⚙️Warcraft III Reforged PTR Version 2.0 - ???

[Archian]

---

BlizzTracker Bot Uncovers Private PTR Build Version 2.0 Before It’s Pulled Back​

BlizzTracker, the ever-watchful bot that monitors Blizzard’s updates, has once again caught the community’s attention by spotting a new and mysterious PTR (Public Test Realm) build. However, this wasn’t just any build — it was a private version 2.0, briefly uploaded to the PTR but quickly retracted before anyone could gain access or investigate its contents.

The fact that this 2.0 build was deployed to the PTR, a realm typically open for public testing, only to be swiftly hidden away, has sparked intense speculation. While no one had the opportunity to delve into the build, the version number alone suggests that it could represent something major — perhaps a game-changing update, new features, or even a significant expansion.

With Blizzard remaining silent on the matter, the mystery deepens. The brief glimpse of this private PTR build has left fans buzzing with excitement and theories about what’s coming next. Is version 2.0 a massive overhaul, or something even bigger?

As we await more information or another potential leak, HIVE Workshop will be monitoring closely. What do you think this private PTR build could mean? Let us know your thoughts below!

 

[StoPCampinGn00b]

Everyone's right, we're not getting a Warcraft 4. Warcraft 3 + 2.0 = Warcraft 5.

 

[Kacpa2]

I hope they dont do something stupid again....

 

[Remixer]

Considering how well Warcraft 3 Reforged was received and how much the player base has liked 'sudden' and 'unannounced' changes thus far, I'd say it would seem foolish of Blizzard to attempt something major and huge without having a public discussion of it before - then again, sure it could be something major that the community has requested - perhaps the full release of Reforged at last (would make sense if the version number would reach 2.0 at last).

Yet another then again, we've had roadmaps or 'plans' published before, so why not continue on that route in order to keep the already-annoyed people in the loop and avoid further drama when things do not go according to plan.

Edit: Last remark, if it indeed is some major update worthy of such build numbering, then Blizzard must be absolutely sure they can deliver exactly what they want and what the player base wants and needs. Otherwise the risk would be illogical to take.

 

[Ralle]

If they do build ID as I've seen many companies do, this new version is quite many builds ahead of 1.36. Looks like significant development, whatever it is.

I also hope they don't mess it up.

 

[Dr Super Good]

Unlikely to be a major update, at least content wise. If it was, they would have been advertising or promoting that they are working on it in some way.

It could be a major update engine wise. They might be moving to DirectStorage and adding new graphic enhancements such as DLSS and FSR as well as other maintenance style improvements. Unlike a content patch that would usually be associated with marketing and other forms of promotion, an engine improvement might be justified as a maintenance activity and so get funding from somewhere else such as to comply with general Microsoft polices. Possibly even a console port, or cloud gaming support?

Diablo IV uses DirectStorage along with other cutting edge technology such as DLSS and raytracing. It is possible that some parts of this, such as the CASC DirectStorage implementation, could be ported in a reasonable way.

It is also possible that this is Microsofts grand plan. Warcraft III Reforged Remastered, the third release of Warcraft III arriving a few years before Warcraft III Reforged Remastered Remade, the fourth release of Warcraft III. After all, they did this with Age of Empires II and Age of Mythology already. Joking aside, maybe Microsoft has secretly thrown a development team on the project to try and create DLC content such as new races in the style that they have done for their other RTS entries, a practice that has actually been mostly well received by their communities.

 

[Chaosy]

If I were to wish for something I kinda hope Microsoft made them go fix reforged and make it re-reforged. I don't know to what extent but I don't really see them making any money back on this if it's only a touchup.

Case and point, myself, I don't really see myself having wc3 as my main hobby again unless it really is a game reborn like FF14 or something.

 

[Eat_Bacon_Daily]

Anyone more savvy than I understand what the 4th series of digits usually signifies? IE 2.0.0.22230?
I'm still unsure weather this was just some rookie mistake relating to the upcoming Mac Hotfix or if it's actually something larger

 

[YourArthas]

It’s the time Blizz give us “Classic Plus” Graphics

 

[Shadow44]

As a developer, I would create one new big feature that doesn't work just to be able to call it version 2.0

 

[Kuzakani]

I could be easly some trolling.

 

[Aldeia]

 

[Retera]

I am moving into the realm of the unreasonable! Now, I see this news, and I think, sure, Microsoft is probably making Warcraft III Two. To me it seems immoral. It seems Hive Workshop should make Warcraft III Two -- that the decisions should be made by the passion and not the money.

