Warcraft at 25: How Blizzard’s strategy game became a media empire

This is a landmark year for Warcraft. World of Warcraft Classic will bring players back to the massively multiplayer online role-playing game’s earliest days when it launches on August 27. Warcraft III: Reforged is updating the popular real-time strategy games with new graphics. But the franchise is also celebrating a milestone birthday this year, as the original Warcraft: Orcs & Humans will celebrate its 25th anniversary this November.

Blizzard Entertainment launched Warcraft as a strategy series, but it has expanded into the world’s most popular online role-playing game with World of Warcraft and digital card game with Hearthstone. It’s also spawned novels and a Hollywood movie. The franchise has had a lot of growth in 25 years.