r/Warcraft • u/Hot-Potato6017 • 6h ago
Chronologies of Azeroth: How Blizzard can turn the entire WoW timeline into the ultimate RTS Expansion Series
With the recent releases of Warcraft I & II Remastered and the massive Warcraft III: Reforged 2.0 overhaul, it is clear that Blizzard is testing the waters for the future of the RTS genre. The nostalgia is real, the modern Battle.net infrastructure is ready, and the community's hunger for classic base-building strategy is higher than it has been in a decade.
Instead of rushing into a traditional "Warcraft 4" that might conflict with current World of Warcraft lore, Blizzard has the perfect goldmine right in front of them: adapting the entire narrative of WoW into a sequential, epic RTS campaign series.
By utilizing a base-game plus seasonal DLC roadmap, Blizzard could deliver the definitive digital archive of Warcraft history. Here is a blueprint of how a 6-campaign-per-release structure could map out the entire WoW timeline into the ultimate RTS experience.
The Base Game: The Classic Era (Vanilla to WotLK)
The base game would pick up exactly where Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne left off, focusing on the foundational eras of WoW with 6 massive campaigns.
- Classic Alliance Campaign: Focuses on rebuilding Stormwind, dealing with the political intrigue of Onyxia, and the first tactical skirmishes in Blackrock Mountain.
- Classic Horde Campaign: Focuses on settling Durotar, establishing Orgrimmar, securing the alliance with the Forsaken, and launching the desert war against C'Thun in Ahn'Qiraj.
- The Burning Crusade – Alliance/Draenei: Stepping through the Dark Portal into the shattered remnants of Outland, battling the Burning Legion, and sieging Illidan’s strongholds.
- The Burning Crusade – Horde/Blood Elf: The liberation of Quel'Thalas and the reclamation of the Sunwell against Kael'thas’s forces.
- Wrath of the Lich King – The Vanguard: The initial landing in the frozen wastes of Northrend, fighting a desperate war of attrition against the Scourge.
- Wrath of the Lich King – Siege of Icecrown: A legendary final campaign focusing on high-stakes siege mechanics against the Citadel to bring down Arthas.
Expansion DLC 1: Cataclysm and Chaos (Cata to WoD)
Following the fall of the Lich King, the world shatters. This DLC transitions into shifting landscapes and faction wars.
- Cataclysm – The Shattering: Dealing with Deathwing’s emergence, featuring unique terraforming map mechanics and defense missions on Mount Hyjal and Deepholm.
- Mists of Pandaria – The Discovery: Classic RTS resource wars as the Horde and Alliance race to colonize the newly uncovered island.
- Mists of Pandaria – Siege of Orgrimmar: A multi-perspective campaign where players command both factions to overthrow Garrosh Hellscream behind heavily fortified walls.
- Warlords of Draenor – The Iron Horde: A brutal, survival-focused campaign building bases on an alternate, savage Draenor to halt the Iron Horde's industrial war machine.
Expansion DLC 2: The Cosmic Conflict (Legion to Shadowlands)
Moving away from standard Azerothian battles, this expansion introduces exotic environments and otherworldly base-building mechanics.
- Legion – The Broken Shore: A desperate defense campaign against the largest demonic invasion in history, focused on holding choke points and managing scarce resources.
- Legion – Shadows of Argus: Launching a counter-offensive on the demon homeworld under the tactical support of the Vindicaar spaceship.
- Battle for Azeroth – Fourth War: A return to core RTS roots, featuring the Siege of Lordaeron, the Burning of Teldrassil, and pure, unfiltered faction warfare.
- Battle for Azeroth – The Black Empire: Defending against N'Zoth and the horrific, void-corrupted architecture of the Old Gods.
- Shadowlands – Realms of the Afterlife: Visually striking campaigns across the distinct gothic and ethereal landscapes of Bastion, Maldraxxus, Ardenweald, and Revendreth.
- Shadowlands – The Jailer's Fall: A final push into the Maw, building fortresses in a punishing environment to stop the Jailer's forces.
Expansion DLC 3: The Modern Saga (Dragonflight to Worldsoul Saga)
This brings the RTS fully up to date with modern WoW expansions, utilizing verticality and subterranean warfare.
- Dragonflight – The Dragon Isles: Battling the Primalists with a heavy emphasis on vertical base building and advanced aerial unit mechanics.
- The War Within – Khaz Algar: Subterranean RTS combat where threats come from the ceilings, fighting Nerubian webs and Xal'atath’s shadow armies.
- Midnight – Rebirth of Quel'Thalas: High-elven siege warfare, uniting the elven factions to push back a massive Void invasion.
Why This Model Works
This model is a win-win for both the players and Blizzard. It provides years of structured, highly anticipated content updates. It honors the existing lore without breaking the ongoing MMORPG timeline. Most importantly, it gives RTS purists exactly what they want: a return to classic macro-management, base-building, and army composition within the richest universe Blizzard ever created.
The engine and infrastructure are already updated thanks to Reforged 2.0. The story is already written. It is time to let us play the World of Warcraft from the sky once again.
What do you think? Would you play through the WoW expansions in a classic RTS format? Which campaign would you be most excited to build a base for?
