An mpq file extension is used for game resource archives in games created by Blizzard Entertainment, such as Diablo, Diablo II, Diablo III or World of Warcraft.

Detailed description

Software that open mpq file

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MPQ file extension - Blizzard Entertainment game archive

What is mpq file? How to open mpq files?

File type specification:

Game file type icon Game file type

Archive and compressed file type icon Archive and compressed file type

mpq file icon: mpq filetype icon

The mpq file extension is used for mpq archives used by many games developed by Blizzard Entertainment, like Starcraft and Diablo. MPQ (Mo'PaQ) is short for Mike O'Brien Pack.

The mpq files are used exclusively in Blizzard's games and contain various game resource data (including graphics, sounds, and level data). The format's capabilities include compression, encryption, file segmentation, extensible file metadata, cryptographic signature and the ability to store multiple versions of the same file for internationalization and platform-specific differences.

MPQ archives can use a variety of compression algorithms which may also be combined.

Supported compression algorithms:

  • PKZIP
  • Huffman
  • bzip2
  • LZMA

In some Blizzard video games, for example Warcraft III, in-game cinematics are using *.mpq file extension, but there aren't archived with MPQ format. There are stored in AVI video format encoded by DivX video codec. Only .avi extension is renamed to .mpq.

The default software associated to open mpq file:

MPQ Editor picture or screenshot

MPQ Editor  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
Ladislav Zezula

A small program used to browse and perform other operations with MPQ archives found in many games developed by Blizzard, such as Diablo or Starcraft series.

StarCraft II icon

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. logoStarCraft II  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

StarCraft II is a military science fiction real-time strategy video game developed and released by Blizzard Entertainment for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X worldwide on July 27, 2010.

Featuring a unique single-player campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. 

Diablo III icon

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. logoDiablo III  Microsoft Windows software

Company or developer:
Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Diablo III is a dark fantasy action RPG and third installment in popular Diablo franchise developed by Blizzard Entertainment and released in 2012. The game takes place in Sanctuary, the dark fantasy world of the Diablo series, which was saved twenty years prior by a handful of unnamed heroes in Diablo II. 

Help how to open:

You can view contents of *.mpq files with MPQ Editor and some other similar software programs.

How to convert:

You can extract contents with a few mpq tools. See suggested apps. Simple conversion does not make sense and is not possible.

File identification strings:

HEX code: 4D 50 51 1A
ASCII code: MPQ

List of software applications associated to the .mpq file extension

Recommended software programs are sorted by OS platform (Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android etc.)
and possible program actions that can be done with the file: like open mpq file, edit mpq file, convert mpq file, view mpq file, play mpq file etc. (if exist software for corresponding action in File-Extensions.org's database).

Hint:
Click on the tab below to simply browse between the application actions, to quickly get a list of recommended software, which is able to perform the specified software action, such as opening, editing or converting mpq files.

Software that open mpq file - Blizzard Entertainment game archive

Programs supporting the exension mpq on the main platforms Windows, Mac, Linux or mobile. Click on the link to get more information about listed programs for open mpq file action.

Microsoft Windows:

Apple macOS / Mac OS X:

Linux/Unix:

Multiplatform:

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