Developer Interview, Free Hero Rotation, Weekly Sales

[Nerraw]

Invenglobal Developer Interview
Invenglobal got a chance to sit down with developers Kaeo Milker and Matt Villers. We've included the highlights below:

• Heroes did not initially have any lore due to the game originating as a Starcraft 2 map
• The average hero is in development for 6-9 months
• Deckard's kit was nailed down about 6 months ago, with the time between now and then spent on polishing, balancing, graphics
• The team have more than 100 heroes they want to include in the game
• The number of heroes currently in varying stages of development is probably around 8-10
• New heroes are developed by a dedicated team, reworked heroes are worked on by the live-balancing team
• They hear the community's request for a Raynor rework but can't talk about anything currently
• Another multi-class hero will be done when it makes sense for a given hero design
• Deckard should be capable of being solo-support
• The team wants to get more support heroes into the game
• Heroes with high mobility are being kept an eye on, with a focus on how frustrating they can be to play against
• More heroes will have their gold price dropped eventually
• Hanamura will make a comeback
• Third bans are being explored

Free Hero Rotation

Free-to-Play Hero Rotation: April 10, 2018

• Malfurion
• Valla
• Gazlowe
• Johanna
• Thrall
• Dehaka
• Lt. Morales
• Gul'dan
• Leoric
• Hanzo
• Chen (Slot unlocked at Player Level 5)
• Blaze (Slot unlocked at Player Level 10)
• Illidan (Slot unlocked at Player Level 15)
• Valeera (Slot unlocked at Player Level 20)

Weekly Sales

Our next set of Heroic Deals will begin on Tuesday, April 10! Check out the list of upcoming featured items and Hero discounts below.

Upcoming Hero Sales

• Dehaka — Sale Price: 375 gems
• Diablo — Sale Price: 150 Gems

The following skins and mounts will be added to the featured item rotation and will become purchasable with gems until this round of Heroic Deals comes to an end:

Upcoming Featured Skins

• Savage Pack Leader Dehaka
• Soul Iron Diablo
• Cataclysmic Succubus Kerrigan
• Test Model Purifier Artanis
• Golden Roller Derby Nova
• Amber Spectre Tracer
• Pallid Ironclaw Rehgar
• Dominion Maraudin' Muradin

Upcoming Featured Mounts

• Showtime Championship Banner
• Biohazard Road Boar

[Deleted]

They hear the community's request for a Raynor rework but can't talk about anything currently

At least an honorable mention

Though I'm surprised there is no further talk about hero-league rework. Many people seem to be frustrated with the current system, especially in the higher brackets. It's kinda sad that QM remains the #1 played mode in HotS and it makes sense when so many people claim that it's the main reason the the stagnation/inability to grow.

(reference https://eu.battle.net/forums/en/hero...ic/17618213090 )

[DesoPL]

Why there is no mention about outrage which is going on in reddit? People complain much about current state of the game.
@Nerraw fix it!

[Nerraw]

Why there is no mention about outrage which is going on in reddit? People complain much about current state of the game.
@Nerraw fix it!

Waiting for some kind of official response to that. We're doing more interview recaps this week, so there might be some info coming from there.

While I certainly voice my opinions on happenings in the game elsewhere, I strive to make these news posts as objective as possible so people can form their own opinions from the information that is provided. You're certainly welcome to start a thread for discussing the current controversies though.

[Stormcall]

It's kinda sad that QM remains the #1 played mode in HotS

It's cause people want to play the heroes they like and enjoy, and not have to worry about if the hero is "meta", or filling a specific role("I don't play support"), or is "right" for the map, or things like that. For the majority of people competing against other people is all the competition they need...which is exactly what they get in QM.

[Deleted]

It's cause people want to play the heroes they like and enjoy, and not have to worry about if the hero is "meta", or filling a specific role("I don't play support"), or is "right" for the map, or things like that. For the majority of people competing against other people is all the competition they need...which is exactly what they get in QM.

Agree, and that will kill this game. If the players don't play the game the devs have in mind the devs won't care. The "core" player base or progaming playerbase will drop and that's where we are. As in WoW - there is no use in a big balancing team, boss tuning team if everyone just enjoys leveling.

This is the difference of hots and the other mobas. They thought it would be a good idea - but right now it shows that it wasn't.

[Stormcall]

Agree, and that will kill this game. If the players don't play the game the devs have in mind the devs won't care.

