Warsworn is a class-based MOBA prototype built inside the World of Warcraft engine. It has more than 50 custom classes, 100% skillshot-based combat, several game modes, and a standalone launcher and update system.
I built it to answer a larger product question: could an MMO and a modern multiplayer online battle arena be combined into an MMOBA?
Why use the World of Warcraft engine?
Building a standalone multiplayer game would have required a large budget before the core combat idea had been proven. I already knew the World of Warcraft engine deeply from building Shinobi Story, so it gave me a faster way to test the concept with real players.
The engine provided a stable multiplayer foundation. I could focus on the parts that made Warsworn different: class kits, maps, game modes, progression, and combat feel.
Replacing tab targeting with skillshots
Standard World of Warcraft combat relies heavily on selecting a target. Warsworn took the opposite approach. Every ability was designed as a skillshot, so timing, aim, positioning, and movement determined whether it landed.
I designed more than 50 custom classes around that rule. The goal was to reach the clarity and specialization of League of Legends-style class design while keeping the scale and persistence available in an MMO engine.
What the prototype included
Warsworn included Conquest, ARAM, Warquest, and Arena Brawl modes. It also had custom maps, item and talent systems, ability-modifying cards, character creation, class selection, and a launcher with its own file distribution and update system.
I designed the maps, combat visuals, and UI; built the website and launcher; and handled the marketing. The project reached 1,655 created accounts.
What the prototype proved
Warsworn showed that the combat model could work inside an MMO engine and that a large roster of skillshot classes could remain readable across different multiplayer modes. It also let me test the expensive, uncertain part of the idea before committing to a standalone engine.
The Warsworn project page has the gameplay video, account metric, technology list, and a 25-image gallery covering the maps, classes, combat, launcher, and UI.
