Warcraft III Forsaken Kingdom Is Paid DLC: You Must Own Reforged, and Only the 3.0 Update Is Free

Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom, the first new Warcraft III campaign since The Frozen Throne in 2003, went on sale on 12 September straight after its reveal at the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony. It is a paid purchase, not a free patch: Blizzard's own game page says you must own Warcraft III: Reforged before buying it. The free part of today's release is a separate Reforged 3.0 update that every owner receives.

Some early summaries of the show described the whole package as free. The official edition list does not support that, so it is worth checking what you already own before you open the Battle.net launcher.

Is Warcraft III Forsaken Kingdom free?

No. Blizzard lists Forsaken Kingdom as its own edition, marked as requiring Warcraft III: Reforged. Existing Reforged owners buy the campaign on top of the game they have. Anyone starting from nothing can buy one of two bundles instead.

Blizzard's game page does not print prices, and the Battle.net shop only shows them after signing in, so we have not quoted a figure here. Check the shop in your own region before assuming a cost.

Which Forsaken Kingdom edition should you buy?

There are four ways in, according to Blizzard's edition list:

• Warcraft III: Reforged — the base game. It includes the Definitive Edition update, upgraded terrain, lighting and shadows, in-game profiles and leaderboards, the ranked ladder, clans, custom campaigns and the Dawn legendary campaign skins. It does not include the new campaign.
• Warcraft III Reforged: Forsaken Kingdom — the add-on for existing Reforged owners. It adds the prologue campaign, The Last Days of Lordaeron, the main Forsaken Kingdom campaign, an improved inventory system, the upgraded World Editor and access to new game servers.
• Forsaken Kingdom Combo — Reforged and the new campaign together, for players who own neither.
• Warcraft Forever Collection — a BlizzCon edition on sale for a limited time until 12 January. It bundles Reforged and Forsaken Kingdom with the Skyborne Epic Pack for World of Warcraft: Forever.

That last bundle only makes sense if you plan to play World of Warcraft: Forever, the new branch of the MMO also revealed today. It launches on 4 November, with a beta starting on 17 September.

What is in the Forsaken Kingdom campaign?

The story opens with a prologue set during the fall of Lordaeron, picking up after Arthas kills his father in the original Reign of Chaos campaign. The main campaign then moves to the Undercity, capital of the undead Forsaken, with Sylvanas, Putress and the Scarlet Crusade all involved. Blizzard says the campaign runs to more than 30 hours.

It also introduces the Forsaken Paladin, a holy warrior who serves the Light after death. Blizzard describes it as the first new tavern hero in over 20 years and says it is playable in multiplayer across the Classic, Definitive Edition and Reforged graphics modes.

What else changes in today's Warcraft III release?

Published reports describe the Reforged 3.0 update as free. Blizzard's feature list for today's release covers the following, though it does not spell out which items sit in the free update and which come with the paid campaign:

• Definitive Edition graphics mode — a look closer to the original Warcraft III art style, with an optional HD mode.
• World Editor upgrades — a new Cinematic Editor, a Lighting Editor and better object management for map makers.
• Larger control groups — group selection rises to 24 units, according to published reports.
• A Classic client — Blizzard says an original version of Warcraft III will be offered in the shop.

Blizzard has not yet posted full 3.0 patch notes on its forums, so the exact split between free and paid features may be clearer once they appear. Today's edition list is the most reliable guide available.

Which platforms is Forsaken Kingdom on?

Warcraft III: Reforged and Forsaken Kingdom are PC-only, sold through Battle.net for Windows and Mac. There is no console or mobile version. If you want RTS on your phone instead, our pick of the best strategy games for Android is the closest thing on mobile.

Forsaken Kingdom was one of several opening-ceremony reveals. If you missed the stream, our guide to the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony schedule covers how to watch the replay and the rest of the weekend. Blizzard also confirmed a Diablo animated series for Netflix on the same stage. Players waiting on World of Warcraft: Forever can try our list of the best MMORPG games for Android in the meantime.