I wrote for Naavik about Frost Giant Studios’ attempt to revive the real-time strategy (RTS) genre with Stormgate. Read the full article here.

Why I wrote about this

Warcraft II and Warcraft III were formative gaming experiences for me. And not only me: RTS used to define PC gaming. As skeptical as I am about its potential as a venture capital bid, seeing a well-funded, ex-Blizzard team take a swing at it feels worth examining.

The gist of it

RTS games peaked in the ’90s and early 2000s with franchises like Warcraft, StarCraft, Age of Empires, and Command & Conquer. StarCraft II was the last true blockbuster of the genre, and since then, MOBAs — themselves born from RTS mods — have dominated competitive PC gaming. While a handful of studios continue to ship strategy titles, none have meaningfully recaptured the genre’s former cultural or commercial dominance.

Timeline of selected RTS titles

Frost Giant, founded by former Blizzard developers, is trying to change that with Stormgate, a free-to-play RTS backed by $35M in venture funding and a successful Kickstarter. The closed beta reception has been cautiously positive. The gameplay blends elements of Warcraft III and StarCraft II, featuring larger armies and slower time-to-kill, but early feedback points to issues with visual clarity and art direction.

The bigger challenge isn’t just making a good RTS. It’s making one good enough to reunite a fragmented competitive community and compete for attention against League of Legends and Dota 2. History shows that technical excellence in RTS requires near-perfect execution. If Frost Giant truly has the old Blizzard magic, it has a shot. But reclaiming the throne means expanding the genre, not just serving its remaining loyalists.

Key takeaways

  • Stormgate is a well-funded, high-credibility attempt to reboot the RTS genre.
  • Early beta feedback is promising, though not without concerns (especially readability).
  • Success requires uniting a split RTS community and competing with MOBAs, not just legacy RTS titles.
  • There’s probably a business in RTS. It’s just unlikely to be a $100M venture-scale one.