Last Sunday, Activision Blizzard teased an upcoming patch for their classic RTS, Warcraft 3. That patch arrives today in the form of Patch 1.27a, along with some notes on exactly what the game’s first update in five years entails.
The patch specifically addresses compatibility issues for various modern operating systems. In addition, the notes include various known issues that the Classic team has on its plate, which presumably will be addressed later down the line.
Specific Changes and Improvements
– Throw away that old PowerPC Mac in the closet, we’ve created a new installer to support Mac 10.10 and 10.11
– Improved compatibility with Windows 7, 8.1, and 10
– Fixed a crash caused by Chain Lightning
Known Issues
– Windows 8.1 and 10 saved games are still stored in a location that requires running as system admin
– Some graphical issues with the cinematics are still occurring
– Changes to gamma settings will not take effect in windowed mode
– Cyrillic characters are still not displaying
– Disabled ambient sound while a MIDI issue is being resolved
– Mac 10.9 and earlier are not supported
– Mac build does not support the editor
The patch is now live for all versions of Warcraft 3 across the globe.
Though an update to the game is most certainly welcome, the forum thread linked above demonstrates that many fans feel the patch does not address more urgent issues with the game. Examples include the lack of anti-hacker measures and support for 1080p.
Patch 1.27a follows in the wake of Patch 1.14a for Diablo II last Friday. Since Blizzard Classic Games team lead Robert Bridenbecker denoted these patches as just the beginning of a “journey,” fans are speculating which Blizzard classic will get the modern compatibility treatment next. StarCraft is most likely, but where’s the love for Warcraft II?
Stay tuned for more details.