A real-time strategy custom game mode on Overwatch has paved the way for an unlikely Warcraft crossover. This comes as Blizzard confirms the pre-expansion patch date.
Aside from having the same publisher and expansive and colorful lore, Overwatch and Warcraft don’t really have that much in common. The former is a tactical shooter while the latter is a real-time strategy game. But that doesn’t mean a crossover is not possible between these two large franchises.
An RTS Warcraft custom game mode in Overwatch
When it comes to real-time strategy games, there is probably no game bigger than Warcraft. While the franchise has transitioned into a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game, it’s heart is still RTS.
Warcraft wasn’t the first RTS game, that distinction belongs to Dune II. However, no one could deny that it helped define and popularize the genre. Real-time strategy games were big in the 90s and early 2000s. Unfortunately, as video games became more advanced, the genre has since lost its prominence.
But there are instances when the RTS genre would resurface, just like in this latest use of the Overwatch workshop.
On Reddit, a manager for Overwatch, Andygmb, showcased the capabilities of the game’s Workshop mode. Using Josbird’s tool, he was able to recreate the elements of RTS and incorporate it into the game’s heroes.
In the video, one could see Overwatch characters being controlled in the same manner as that of Warcraft. The player is able to select multiple units, command them to move or attack similar to an RTS game.
Demo of a MOBA / RTS style control scheme in the Workshop! The possibilities with the workshop are endless!
byu/andygmb inOverwatch
While people can’t actually see Warcraft characters in the game, it certainly brings a certain nostalgia seeing the same RTS elements that brought Blizzard great prominence back in the days.
Blizzard confirms pre-expansion patch date for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
In other news, the current Warcraft game, World of Warcraft is gearing up to start a new expansion. The new expansion, Shadowlands, was supposed to be released later this month.
However, Blizzard had recently revealed that that would no longer be the case. Instead, the release date for World of Warcraft: Shadowlands is still tentative, with Blizzard remarking that it would be released “later this year.”
But what will come this month is the pre-expansion patch for Shadowlands. Blizzard confirms that the pre-patch would occur this coming Tuesday, October 13. The company released a YouTube video to accompany this announcement and explaining the things to come when the pre-expansion patch hits.
Shadowlands will be picking up where Battle for Azeroth left off. Saurfang is dead and the Alliance and the Horde has found common ground once again albeit weak. Meanwhile, Sylvanas has wrecked the Frozen Throne to travel to the Shadowlands, the so-called afterlife in Azeroth.
Featured image courtesy of Blizzard Entertainment