| Heroes of the Storm | |
|---|---|
 Heroes of the Storm 2.0 (2017) logo | |
| Developer(s) |
Blizzard Entertainment Team 1 |
| Publisher(s) | Blizzard Entertainment |
| Platforms | Microsoft Windows, macOS |
| Release | June 2, 2015 |
| Genre(s) | Team Brawler, MOBA |
Heroes of the Storm, often shortened to Heroes or HotS (even though "HotS" can also refer to a StarCraft II expansion), is a Blizzard Entertainment "hero brawler" game which was initially inspired by the Defense of the Ancients custom map for Warcraft III. The game features characters from across the Warcraft, StarCraft, The Lost Vikings, Diablo and Overwatch franchises, who are seized by an unknown force and brought together in a mysterious location known as the Nexus to do battle.
On 13 December 2018, Blizzard decided to pull some developers to other projects and announce that the Heroes Global Championship and Heroes of the Dorm will not return in 2019.[1] New content for the game came to a halt in July 2022 but would still receive support in the form of client sustainability and bug fixing along with balance updates as needed.[2]
Gameplay[]
Heroes of the Storm is a team-based competitive game in which each player controls a powerful hero with unique abilities, and works with his or her team to invade and destroy the enemy team's base. However, it has a number of features which set it apart from other DOTA-style games. Experience is shared between all players on a team (so there is no benefit to last-hitting). There are no purchasable items (but characters can be customized by learning talents as they level up). All skills are unlocked at the beginning of a match. Games are intended to last for about 20 minutes each, and each map has unique objectives.[3]
Heroes[]
89 hero characters that are playable are:
- 2 Original heroes: Orphea, Qhira
- 1 Blizzard Classic franchise hero: The Lost Vikings
- 18 Diablo franchise heroes: Auriel, Azmodan, Cassia, Deckard, Diablo, Imperius, Johanna, Kharazim, Leoric, Li-Ming, Malthael, Mephisto, Nazeebo, Sonya, The Butcher, Tyrael, Valla, Xul
- 9 Overwatch franchise heroes: Ana, D.Va, Genji, Hanzo, Junkrat, Lúcio, Mei, Tracer, Zarya
- 17 StarCraft franchise heroes: Abathur, Alarak, Artanis, Blaze, Dehaka, Fenix, Kerrigan, Lt. Morales, Nova, Probius, Raynor, Sgt. Hammer, Stukov, Tassadar, Tychus, Zagara, Zeratul
- 43 Warcraft franchise heroes: Alexstrasza, Anduin, Anub'arak, Arthas, Brightwing, Chen, Cho'gall (in-game as 2 heroes Cho and Gall), Chromie, Deathwing, E.T.C., Falstad, Garrosh, Gazlowe, Greymane, Gul'dan, Hogger, Illidan, Jaina, Kael'thas, Kel'Thuzad, Li Li, Lunara, Maiev, Mal'Ganis, Malfurion, Medivh, Muradin, Murky, Ragnaros, Rehgar, Rexxar, Samuro, Stitches, Sylvanas, Thrall, Tyrande, Uther, Valeera, Varian, Whitemane, Yrel, Zul'jin
One of the game's features is the ability to purchase or earn skins for each hero, with each skin often available in different color schemes alongside the 'traditional' colors. Some skins represent characters from the past, a different timeline, or even a parallel universe such as:
- The Stormrage twins had their roles switched and Tyrande became a Warden.
- A version of Tyrande who is a blood elf descendant of her namesake, Tyrande Windrunner.
- Thrall embraced the power of the Aspect of Earth, becoming consumed by living rock and permanently changed.
- Uther survived his last battle with Arthas and later lead the Alliance forces in Northrend during WotLK.
- Uther was Arthur Light, humble lumberjack from British Columbia.
- In a world made from confections, Muradin was king of Kandy Mountain.
- A version of Rexxar from the StarCraft universe who is a mutated human called military ursine-handler Cpl. Rex Arkk.
- A version of Jaina that is a Dreadlord.
A model for Gelbin Mekkatorque has been shown been shown at past BlizzCons but he was never added to the game. Other characters Blizzard have considered from the Warcraft universe include Aggra, Azshara, Brann, Cenarius, Dagg'um Ty'gor, Dr. Boom, Gallywix, Grom, Harth, Kil'jaeden, Moira, Varimathras, Vashj, Velen, and Vol'jin.[4]
Battlegrounds[]
Battlegrounds or maps are the battlefields upon which the heroes do battle and matches are fought. Each battleground has a different layout as well as unique features that set it apart from the others.
