ECTS: Warcraft III

Although Blizzard received a lot of attention at ECTS for its newly announced Diablo II expansion, the developer also showed its highly anticipated real-time strategy game, Warcraft III. The game was already playable at the May E3 convention, but it's shown improvement since that time: Blizzard has since added new units, special abilities, and animations to the game.

The most notable of these included the new orc catapult siege weapon, a large spiked four-wheeled machine. Its orc crew and decorative banners make it look particularly imposing. Blizzard showed this siege engine in addition to the other orc and human units, as well as the undead. Some of these, like the orc warlord, had new abilities - for instance, when the warlord was killed in battle, he lets out one final shout of vengeful energy that damages the foes around him.

Blizzard has yet to reveal the fifth, unannounced Warcraft III race, and has yet to show off the new demon race in action. Even so, the game appears as if its development is progressing smoothly.

With regard to Warcraft III's release date, Blizzard stated that whereas the Diablo II expansion would be completed within the first half of 2001, Warcraft III is now on track to be finished sometime in the second half of next year.