Please tell us about who you are and what you do.
Hi, I’m John DeShazer, Lead Battleground Designer at Blizzard. I’ve worked in the game industry for about twelve years, and have spent more than three years with the Heroes of the Storm team here. The first thing I’ve worked on in Heroes was designing Sky Temple. I’m very lucky to work with a group of passionate designers who have a strong love for the game.
Could you briefly tell us about the new game mode, Heroes Brawl?
Heroes Brawl is a new game mode with cooldowns different from those in regular games. Not only does the new Brawl mode have single-lane matches, but it also features Bo3 arena battles and interesting modifiers we call "mutators".
Our very first Brawl will be Punisher Arena, a Bo3 showdown in which players choose one of three randomly selected heroes to enter the fray. Players can score points for killing enemy heroes and enemy Punishers. Whichever team accumulates 100 points wins. It’s an unpredictable, non-stop, action-packed team deathmatch.
We aim to deliver fun, low-pressure experiences that players can enjoy away from the cutthroat, competitive side of Heroes.
Arena Mode's development was announced at BlizzCon 2015. It since has been a year, and now we have Heroes Brawl. How did Arena Mode evolve to Heroes Brawl?
Arena was very well-designed and is something I’m proud of. But there wasn’t enough leg room to put everything we wanted in that mode. In addition to arenas, we wanted to provide a variety of fun experiences such as single-lane battlegrounds and completely "mutated" new rules.
How will Brawl be different from what we already have in Lost Cavern?
Lost Cavern shares some similarities with Brawl, but the latter has a much more improved random selection mechanism. Players also don’t have to go through the custom game option to start the game. Battleground visibility has also improved. Lost Cavern is the first new game mode we introduced to Heroes, and we plan to add more like it in the future.
What do players need to start playing Brawl?
Absolutely nothing. That is the beauty of Brawl. Players don’t have to own any heroes or know any special rules. New Brawls will be new for everyone, and we will be providing all the heroes. All players have to do is just pick one hero out of the random three and get into the action.
Heroes has traditionally been a game with a heavy focus on teamwork, but it seems that Brawl will be more geared toward showcasing individual mechanics.
It should change week by week. Punisher Arena should favor teams with better individual mechanics, but we’ll introduce other battlegrounds with rules that call more for team synergy.
Will heroes such as Abathur and Cho’gall also have a chance to shine in Brawl?
We want to involve as many heroes as possible. Heroes such as Abathur and Cho’gall will not be effective in some battlegrounds, but we’ll look for ways for them to be effective and unique options in others.
Will past Brawls be available for play in custom games?
As of now, we are planning to only enable the ongoing Brawl for custom games. Keep in mind that some of the most popular Brawls may come back in the future.
Will Brawl ever influence hero balance?
It won't. If we have to tweak a hero for Brawl, the changes will only be applied to Brawl.
Will we also see PvE Brawls such as the ones in Starcraft 2, Hearthstone, and Overwatch?
Good question - you’ll find out!
It was announced Brawl will have its own matchmaking system. Will Brawl also have a ladder?
Not currently, no. Brawl should be more casual and less competitive compared to other game modes. Battlegrounds and rules will change weekly, and players will often play heroes they aren’t very experienced on or don’t even own. I don’t think encouraging competition coincides with our design goals for Brawl.
Some players are worrying Brawl will drain players from Quick Match and Hero League.
If you want to play a complete game with a hero of your choice, there’s QM. If you want to play for rank points in a competitive setting, there's HL. Brawl is completely different. Brawl will be where people can blow off steam, sample something crazy and fresh, or play something quick and casual while waiting for friends to finish games.
Are there any cross-title rewards planned for Brawl?
If we decide to offer cross-title rewards in Heroes, it won't be specifically about Heroes Brawl.
What do you hope to achieve with Brawl?
Diversity. We're planning to break down all of the game's conventions - there will be no limits other than those inherent to the game engine. Players will be able to find new ways to enjoy Heroes of the Storm. We will continue to provide new and interesting experiences.
Any last words for the Korean fans?
Please log on weekly to play Brawl! We plan to push the game to its limits with this new mode. I hope you’ll find our ideas fun and enjoyable. We’ll continue to develop new and interesting variations for the mode, so if you have good ideas for Brawl, holler at us any time.
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