On Jul 05, 2025, Blizzard releasedHeroes of the Storm, its official foray into the multiplayer online battle arena genre. Before then, the MOBA was known asBlizzard DOTA, and laterBlizzard All-Stars, only becoming known by its final name in October 2013. Regardless of its title, in the 10 years since its launch,Heroes of the Stormhas remained the most ambitious Blizzard crossover of all time.
In many ways,Heroes of the Stormwas a prodigal project. The MOBA genre was truly established by Blizzard fans in the form of theAeon of Strifemap forStarCraftand theDefense of the Ancientsmap forWarcraft 3, both of which later inspired countless games, including hits likeLeague of Legends,Smite, and evenDotA 2. Blizzard’s own MOBA was an inevitability, butHeroes of the Stormchanged things in a few profound ways that make it stand out in an otherwise dense genre.
Heroes of the Storm – A MOBA Unlike Any Other
No Items in Heroes of the Storm
One of the more subtle-but-impactful waysHeroes of the Stormdiffers from other MOBAs is its lack of items. In games likeLeague of Legends, one must farm currency to buy items after returning to one’s base. Even newer entries likePokemon Uniteuse items, though their Held Items and Battle Items work differently than those in more traditional MOBAs.Heroes of the Storminstead grows character power through the selection of Talents, chosen as they level up throughout a match.
This keeps the action ofHeroes of the Stormon the battlefield, without needing to frequently go back tobuy items as inLoL, the only reasons characters end up at their base is to replenish health and mana, reposition, or when they die. Healing Fountains and Globes likewise help players stay in the fight longer, givingHotSmatches more action than a typical MOBA.
Over a Dozen Maps With Unique Objectives
Diverse battlefields are an important part of every PvP game, andHeroes of the Stormhas them in droves. With over a dozen maps, many of which have alternative versions in otherHeroes of the Stormgame modes like Brawl Mode, it is rare to play on the same Battleground in the same session. Many other MOBAs have multiple maps, but few have as many asHotS– and some, likeLeague of Legends, only have a single map for each of its major game modes.
Blackheart’s Bay
Original
Turn in coins to buy a canon barrage on the enemy base
Collect tributes to curse the enemy team’s minions and base
Control shrines to possess the Dragon Knight statue
Haunted Mines
Collect skulls from the mines to empower the team’s Grave Golem
Collect seeds to summon the Garden Terror
Control the shrine to blast the enemy base with lasers
Turn in gems to summon Webweavers
Defeat the enemy Immortal while defending their own
Activate shrines and kill Skeletal Defenders to summon a Punisher
Claim Altars to damage the enemy’s core
Capture beacons to empower the team’s Zerg wave
Collect Nukes to launch on the enemy base
Escort payloads into enemy territory to barrage the enemy base
Capture the point to summon the two-seat Triglav Protector mech
Warcraft
Free allied prisoners to call in a cavalry rush
What’s more, each of these maps has unique objectives that periodically trigger throughout the game. From laser-launching shrines and spider-summoning Webweavers to controllable Dragon Knight statues and dueling angelic and demonic Immortals, every map contains exciting twists that spur conflict and provide tide-shifting power-ups for the victor. While some fans have criticized certain objectives as being more or less fun than others, few can claim the variety makes for stale gameplay.
The Ultimate Blizzard Crossover
Of course, the most obvious strength ofHeroes of the Stormis its status as a universe-spanning Blizzard crossover. Characters, maps, and mechanics from every major Blizzard game – including old titles likeThe Lost Vikings– appear in the game alongside original content, drawing from over 30 years of history to create a unique experience. Familiar game mechanics likemounts fromWorld of Warcraftand Healing Fountains fromDiablomake connections to these iconic games, and unique dialogue between characters who would otherwise never meet ensuresHeroes of the Stormcreates amazing and hilarious moments that wouldn’t be possible anywhere else.
The Fate and Legacy of Heroes of the Storm
That said, for all its strengths,Heroes of the Stormwas never able to truly compete with titans likeLeague of Legends. It entered maintenance mode in July 2022, and thoughHeroes of the Stormhas received periodic balance updatesand bug fixes in the following years, it no longer gets any new content. The game is still playable, and has a small-but-passionate community, but it is otherwise dead in the water.
Many fans were hoping Microsoft might reviveHeroes of the Stormafter its acquisition of Blizzard was completed in October 2023. While the first post-maintenance mode update took place right around then, and some impressiveHeroes of the Stormperks were added to the Xbox Game Pass Ultimateearlier this year, there has been no other evidence of a fullHotSrevival. Unfortunately, the 10th anniversary would have been a great time to announce something, so unless Blizzard surprises players soon, the chance of a comeback forHeroes of the Stormseems lower than ever before.
However, there may still be hope thatHeroes of the Storm’s legacy can live on in other ways.Nexon is allegedly developing a newOverwatchMOBA gamefor mobile devices, though little information is known about what it might entail. SeveralOverwatchcharacters appeared inHeroes of the Storm, so while this rumored mobile title would probably not include characters from IPs likeWarcraft,StarCraft, orDiablo, it may be able to draw other inspirations from Blizzard’s original MOBA, and scratch the itch for players who yearn for newHotScontent.