And then when I think about how either this is a nothing burger, or else some grotesque frankenstein that a kiddo at Microsoft cooked up to make Reforged play on his xbox, and I just don't even want to bother myself with it.

I probably won't be there for Reforged Two the way I was partially present at the foundational moments of Reforged. When I realized how even if I become extremist and rebel and make Retera Model Studio into a game engine so I don't have to deal with these people anymore, it's too technical and I can't convince anyone in the community to follow me. The people who know how won't do it because they're too smart, and the people who want to do it don't know how and I'm too distracted, whimsical and just downright careless (or perhaps selfish, focusing on my career) to really properly devote my life to helping them.

Enjoyable it would be for me, certainly, if I understood how I could be a positive contributor in this situation. But instead I am using a PURISM SOCIAL PURPOSE CORPORATION laptop, constructed with care for the purpose of freeing the user from Big Tech by targeting freedomware software (free as in freedom, the next level beyond open source) and I am running WARSMASH on this laptop, the Retera-Model-Studio-based game engine, instead of trying to do wine (which doesn't work on this computer and is non-freedom technology anyway) to then run dxvk (a DirectX to Vulcan converter as I loosely understand, and DirectX is bad non-freedom technology) to then run Reforged Two (which will surely have even worse DRM than Reforged and be all around garbage, if it even exists).

So, I'm ready. Let's see them shut down the Reforged servers and move the game to Xbox Game Pass for kicks, with new shiny raytracing so that the game works on even less peoples' computers.

Maybe in return I'll fire my technology death star back at them, and make Warsmash Two. This time, it will run on OpenGL ES 2.0 instead of OpenGL ES 3.0, so that we can target even older hardware specs and affect an even broader range of machines. Maybe I'll also write it in C++ so that I have perfect performance. What better time to respond to the evil empire by unveiling your death star than when they make Reforged Two?

 

[OutsiderXE]

Everyone's right, we're not getting a Warcraft 4. Warcraft 3 + 2.0 = Warcraft 5.

So, Warcraft 3 1.0 was the Warcraft 4 we were looking for all along??

What I think is realistic: Preparations for going F2P and/or available on game pass.
Possible: Reforged terrain/lighting update, Classic graphics update, Storage reduction.
Not likely: Actual new content (co-op, single-player stories).

 

[Homor]

Oh lord, don't let me hope. Don't let me feel hope again ♥

 

[Retera]

don't let me hope. Don't let me feel hope again ♥

I'm of a mind, at this point, where I feel hope is a mistake. If you want something changed, then change it. That's become my philosophy. There is not a financial incentive to do otherwise.

If I could pay $10,000 for the privilege to decide part of the future of Warcraft III in a very serious way, and manipulate Microsoft, would I do it? Yeah, maybe, if I trusted that it would actually work.

But I don't have that power. There is not any financial incentive for them to make the product I want to buy, at any price. It will always be more lucrative for them to collect information on who I am, and then try to sell my future life to some new group of people.

So I don't see any reason, in my opinion, to hope for one of their employees to suddenly have a change of heart and self-deprecate to "make Warcraft III a better experience" instead of "making Warcraft III a better return on investment."

 

[Homor]

So, Warcraft 3 1.0 was the Warcraft 4 we were looking for all along??

What I think is realistic: Preparations for going F2P and/or available on game pass.
Possible: Reforged terrain/lighting update, Classic graphics update, Storage reduction.
Not likely: Actual new content (co-op, single-player stories).

"Realistic" I'd be totally indifferent to.
"Possible" is what I want. HD-asset opt-out, removal of those terrible HTML menus, etc.
"Not Likely" is... well, not likely. Also not terribly interesting to me. The community does a better job making new content than Blizzard at this point.

 

[raypack]

Tbh I won't mind if a few of the campaign mission get "reforged" like the Siege of Dalaran. Maybe the orc finale? idk...

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they release that "warcraft 1" thingy they had begun working on but seemed to have abandoned? Designer Dave made a video about it. Official campaign that tells the events of Warcraft 1 but in a slightly different way.
If they already had 30% of it completed, I do see it becoming reality.

These were just some speculations though, we're most likely getting a visual overhaul and probably some balance changes, but one can only hope...

 

[StangtennisGuru]

Buckle up for 100 new custom map bugs

 

[Footman16]

Tbh I won't mind if a few of the campaign mission get "reforged" like the Siege of Dalaran. Maybe the orc finale? idk...