14 battlegrounds that are currently playable are:
- 8 battlegrounds unique to Heroes of the Storm: Blackheart's Bay, Cursed Hollow, Dragon Shire, Garden of Terror, Haunted Mines, Sky Temple, Tomb of the Spider Queen, Towers of Doom.
- 2 Diablo franchise battlegrounds: Battlefield of Eternity, Infernal Shrines.
- 2 Overwatch franchise battlegrounds: Hanamura Temple, Volskaya Foundry.
- 2 Starcraft franchise battlegrounds: Braxis Holdout, Warhead Junction.
- 1 Warcraft franchise battleground: Alterac Pass.
Notes and trivia[]
- The original name - Blizzard DOTA - was at the heart of a legal battle between Valve, who wanted to trademark "DOTA" for their own use, and Blizzard, who wanted to prevent the trademark so that it could be freely used by the gaming community. Ultimately, they decided that DOTA could be freely used non-commercially, while Valve retained exclusive rights to its commercial usage. As a result, Blizzard DOTA was renamed Blizzard All-Stars. Rob Pardo commented that the new title "ultimately better reflects the design of our game."[5] On October 17, 2013, the game was renamed yet again to Heroes of the Storm.[6]
- Blizzard does not use the terms "ARTS" or "MOBA", feeling that the game is more accurately described as a "hero brawler".[3] However with the 2022 redesign of the Blizzard.com website, they now list the game as a "MOBA".[7]
- Carbot Animations drawn characters are shown in Heroes of the Storm as collectable portraits and sprays.
Gallery[]
Hero models[]
Alexstrasza in Dragonqueen form.
Chen split into elemental spirits using Storm, Earth, and Fire.
Illidan in Metamorphosis form.
Medivh in Raven Form.
Muradin in Avatar form.
Magni Muradin skin.
Magni Muradin in Avatar form.
Rehgar in Ghost Wolf form.
- Skins from other franchises heroes merging into Warcraft
Apothecary Morales
AzGul'dan
Crypt Queen Zagara
Death Knight Sonya
Deathbringer Sonya
Draenei Executor Artanis
D.Va the Destroyer
Farstrider Hanzo
Fel Reaver Blaze
God-King Leoric
Herald of N'zoth Alarak
Knight-Lieutenant Morales
Legion Mistress Kerrigan
Legion's Wrath Sonya
Lurkablo
Necrotopologist Mei
Sapper Junkrat
Sgt. Doomhammer
Spellbreaker Johanna
Spirit Healer Auriel
Succubus Kerrigan
Vrykul Leoric
Warsong Johanna
Wrath Sonya
A jungle troll head is carried by Nazeebo a Diablo franchise hero.
Hero artwork[]
Creatures summoned by heroes[]
Banshees created by Sylvanas's basic ability Haunting Wave.
Bats created by Mal'Ganis's Heroic ability Carrion Swarm, also created by his Plague Bats talent.
Anub'arak's basic ability Scarab Host spawns a Beetle. Anub'arak's Heroic ability Locust Swarm creates locusts.
Boars created by Rexxar's Heroic ability Unleash the Boars.
Li Li's basic ability Cloud Serpent.
Eye of Kilrogg Gall's ability.
Ghoul created by Arthas's Heroic ability Army of the Dead.
Thrall's basic ability Feral Spirit.
Murky's Heroic ability March of the Murlocs.
Mr. Bigglesworth appears as part of Kel'Thuzad's dance animation.
Murky's Heroic ability Octo-Grab.
Phoenix created by Kael'thas's Heroic ability Phoenix.
Murky's basic ability Pufferfish.
Tyrande's basic ability Sentinel (a owl).
Gazlowe's basic ability Rock-It! Turret creates a independent turret.
Shade created by Kel'Thuzad's Talent ability The Damned Return.
Sindragosa created by Arthas's Heroic ability Summon Sindragosa.
Rexxar's basic ability Spirit Swoop (a hawk).
Treant created by Malfurion's ability Entangling Roots after taking the Talent Vengeful Roots.
Water elemental created by Jaina's Heroic ability Summon Water Elemental.
Lunara's basic ability Wisp.
- Creatures summoned by Warcraft heroes unique to Heroes of the Storm
Retchling created by Stitches's ability Devour after taking the Talent Indigestion.
Li Li's Heroic ability Water Dragon.
