Warcraft III: Reforged Now Requires an Always-Online Connection as Blizzard Removes LAN Play
Blizzard has made a controversial change to Warcraft III: Reforged, with the game now requiring a constant internet connection while also removing LAN multiplayer support from the Reforged client.
According to Blizzard’s official patch notes, offline mode is no longer available when playing through the Reforged client. This means players will need to remain connected to the internet even if they aren’t interested in playing online multiplayer.
What Changed in Warcraft III: Reforged?
The Reforged client now has the following restrictions:
- Always-online connection required
- LAN mode removed
- Offline mode unavailable
However, these restrictions don’t currently apply to the Classic Client, which continues to support both LAN multiplayer and offline play.
That creates a strange situation where players wanting to use features that have been part of Warcraft III for decades will now have to switch away from Reforged and use the Classic Client instead.
LAN Play Has Always Been a Big Part of Warcraft III
LAN multiplayer has historically been an important part of Warcraft III. The original game became a staple of LAN parties, gaming cafés and local competitive events, allowing groups of players to set up matches without depending on Blizzard’s online infrastructure.
Offline functionality is equally important for players with unreliable internet connections or those who simply want to play the game without being connected to an online service.
Removing both options from Reforged therefore takes away functionality that many players would consider fundamental to the Warcraft III experience.
Classic Players Still Have an Alternative
The good news is that Blizzard hasn’t completely eliminated these features from Warcraft III.
Players using the Classic Client can still play offline and set up LAN games. For anyone regularly playing Warcraft III at LAN parties or without an internet connection, Classic has effectively become the better option.
It’s nevertheless unusual that the newer Reforged experience now offers fewer connectivity options than the classic version of the game.
Blizzard Hasn’t Offered Much of an Explanation
Perhaps the biggest question is why the changes were necessary in the first place.
Blizzard hasn’t provided much explanation in the patch notes regarding the decision to require a permanent online connection or remove LAN functionality from Reforged.
Until the company provides additional details, players are left wondering whether the restrictions are related to technical changes, account authentication, Battle.net integration or another reason entirely.
For a game with such a long history of offline and local multiplayer, requiring Reforged players to remain online represents a significant change.
At least Classic remains available for now — but players who specifically purchased or prefer the Reforged experience have just lost two features that Warcraft III fans have been using for decades.
As an Amazon Associate, PakGamersHub earns from qualifying purchases.