Forever has a toggle between HD and SD model display modes. Players have noticed that some models in the new mode look noticeably different from the classics — sparking a debate in which one participant explained in detail why modernization, in their view, doesn't run counter to the spirit of Warcraft.

In Forever, players can switch between HD and SD model display modes. The difference between the two is noticeable: according to user Ringrim, the model of the NPC Chol'ruluk has been changed in HD mode. His reaction in the same thread: "Why even have this HD/SD toggle?" — in other words, what's the point of having the switch if models get changed anyway.

A detailed breakdown on the topic was posted by Ringrim on the European Blizzard forum on September 30. His main thesis: the spirit of Classic is not polygons or texture resolution — it's gameplay. For him, Classic is exploring the world, talking to other players, class trainers, quivers and ammunition for hunters, Meeting Stones, no flying mounts, the need to actually travel the world and interact with those around you.

Ringrim separates art style from technical level. The technical limits of 2004 shaped the game's look and helped it come together, but in his view that doesn't mean those limits are the style itself. Warcraft is recognizable through its silhouettes, exaggerated proportions, massive roofs and beams, oversized weapons and armor, expressive architecture, hand-painted textures and the overall design logic — and none of that requires twenty-year-old geometry.

As an example, he points to the classic human tavern and its modern version: the roof and beams are the same, the materials are still stylized, the proportions just as expressive — there's simply more detail. With the extra geometry, the beams gain volume, the windows gain real depth, the roof feels more solid, yet the original intent isn't lost.

Ringrim also notes separately that the choice between stylization and realism is made by artists, not by the engine. Warcraft III: Reforged, with modern technology, moved closer to realism, while retail WoW, with the same capabilities, stayed stylized. The decision lies with art direction.

In the same thread, another participant, Stabiee, took the opposite view. In his words, retail art is not a "modern version" of the classic style but a completely different direction — and for some players it doesn't read as classic Warcraft. He believes that if developers go down the path of retail visuals, it will alienate a significant part of the Classic+ audience, for whom the look of the game matters.

The community also spawned a meme on r/wowforever: "What HD users see when they look at my cute lil SD gnome" — a tongue-in-cheek nod to the noticeable difference between the modes.