Which 1994 PC game was the first title in Blizzard’s Warcraft real-time strategy series?

The first title in Blizzard’s Warcraft real-time strategy series was Warcraft: Orcs & Humans, released for MS-DOS in 1994. It was developed and published by Silicon & Synapse, the company that became Blizzard Entertainment.

The game depicts a conflict between the human kingdom of Azeroth and invading orc forces. Players gather resources, build structures, train military units, and complete campaign missions from one faction’s perspective. It also included multiplayer support, an important feature for a relatively young studio.

Warcraft: Orcs & Humans established the setting, faction rivalry, and real-time strategy framework that Warcraft II later expanded. Warcraft II introduced naval combat and improved presentation, while Warcraft III eventually shifted the series toward stronger hero characters and role-playing elements.

The title is sometimes shortened to Warcraft, but its full name distinguishes it from the franchise as a whole. It should also not be confused with World of Warcraft, the massively multiplayer online role-playing game launched in 2004.