Also, I wouldn't be surprised if they release that "warcraft 1" thingy they had begun working on but seemed to have abandoned? Designer Dave made a video about it. Official campaign that tells the events of Warcraft 1 but in a slightly different way.
If they already had 30% of it completed, I do see it becoming reality.

These were just some speculations though, we're most likely getting a visual overhaul and probably some balance changes, but one can only hope...

30% of a campaign is really not that much, not to mention the amount of assets that would've been required which I doubt they will have made. I would not expect that Wc1 re-make campaign in Wc3 Reforged to ever materialise.

 

[Bitterman]

30% of a campaign is really not that much, not to mention the amount of assets that would've been required which I doubt they will have made. I would not expect that Wc1 re-make campaign in Wc3 Reforged to ever materialise.

There is pretty much Lord Penerolde's remake that is in need of a model update.

And War1 even under War1Gus is terrible because it isnt the MAC port aka the high res and redbook audio one as warcraft 2

 

[PurgeandFire]

If they do build ID as I've seen many companies do, this new version is quite many builds ahead of 1.36. Looks like significant development, whatever it is.

I also hope they don't mess it up.

Anyone more savvy than I understand what the 4th series of digits usually signifies? IE 2.0.0.22230?
I'm still unsure weather this was just some rookie mistake relating to the upcoming Mac Hotfix or if it's actually something larger

@Eat_Bacon_Daily that's usually the build number. It's usually just an internal number that just gets incremented every time a new "build" of the application is made. It varies from company to company on when exactly that build number is incremented, though. For example, my last company would only increment the build number for each official release build. But it seems Blizzard increments the build number a bit differently, as their build numbers tend to jump quite a bit between patches (probably something automatic tied to their CI/CD for every test suite run).

I initially was thinking it'd be something more substantial based off the gap in the build numbers, as Ralle mentioned, but seems like they tend to have similarly large gaps for other patches too.

• 1.33.0.19194 (August 2022)
• 1.34.0.19632 (December 2022)
• 1.35.0.19882 (January 2023)
• 1.35.0.20063 (March 2023)
• 1.36.0.20210 (May 2023)
• 1.36.1.20704 (November 2023)
• 1.36.2.21179 (June 2024)
• 1.36.2.21498 (Latest)

This gap is a bit bigger though than others (732 vs. 200-500 for past patches), so I'd guess it is something more than just balance changes but not something super massive. I'm honestly guessing someone new from their skeleton crew just made a mistake and put 2.0 by mistake temporarily, probably because they didn't know whether the new patch was going to be a patch release/minor release/major release, haha.

But there is a Warcraft Direct in November, so who knows. I'm going to keep my expectations lowish though. That way I can't be disappointed.

 

[chopinski]

Honestly, if they fix the mountain of bugs in the modding API (frame events, natives that do not work, etc...) i would consider this a win for us, but we have learned to keep the hope in check with blizzard of nowadays. It would be great to be able to host our own games again too, it is terrible being forced to play with 200 ping, it would also be cheaper for blizzard since the need for dedicated server would basically go away.

P.S. If this is just a bunch of balance changes, we should siege Blizzard HQ!

 

[Chaosy]

Honestly, if they fix the mountain of bugs in the modding API (frame events, natives that do not work, etc...) i would consider this a win for us, but we have learned to keep the hope in check with blizzard of nowadays. It would be great to be able to host our own games again too, it is terrible being forced to play with 200 ping, it would also be cheaper for blizzard since the need for dedicated server would basically go away.

P.S. If this is just a bunch of balance changes, we should siege Blizzard HQ!

Maybe the "2.0" number is a mistake but no way you're marketing it as a 2.0 and only come with bug fixes and a new melee map. I also think that if they're gonna bother to 'save' warcraft 3 they're gonna have to do more than that. The reforged mass downvoting did insane damage and they need real effort to repair that.

Alternatively they can continue to do a quaterly melee balance patch and let it die slowly but again I don't really see the point? the profit they get from reforged sales currently has to be a rounding error at this point.

 

[myjian]

It seems like a simple mistake, but I still believe this is a version prepared for testing and fixing MAC operational issues

But if there is really a big update plan, that version number will indeed be used, or that version number appeared in the original plan, but now we should not expect this version number to appear on this timeline, maybe some parallel universes will have it

 

[fladdermasken]

On office parties these days, once the old photocopier has run out of butts to print, any respectable devops team will go straight on to fumbling with the CI/CD pipeline

 

[SunLord]

The newsletter is for entertainment purposes, I think it's a joke between the developers

 

[Bleeq]

I had an IRL friend that works for a gaming company tell me they were working on reforged (after it had released).
This was at least a year ago, though, so after nothing materialised I decided it must have just been a rather pointless lie.

