When the task of reworking Stitches was handed to the development team and Crawford, they had a pretty good idea where to start and the issues he currently experienced. This was not the overhaul that Sylvannas recently experienced as his fundamental kit was made well enough back in the day that he just needed more things to do when waiting for his 16-second cooldown to expire on his Hook ability.
When the opportunity to rework one of Blizzard’s most famous or infamous characters (depending on who you’re asking), Sylvanas, was placed on the plate of Jackson, his mind immediately went to work. A high-level player himself, Jackson knew the task of turning a hero into an assassin was no easy task and the pressure was on. Unlike the rework Stitches recently received, this was not just tweaking a few abilities and having her play the same but have some quality of life adjustments. This was an overhaul and in preparation for this rework, changes were made back in April.
The Queen of the Forsaken, Sylvanas, who was introduced into Heroes of the Storm back in 2015 is next in line to receive a rework of her basic abilities and talents. Previously, the banshee relied on applying map pressure through the use of her trait which disables enemy fortifications and minions. But the development team wanted to take her kit in a different direction, one more focused on teamfighting.
As December approaches, professional Heroes of the Storm players are unsure if they will have a job in 2019. Since 2016, Blizzard Entertainment has run the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) circuit each year, pitting the best of the best from around the world against one another over the course of a calendar year with the finale being the World Championship event held at BlizzCon. With nearly $5 million awarded in prizes during the 2017 year and a lot of mouths to feed in the process, the survival of HGC, in its current format or otherwise, is paramount for those that rely on it for steady income. As it stands, HGC has not been announced to return in 2019 yet. No statements, press releases or announcements have been issued suggesting its existence going forward.
With BlizzCon safely in the rearview mirror, sights are set on the 2019 Heroes Global Championship (HGC) circuit, assuming Blizzard is interested in returning it, as nothing has been announced yet publicly. To fill the lull in the action, pro players and the Heroes of the Storm community spend the offseason partaking in a fun hobby: theorycrafting, or predicting what may transpire in the upcoming months. A topic presented to a few players for the sake of this story that sparked a conversation within the community as a result was: “What battlegrounds will we play on in 2019?”
One of the top teams in the North American Heroes of the Storm scene is going to look much different come 2019. According to sources, Tempo Storm is expected to part ways with Vi "ViN" Nguyen and Mike "Glaurung" Fisk as the team looks to reload for the upcoming season.
A promising North American Heroes of the Storm roster in 2018 may play under a different sponsor in 2019, according to sources. Currently represented by Team Freedom, the roster consisting of Merek "zugrug" Kangas, Phillipe "Nazmas" Laberge, Jérôme "KilluZiioN" Tanguay, Orie "YoDa" Gue and Vincent "Lutano" Alonso is in the process of fielding information regarding a new organization to call home for the upcoming Heroes Global Championship (HGC) season.
Heroes of the Storm caster Jake “SolidJake” Kulinski has a unique perspective that he is able to view the health of the competitive community from. One seldom seen and heard. As one of the casters of the amateur competitive scene, known as Open Division, SolidJake has experience seeing player’s careers blossom over time, the trails and tribulations they may endure along the way and understands the importance of having a strong bedrock to grow new talent in.
In the upcoming month, the Heroes of the Storm team will be putting into motion their initial round of gameplay changes that were announced at BlizzCon to, in their eyes, improve the overall state of the game. While many changes will not go live until 2019, such as showing a player’s visible Match-Making Rating (MMR) and changes to the Ranked player experience, what is being released in the near future may be more impactful long-term. How team experience is received via destroying enemy fortifications will be completely re-worked to prevent one team “snowballing” another based off early game pressure, according to Blizzard.
Overnight, Activision Blizzard (ATVI) stock dropped by an estimated 10 percent after their Quarter 3 earning’s report was made public. While the estimated revenue for the company was in-line with their projections of $1.66 billion for the quarter, a drop in monthly active users for the third straight quarter turned out to be a cause for concern for some.
