RTS classics Warcraft and Warcraft 2 surprise drop remasters with "brand new, hand-drawn visuals" that you can swap in and out in real time

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Warcraft Remastered Battle Chest is available today

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Blizzard has surprise-dropped remasters for Warcraft and Warcraft 2.

It's hard to say how the visual improvements will hold up in actual gameplay, but judging from the footage shown in the trailer, they look solid. I'll always have a fondness for the original look, which has such endearing grit, and for my money the new look is decidedly more cartoony, but I suspect newcomers may prefer the updated version.

Here's the good news. Chan also confirmed you'll be able to swap out the original graphics with the remastered versions, and vice-versa, at any point "in real time."

Here are some quick side-by-sides of the old, pixel-y versions next to their 2024 counterparts for comparison:

Image 1 of 4
Warcraft 1
(Image credit: Blizzard)

The remasters are up for sale individually today, with Warcraft 1 Remastered going for $9.99 and Warcraft 2 Remastered costing $14.99. They're also available as part of the $39.99 Warcraft Remastered Battle Chest, which includes both remasters as well as Warcraft 3: Reforged, which just got its massive 2.0 update aimed at giving the maligned four-year-old remaster a new lease on life.

It's never a bad time to think your way through our list of the best strategy games.

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick
Staff Writer

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.