 

[Mint Blancmanche]

actiblizz>classic>reforged xD(see "pic")
I'm not going to get my hopes up.
no one should, I come from the future, the game still blows.
source:"my ass"

 

[Devalut]

The ride never ends.

 

[Greedy Procrastinator]

Time to equip blademaster with minigun then

 

[The Nightmare Book]

Oh, we all have been mistaken - its the new "Warcraft Arclight Reforged Rumble Remake" or in short"Warcraft Reforged", not "Warcraft 3 Reforged".

 

[coconut]

It's easier to create a new warcraft than to constantly fix reforged, this game has too many issues

 

[RPG_F]

Please delete the Reforged model and make the old model HD like the SC2war3mod.
important: Please use the old model action, that is already excellent, just need to make them smoother

 

[Bleeq]

It's easier to create a new warcraft than to constantly fix reforged, this game has too many issues

If they made a warcraft 4, where would they blatantly steal their ideas from, do you think?

Have they blatantly stolen from the new Star Wars yet? I haven't seen any of them so I wouldn't know even if I'd been keeping up with Wow, lol.

 

[Homor]

It's easier to create a new warcraft than to constantly fix reforged, this game has too many issues

Creating a new game isn't easier or cheaper at all. It should be easy enough to fix if they give it the proper resources and budgets: the vast majority of problems are ones they added when they "upgraded" the game the first time.

 

[AMarkov]

Knowing the current state of Blizzard as a company, I genuinely fear what might come with version 2.0—more mistakes and issues, regardless of the content it brings. I would be very skeptical of version 2.0, likely thinking it's the result of a junior developer's error or something similar.

If it's all true, then my hope for version 2.0 is that they have listened to the community and will fix all the content that has already been added. I'm praying they don't introduce new mistakes or roll out questionable content.

 

[Ralle]

Everyone's right, we're not getting a Warcraft 4. Warcraft 3 + 2.0 = Warcraft 5.

By that logic we're on Warcraft 4.6 right now.

 

[Bribe]

If Blizzard actually implements meaningful editor changes, stuff I have asked for repeatedly, like further enhancing damage detection with missile-launch detection or healing detection, then I'll start coding regularly for WarCraft 3 again.

 

[Spacebuns]

Probably another batch of bug fixes for campaign maps and melee balance changes

 

[Bribe]

Probably another batch of bug fixes for campaign maps and melee balance changes

hardly worth a 2.0 mention

 

[The_Messenger]

I don't have high expectations, but I do have one tiny little wish: the update won't be bad and I can keep playing custom made campaigns with mild inconveniences.

 

[Wind Rose]

If it wasn't Blizzard I would be very excited about this news, the thought of a big update that would revive the game is wonderful. But I stopped expecting anything good from this company a long time ago Although I hope they surprise me and do something right for a change.

 

[Kacpa2]

It’s the time Blizz give us “Classic Plus” Graphics

Sadly its unlikely, if anything they might double down on what is there already which is Sousa's .."creation". Besides if they planned such it would be announced and touted before some sneaky ptr version leak, its too much like Valve for them to do. What i would hope to see is stability being finally guaranteed in custom games, and RF assets being an optional download PLUS a permanent 50% price cut. So basic version of hte game costs the same as Starcraft Remastered and Spoils of war is 20$/euro and sale price is 50% of that. That way we atleast can have more people in the game, as it wont be such an investment to get it.

 

[Panda]

With all that being said, me being a youtube fan and watch Grubby and Wtii.. i hope the devs look into there videos and take some of there ideas and tips going forward is all i wish for in the long run.. Being that half the time when the devs do stuff on there own instead of listening too the community it ends poorly, which in all seriousness happens too alot of games when they dont listen to the people who love the game.

That's the thing the has always frustrated me with all there new updates of the game it doesn't seem like they listen to us well.



Also, alot of old users in here love that <3

 

[Spacebuns]

hardly worth a 2.0 mention

Sorry, I'm just very blackpilled regarding the state of the game. It's been nearly 5 years since RF was released.

 

[Bleeq]

With all that being said, me being a youtube fan and watch Grubby and Wtii.. i hope the devs look into there videos and take some of there ideas and tips going forward is all i wish for in the long run.. Being that half the time when the devs do stuff on there own instead of listening too the community it ends poorly, which in all seriousness happens too alot of games when they dont listen to the people who love the game.

