WARNING: Updating Warcraft III or allowing Reforged to download replaces your install, can't play custom campaigns

[Xenon]

For those who haven't heard, Reforged replaces the classic game client, breaking or removing multiple things including the ability to play custom campaigns.

The offline installers Blizzard used to distribute from 2012-2017 are available on Hiveworkshop if you want to try to install an older version. I'd recommend backing up and/or moving your maps and campaign files beforehand since I don't know whether they would be overwritten.

Edit: version 1.27b is available on gaming-tools. That's the newest offline installer. Even if the newer online installers work, I don't know if they will work in the future. I have heard that they just try to install Reforged.

Edit: At the time of this post it's possible to install classic 1.31 with the Warcraft III Public Test launcher available on the Blizzard site. Be warned that the public test will likely be removed or replaced with Reforged at some point.

Edit: I was able to copy a working backup installation of 1.31. It was breaking because I had been copying it into Program Files. If you have that issue, try copying it elsewhere. I configured my firewall to block network access from the multiple exes to stop them from trying to update.

[IskatuMesk]

lmao

[chris]

lmao

WCIII reforged is the biggest disaster in the history of Blizzard.

[Xenon]

Supposedly running Reforged also deletes your profile data and saved games. That may complicate your attempts to play custom campaigns even if you're using a separate install.

Edit: According to RCX the profile data isn't deleted, so campaign progress should be safe. I am still not sure about saved games though.

[IskatuMesk]

btw they're using chrome in the menus just like SCR because what is game development anyways

[Xenon]

Yeah, I saw that.

The thing I loathe with a burning passion is the fucking online DRM of the form "you need to contact Blizzard's servers to play the game ever". The ridiculously shitty menus have a chance of being fixed, but companies hold onto DRM like Gollum.

I posted a rant on Hiveworkshop and the Battle.net forums but nobody seems to care about preserving their games for the future.