The underwhelming release of Warcraft 3 Reforged was the result of budget cuts, mismanagement, and internal conflict, a recently released report from Bloomberg reveals.

Released last February, Reforged came out in shocking condition. Not only was the remake missing many of the grand, sweeping updates planned for the game's art and narration, but it also ruined the 2002 original "Warcraft 3," replacing the online service entirely with one that lacked basic features such as a competitive ladder It was a disaster.

In a new report, sources write that "Warcraft 3" suffered from constant communication errors and financial pressure. Planned improvements were scrapped as the game was retooled. Arguments erupted over the game's art style and scope; Rob Bridenbecker, head of Blizzard's Classic Games team, was accused of having an "aggressive management style" and frequently traveling out of the country during production.

"Some developers have dealt with fatigue, anxiety, and depression over the past year," the developer wrote in an internal after-action report obtained by Bloomberg. Many have lost faith in the team and this company. Many players have also lost faith, and the launch did not help Blizzard's already rough year for its image.

"Reforged" also faced pressure from corporate owner Activision, which did not prioritize a throwaway RTS that had little chance of being a big hit; it did not help that massive layoffs were made throughout the company in 2019, and pre-orders began long before the game was finished Therefore, the team constantly had to "resist the urge to ship unfinished product due to financial pressures."

"We took pre-orders even though we knew the game was not yet finished," the post-report writer explained.

The report further noted how the Classic Games team was maligned by Blizzard and how Blizzard management was "indifferent" to the project until late in development. But the report ultimately blames Activision's increased influence over Blizzard after the merger for pushing developers to focus exclusively on billion-dollar stable games like "World of Warcraft" and "Overwatch."

The report comes shortly after the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, accusing the company of a "frat boy-like workplace culture" where women are paid markedly less than their male colleagues and subjected to "incessant sexual harassment."