The Culling (Warcraft)
A mission that forces the player to massacre civilians to win.
The Culling is a mission from the 2002 real-time strategy game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, created by Blizzard Entertainment. It serves as the sixth chapter of the human campaign, where Prince Arthas Menethil decides to destroy the plague-ridden city of Stratholme. Unlike typical campaign objectives that involve wiping out an enemy base, this level sets a numerical target for both the player and the opponent, turning it into a race. The player must eliminate at least one hundred residents before the demon Mal'Ganis can convert them into undead troops. The player maintains a base outside Stratholme, allowing resource gathering, building construction, and unit training. No alternative path exists to save or spare the city. The scenario was later adapted into the Culling of Stratholme, a five-player dungeon in the 2008 expansion World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. For the 2020 remaster Warcraft III: Reforged, it was significantly redesigned, with Stratholme incorporating geography and visuals from World of Warcraft. Critics view The Culling as a key moment in Arthas’s shift from hero to villain and as an example of gameplay conveying story. Commentary often highlights the contrast between the player’s control over how efficiently the massacre occurs and their inability to stop it. Later adaptations have also been examined for altering the player’s role: in Warcraft III, they carry out the massacre, while in World of Warcraft, they preserve it as established history. The Culling takes place during “The Scourge of Lordaeron,” the human campaign set mostly in the kingdom of Lordaeron. Prince Arthas and the sorceress Jaina Proudmoore chase the necromancer Kel'Thuzad, who distributed plague-infected grain that kills victims and raises them as undead. Upon reaching Stratholme, Arthas concludes the contaminated grain has already been eaten, so the city’s inhabitants will become part of the undead Scourge. He orders his mentor, the paladin Uther the Lightbringer, to purge the city before the transformation occurs. Uther refuses to kill civilians who show no signs of infection. Arthas uses his authority as heir to the throne, declaring Uther guilty of treason, disbanding the Knights of the Silver Hand, and taking direct command of loyal soldiers. Jaina also refuses and leaves with Uther.
Quick Facts
- Series
- Warcraft
- Creator
- Blizzard Entertainment
- Genre
- Real-time strategy
- People
- Arthas Menethil / Mal'Ganis
- First
- Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos (2002)
- Last
- Warcraft III: Reforged (2020)
- Located In
- Stratholme
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Culling occurs during the human campaign of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, set in the kingdom of Lordaeron. Prince Arthas and the sorceress Jaina Proudmoore pursue the necromancer Kel'Thuzad, who has distributed grain infected with a plague that kills its victims and raises them as undead. After reaching Stratholme, Arthas concludes that the contaminated grain has already been consumed and that the city's inhabitants will become part of the undead Scourge. Arthas orders his mentor, the paladin Uther the Lightbringer, to purge the city before its population can be transformed. Uther refuses to kill civilians who have not yet shown signs of infection. Arthas exerts his authority as heir apparent to the throne of Lordaeron: he declares Uther guilty of treason, suspends the Knights of the Silver Hand, and assumes direct command of the soldiers willing to follow him. Jaina also refuses to participate in the slaughter and leaves the city with Uther.
Reader's Guide
The Culling is significant as a narrative and gameplay turning point in the Warcraft series. Critics have identified it as a key moment in Arthas's transformation from a heroic character into a villainous figure and as an example of gameplay being used to communicate narrative. The level does not provide an alternative route in which the city can be saved or spared, forcing the player to carry out the massacre. Commentary has focused on the discrepancy between the player's ability to control how efficiently the massacre is performed and their inability to prevent it. The scenario was later adapted as the Culling of Stratholme, a five-player dungeon in the 2008 expansion World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King, and was substantially redesigned for the 2020 remaster Warcraft III: Reforged. These later adaptations have been analyzed for changing the player's relationship to the event, from carrying out the massacre in Warcraft III to preserving it as established history in World of Warcraft.
Did You Know?
- The level designer David Fried selected The Culling while the campaign team was distributing missions among its designers.
- Blizzard executive Bill Roper selected The Culling as his favorite mission in Warcraft III shortly after the original game's release.
- The Reforged version introduced landmarks from World of Warcraft, including the city gates, the Bastion of the Silver Hand, and Alonsus Chapel.
- At the 2010 Game Developers Conference, lead designer Rob Pardo used The Culling to illustrate Blizzard's principle of 'play, don't tell'.
More in Heroes & Villains
Elsewhere in World of Warcraft
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced