bought copies expecting to enjoy an enhanced experience. Unfortunately, what they found when they began playing was what can only be described as a complete mess.

Warcraft 3: Reforged made its debut with so many issues that listing them all would be immensely time-consuming. From crucial missing game options, to the new client consuming the original client and wiping out core Warcraft 3 features, to a lack of custom campaigns, graphics glitches, and frequent freezes and crashes, Warcraft 3: Reforged managed to make Bethesda releases look solid and bug-free by comparison. Players were initially reporting that Blizzard was banning them from forums, sometimes for weeks, for helping each other navigate the refund process. Blizzard also laid claim to any custom map created through Warcraft 3: Reforged.

Dissatisfied Warcraft 3: Reforged buyers are reporting on the Blizzard forums and on Reddit that Blizzard is now offering instant, automated refunds for the game. This is a major change from prior reports of players being outright denied refunds on Blizzard's support system. To receive a refund for the game, players simply need to use the automated Warcraft 3: Reforged refund form to effectively toss their digital copy into a volcano and move on to something else.


Many players are commenting that they intend to get a refund, understanding that they can just buy the game again later if Blizzard manages to fix its numerous, game-destroying issues. Though the company has made receiving a refund easier, Blizzard remains completely silent about what's wrong with the game - a move viewed by fans as shocking yet unsurprising.

Warcraft 3 released in 2002 and quickly gained popularity with fans. The game was especially popular with the modding community, who created massive games-within-a-game using Warcraft 3 as a base. Even if the other issues were fixed, Blizzard has alienated the modding community by claiming ownership of their work. In addition, all copyrighted material is prohibited in any custom creation, which means modders will have an even harder time creating engaging content - even if they are willing to work for Blizzard, who gives itself the right to financially exploit custom creations. Warcraft 3 is a great game, but a large part of its appeal was the numerous years of players creating unique and fun additions to it. Without that, Blizzard can't expect anything approaching the same level of success even if they fix every bug, tweak every cutscene, and restore every feature that the new version of the game wiped out.

Warcraft 3: Reforged is available now for PC.