Battleground NPCs[]
Harrison Jones escaping the Sky Temple.
Harrison Jones in the Tomb of the Spider Queen.
Headless Horseman Towers of Doom boss mercenary.
Spirit Healers can be seen in the Towers of Doom and Alterac Pass battlegrounds.
Alterac Pass General Vanndar Stormpike.
Alterac Pass General Drek'Thar.
Alterac Pass orc melee minion, model also used for prison guards.
Alterac Pass dwarf rifleman ranged minion model.
Alterac Pass jungle troll ranged minion.
Alterac Pass night elf leader minion.
Alterac Pass blood elf leader minion.
Alterac Pass Alliance cavalry.
Alterac Pass Horde cavalry.
Alterac Pass gnoll model reaver minion (left) and mercenary (right).
Alterac Pass ice giant boss mercenary.
Alterac Pass sleeping orc peon.
Mounts[]
Other[]
Heroes of the Storm.
Heroes of the Storm.
The Eternal Conflict, a Diablo event.
Welcome to the Arena.
Machines of War, a StarCraft event.
Echoes of Alterac, a Warcraft event.
Echoes of Alterac logo, Warcraft-themed
Echoes of Alterac, a Warcraft event (Alliance skins).
Echoes of Alterac, a Warcraft event (Horde skins).
Alterac Pass loading screen.
Alterac Pass catapult prop.
Alterac Pass ballista prop.
CraftWars event art.
CraftWars logo, StarCraft and Warcraft-themed
Legends of the Past event art.
- As Blizzard DOTA
Muradin
Stitches
Arthas
Illidan Stormrage
- Unreleased content that was shown by Blizzard
Blizzard DOTA.
Grunty Hero for Blizzard DOTA.
Ogre mercenary concept art as shown at BlizzCon 2011.
Ogre mercenary models as shown at BlizzCon 2011.
Goblin shop in Blizzard All-Stars.
Unused Gazlowe version.
Gelbin Mekkatorque model shown at BlizzCons still unused in-game.
Neo-Stormwind (concept for a Realm within the Nexus)
Videos[]
Trailers[]
- Cinematic Trailer
- Hero Trailer: Auriel
- Hero Trailer: Artanis
- Hero Trailer: Anub'arak
- Hero Trailer: Azmodan
- Hero Trailer: Brightwing
- Hero Trailer: Butcher
- Hero Trailer: Chen
- Hero Trailer: Cho'gall
- Hero Trailer: Chromie
- Hero Trailer: Gul'dan
- Hero Trailer: Jaina
- Hero Trailer: Johanna
- Hero Trailer: Kael'thas
- Hero Trailer: Kerrigan
- Hero Trailer: Kharazim
- Hero Trailer: Leoric
- Hero Trailer: Li Li
- Hero Trailer: Lt. Morales
- Hero Trailer: Medivh
- Hero Trailer: Muradin
- Hero Trailer: Murky
- Hero Trailer: Probius
- Hero Trailer: Rehgar
- Hero Trailer: Rexxar
- Hero Trailer: Samuro
- Hero Trailer: Stitches
- Hero Trailer: Sylvanas
- Hero Trailer: The Lost Vikings
- Hero Trailer: Thrall
- Hero Trailer: Tracer
- Hero Trailer: Tychus
- Hero Trailer: Tyrael
- Hero Trailer: Zagara
Other[]
- Developer Interview
- Gameplay Sneak Peak
- Hero Skin: Azmodunk
- Hero Skin: Space Lord Leoric
- World Event: Gift of Winter Veil
- World Event: Love is in the Air
- World Event: Lunar Festival
- Forged by Fire: Heroes of the Storm BlizzCon 2016 Hero Trailer
- World Event: The Twelve Days of Winter Veil
- Cinematic: Hanamura Showdown
- World Event: Sun's Out, Gun's Out
- Gamescom 2017: Obey the Call
References[]
- ^ Heroes of the Storm News.... Blizzard Entertainment (2018-12-13). Retrieved on 2018-12-13.
- ^ Heroes of the Storm Update - July 8, 2022. Blizzard Entertainment (2022-07-08).
- ^ a b GameSpot: Blizzard explains why it doesn't call Heroes of the Storm a MOBA
- ^ List of unconfirmed heroes - Warcraft, accessed on 2016-05-05
- ^ Valve and Blizzard settle over use of DOTA
- ^ Battle.Net: Heroes of the Storm
- ^ Blizzard Entertainment - All Games. Blizzard Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2022-03-20.
External links[]
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