Blizzard is reintroducing classic 90s games, including Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness, and the original Diablo, through its Battle.net platform.
These titles mark some of Blizzard’s earliest releases, with the 1994 Warcraft: Orcs & Humans being the company’s inaugural Warcraft game and a pioneering title in real-time strategy gaming during that era.
Both Warcraft games were instrumental in introducing multiplayer modes to RTS games, and the re-releases on Battle.net maintain the option for players to engage in head-to-head matches with friends.
The re-release of Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness from 1995 includes its expansion, Beyond The Dark Portal, and the game files encompass the complete original manual, now also available online courtesy of Blizzard.
In tandem with the initial launch of Blizzard’s Battle.net in 1997, Diablo, the first game in the renowned franchise, has also made its return to Battle.net.
Diablo immerses players in dungeon exploration to vanquish demons and accumulate valuable loot. This recent re-release includes the original manual, featuring a comprehensive bestiary and an overview of the game’s lore, accessible online as well.
Microsoft acquired Blizzard in October 2023, following an extensive regulatory process scrutinizing the $69 billion deal. Subsequent to the completion of the acquisition, Microsoft disclosed plans to lay off approximately 1,900 employees within its game division.
While it remains uncertain how many of these job cuts affected former Activision-Blizzard personnel, a survival game previously announced by Blizzard was canceled as a consequence of the layoffs.