No, trying to force players into a game mode they do not give a fuck about is what will kill the game. I can tell you right now, if I have to start playing specific heroes, rather than the ones I want to play, I will drop the fucking game in a heartbeat. So will everyone I know who plays, and so will the majority of the playerbase, cause the majority of the playerbase doesn't give a shit about "competitive play". Do you know what happens when the majority of a game's playerbase leaves? It dies. And unless you think the devs have IQs in the double digits, there is NO fucking way they didn't completely expect that from the moment the game launched, which means, well, QM is pretty much EXACTLY the game the devs have in mind. Hell, it was even MARKETED as being a more causual MOBA, where you could play your favorite Blizz heroes in 5v5 battles. They knew they had to have some organized play for the esports scene, but I guarantee you that is NOT the game the devs "have in mind".

[rogoth]

No, trying to force players into a game mode they do not give a fuck about is what will kill the game. I can tell you right now, if I have to start playing specific heroes, rather than the ones I want to play, I will drop the fucking game in a heartbeat. So will everyone I know who plays, and so will the majority of the playerbase, cause the majority of the playerbase doesn't give a shit about "competitive play". And unless you think the devs have IQs in the double digits, there is NO fucking way they didn't completely expect that from the moment the game launched, which means, well, QM is pretty much EXACTLY the game the devs have in mind. Hell, it was even MARKETED as being a more causual MOBA, where you could play your favorite Blizz heroes in 5v5 battles. They knew they had to have some organized play for the esports scene, but I guarantee you that is NOT the game the devs "have in mind".

and this little bullshit tirade is entirely your own opinion with no basis in fact, all we know is that they have some very specific plans to address the clusterfuck state of ranked play across all levels of play, and when the game was in development the main focus was actually ranked, QM was there just as a way to let people play without needing to loose ranks, i should know cos i was in alpha testing and i screwed my MMR to hell as a result of that 'testing' and paying for it to this day.

[caervek]

Hanamura will make a comeback

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

[DesoPL]

Waiting for some kind of official response to that. We're doing more interview recaps this week, so there might be some info coming from there.

While I certainly voice my opinions on happenings in the game elsewhere, I strive to make these news posts as objective as possible so people can form their own opinions from the information that is provided. You're certainly welcome to start a thread for discussing the current controversies though.

Ask and shall be recieved.

https://us.battle.net/forums/en/hero...2187059?page=1

[Nerraw]

Ask and shall be recieved.

https://us.battle.net/forums/en/hero...2187059?page=1

I'm aware, doing a piece on it today. I had a feeling it was coming sooner rather than later.

Many thanks though!

[Stormcall]

and this little bullshit tirade is entirely your own opinion with no basis in fact,.

You know, other than the FACT that QM is by far the most played game mode. Tell me, why do you think that is? Not real fucking hard to figure out, even if it stumps you for some reason.

[Mormolyce]

How about bringing back that Brawl Hanamura map as a real map? That shit was fun.

I don't really get the popularity of the Raynor rework. I maintain that his kit is fine, sure you could tweak some stats or minor talents, but overall he's fun and has at least one good build.

[Deleted]

I don't really get the popularity of the Raynor rework. I maintain that his kit is fine, sure you could tweak some stats or minor talents, but overall he's fun and has at least one good build.

He's a ranged creep on steroids. Effectively the hero doesn't have a trait and overall his kit is lacking. He's fine for QM(everything is fine for QM), but he's an awful hero at anything else.

[Rawrajishxc]

It's kinda sad that QM remains the #1 played mode in HotS and it makes sense when so many people claim that it's the main reason the the stagnation/inability to grow. (reference https://eu.battle.net/forums/en/hero...ic/17618213090 )

As with every moba casual play/QM will always be the number one played game mode regardless of anything.

[Utigarde]

Another multi-class hero will be done when it makes sense for a given hero design

Here's hoping Anduin is coming soon to fill this, got a short window between now and BfA launch hype to get him out.

[Thimagryn]

can't check yet, but did Fenix get a gold price drop to 10k yet?

[Nerraw]

can't check yet, but did Fenix get a gold price drop to 10k yet?

He did, in EU at least.

[silverdragon234]

Once again, I say Varian is the only multi-class hero Heroes of the Storm needs, and it's going to stay that way!

[ophion1990]

I don't really get the popularity of the Raynor rework. I maintain that his kit is fine, sure you could tweak some stats or minor talents, but overall he's fun and has at least one good build.

He got powercreeped by Fenix/Tracer/Hanzo and Greymane, in addition to that, he has a lot of outdated generic talents. To highlight how poor of a state he's in, with a level 20 talent, he has 0.1 range on Hanzo, even though range is supposed to be the strong suit of Jimmy and one of the reasons he has less HP than even Tracer.

Just buffing his HP or even making Fight or Flight baseline would go a long way though, I agree. Which makes me wonder why they didn't try to do that, rather than leave him in his current state for this long (and he's only gotten worse).