Warcraft III: 2 Open Source Clones Compared
HiveWE and WarsmashModEngine aren't really alternatives to each other despite both appearing as Warcraft III clones. HiveWE is a faster, modernized replacement for the game's own World Editor, used for building and editing custom maps rather than playing the game itself. WarsmashModEngine, by contrast, is a from-scratch playable engine emulator that requires a legitimately purchased copy of Warcraft III to supply its assets.
Comparison table
Availability
- Status
- Semi-playable
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 22d ago
- Stars
- 559
- Contributors
- 14
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Engine
- libGDX
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- YesRequires a valid copy of Warcraft III purchased from Activision Blizzard; the emulator does not include game assets.
- Modding support
- YesSupports custom map editing and modding through configuration of CASC file systems and mod loading via prefixes.
- Multiplayer
- Online
Availability
- Status
- —
- Platforms
- Windows
- Play in browser
- No
- Mobile
- No
Project health
- Development status
- Active
- Last updated
- 1d ago
- Stars
- 473
- Contributors
- 11
- License
- AGPL-3.0
- Engine
- —
Compatibility
- Requires original assets
- —
- Modding support
- —
- Multiplayer
- —
| Title | WarsmashModEngine | HiveWE |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Semi-playable | — |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Play in browser | No | No |
| Mobile | No | No |
| Project health | ||
| Development status | Active | Active |
| Last updated | 22d ago | 1d ago |
| Stars | 559 | 473 |
| Contributors | 14 | 11 |
| License | AGPL-3.0 | AGPL-3.0 |
| Engine | libGDX | — |
| Compatibility | ||
| Requires original assets | YesRequires a valid copy of Warcraft III purchased from Activision Blizzard; the emulator does not include game assets. | — |
| Modding support | YesSupports custom map editing and modding through configuration of CASC file systems and mod loading via prefixes. | — |
| Multiplayer | Online | — |
| Preview | |
Known limitations
- audio: From Patch 1.32 onwards, unit voices do not load correctly due to Reforged lip-sync format changes.
- audio: FLAC audio format translation to WAV may cause audio to sound tinny or degraded compared to playing files externally.
- graphics: DDS texture sRGB calculations may cause some textures to appear visually dark, particularly on Patch 1.32.
- graphics: Classic graphics mode shows blocky compression artifacts in DDS textures compared to historical BLP counterparts.
- compatibility: Patch 1.33 and beyond are not supported; only Frozen Throne Patch 1.22 through 1.32 are compatible.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Warcraft III clones on this page open source?
Yes — every clone catalogued here is an open-source project. Availability, license, and development-status details for each one are listed in the comparison table above.
What license do these Warcraft III clones use?
WarsmashModEngine and HiveWE (AGPL-3.0).
Do I need to own the original Warcraft III to play these clones?
WarsmashModEngine requires original game assets to play.
Which Warcraft III clone is the most actively maintained?
WarsmashModEngine and HiveWE are currently under active development, based on recent commit activity. See the "Development status" row above for every clone's current status.
See the full write-up for each clone, or go back to Warcraft III.