That's the thing the has always frustrated me with all there new updates of the game it doesn't seem like they listen to us well.



Also, alot of old users in here love that <3

I agree about witii and Grubby, but I don't agree that developers should always listen to player feedback.
Someone said, it might have been Kevin Jordan from WoW, that players usually know if something is wrong, but they rarely know how to fix it or have a better idea.
I think it's like if I go to a restaurant, I know if I don't like something or they burnt it, but I don't necessarily know how to cook it better or what recipe I actually would prefer.

Sorry, I'm just very blackpilled regarding the state of the game. It's been nearly 5 years since RF was released.

What would people like to get with a new game, tho? Bribe mentioned editor changes, and that would be great, but as an actual playable product what are people hoping for?

What I would personally like:

1) improved 'classic' graphics, not even close to the detail of reforged (it's utterly pointless in this style of game, for a start), with similar style and proportions as ROC/TFT. Proper readability, as Grubby has mentioned.
2) Maybe 6 total races, even if they aren't perfectly balanced.
3) A new campaign, even if smaller, to anchor the races around.

Except I don't trust Blizzard at this stage to create something decent for 2 & 3. I'd really like some new additions instead of pure nostalgia, but I just don't think from prior experience I'm going to like what they come up with.

 

[OutsiderXE]

I feel like any race

@Eat_Bacon_Daily that's usually the build number. It's usually just an internal number that just gets incremented every time a new "build" of the application is made. It varies from company to company on when exactly that build number is incremented, though. For example, my last company would only increment the build number for each official release build. But it seems Blizzard increments the build number a bit differently, as their build numbers tend to jump quite a bit between patches (probably something automatic tied to their CI/CD for every test suite run).

I initially was thinking it'd be something more substantial based off the gap in the build numbers, as Ralle mentioned, but seems like they tend to have similarly large gaps for other patches too.

• 1.33.0.19194 (August 2022)
• 1.34.0.19632 (December 2022)
• 1.35.0.19882 (January 2023)
• 1.35.0.20063 (March 2023)
• 1.36.0.20210 (May 2023)
• 1.36.1.20704 (November 2023)
• 1.36.2.21179 (June 2024)
• 1.36.2.21498 (Latest)

This gap is a bit bigger though than others (732 vs. 200-500 for past patches), so I'd guess it is something more than just balance changes but not something super massive. I'm honestly guessing someone new from their skeleton crew just made a mistake and put 2.0 by mistake temporarily, probably because they didn't know whether the new patch was going to be a patch release/minor release/major release, haha.

But there is a Warcraft Direct in November, so who knows. I'm going to keep my expectations lowish though. That way I can't be disappointed.

You also have to consider its not released yet. So the build number is going to go up.

 

[Retera]

Grubby and Wtii.. i hope the devs look into there videos and take some of there ideas and tips going forward is all i wish for in the long run..

I'm skeptical of this. I do not feel it is necessarily right or just that people who are more skilled at acquiring followers should have more say, or that their passion for the game is more because it was televised to people.

Back in 2018 there was a video on my YouTube where I said that most videos tell you to like and subscribe - so, if you're actually vulnerable to suggestion and you will do what the video asks, then pin World Editor to your taskbar so you open it more.

Then Reforged did an upgrade so anybody's World Editor that was pinned to taskbar would no longer work.

Grubby already had a huge influence on Reforged and they did listen. He wants a game where his four peons can always body block a paladin in place and stop it from moving, because every bug is a sign of user skill, or whatever.

We already have the Reforged where versus was more of focus than World Edit and that is basically functioning.

Some of things people want actually are mutually exclusive. Some people probably want "classic+" graphics with Naga and a couple of other races added to versus. Other people were making classic custom models for 18 years and look at Reforged Models section on Hive and realize the users are happy to throw away their 18 years of work, so then they delete all their available resources on Hive, or stop making resources.

Some of the stuff people want is mutually exclusive. Grubby would probably be against Naga because the game balance would change so much, that what he has memorized into muscle memory would be totally wrong.

I'm thinking maybe at this point it would be smart to have a stable underlying system in good working order, so that people who already created the Naga race on Hive can play their custom creation competitively on a server that works, and Grubby can play his Frozen Throne race balance as well, wherein both are the same engine but with different units.

If Microsoft is incapable of servicing War3 like a multi use engine that needs fundamentals to work well, then they can go back to torturing school children with ChatGPT for all I care.

 

[Frotty]

Disappointment 2.0