“What is a ‘Tank’ hero in Heroes of the Storm?” Not only is that the million dollar question within the game’s community but for the development team within Blizzard as well. In theory, the role of a hulking brute who can control the battleground while soaking up damage and dishing out crowd-control for teammates to abuse seems straightforward. Not quite. What about their ability to peel for teammates? How much initiation should they have within their kit? Are they better off in the solo lane where their sustainability can contest a hero such as Thrall? Do they have the tools to get out of danger that they put themselves in? These questions, in addition to the above theory of what makes a Tank, is a careful balancing act for the development team when looking to release a new hero into the nexus or tweak an old one. At the BlizzCon event in Los Angeles, California held last weekend, Adam Jackson, a Balance Designer responsible for making these difficult decisions, sat down with InvenGlobal to shed some light into the intricacies that go into creating this misunderstood role.
For four years, Jérôme "JayPL" Trinh has called Heroes of the Storm his home. Now, he's moving on to greener pastures as he has played his last competitive match. After falling short in the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) BlizzCon grand finals to back-to-back world champion, Gen.G Esports, an emotional JayPL sat slumped in his computer chair, staring at the screen in front of him with a blank face. In the background, a crowd roared as the Korean powerhouse lifted the trophy in the air while confetti rained down on them. Once the cheering concluded, a chant began to rise within the completely full viewing area in front of the stage while caused him to break a smile.
During the annual BlizzCon event held at the Anaheim Convention Center, the Heroes of the Storm development team made themselves available to speak with the media regarding a myriad of topics. Battleground Designer, Steve Holmes, and Live Game Designer, Adam Jackson, discussed two battlegrounds in particular that have been points of contention for some within the community. Regarding the map, BlackHeart's Bay, that has been in the game since its' early day and is now a bit out-dated both in its design and playstyle, Holmes acknowledged he is aware of the feedback of the community.
A rematch that was six months in the making wasn't as close as some may have wanted. But for the first time in the history of the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) a back-to-back world champion was crowned.
After the Heroes of the Storm development team announced broad changes coming to the game in 2019 during the Opening Ceremony, a panel held later in the afternoon at BlizzCon provided some specifics. Led by Joe Piepiora (Lead Systems Designer) and Matt Cooper (Senior Game Designer), the development team began the "What's Next" panel by first discussing the impactful changes they have made in 2018 thus far. New maps, heroes and events were the topics of conversation before the tone shifted over to what the player base can expect later this year and in 2019.
For the first time in Heroes of the Storm history, the development team created a hero that has no previous association with another Blizzard title. Orphea, a young mage who feuds with the Raven Lord will be entering the nexus in the near future. According to the announcement video, she will be free to all individuals who purchased the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket.
The name “HasuObs” has been associated with three different competitive Blizzard Entertainment titles for over a decade. Yet, while Dennis Schneider, his real name, has been in the top one percent of players across Warcraft 3, Starcraft 2 and, now, Heroes of the Storm, he has never been to a BlizzCon before. Part of the problem has to do with the fact that he lives in Germany and it’s not an easy travel for him. Another has to do with, as he admits, just not being able to get over the hump of the stiffest competition in Europe.
As HeroesHearth Esports, the number one seed from North America, approaches this year’s Heroes Global Championship (HGC) BlizzCon event, they feel as if they’re playing with house money. They have to, as they perform best in a relaxed environment, just having fun with the guys. The group of underdogs rose up from the Open Division and qualified for every international event in 2018. And, while their performance at such events leaves much to be desired, their growth is indisputable. But, in order to be considered among the other top teams in the world, they will need to overcome, yet again, another bump in the road.
Everyone is allowed to partake in a little drama, gossiping and rumor-sharing from time to time. There’s no shame in that. It’s part of human communication and can help form relationships with peers. It does, however, become an issue when certain individuals would rather start and spread tittle-tattle than shrug it off and not get involved. For Thomas "Khaldor" Kilian, a 16-year veteran of the esports industry and current Heroes of the Storm caster, he has seen his fair share of drama and, from his experience, no region focuses more on it than North American.
For Team Dignitas, the best team in Europe and, arguably, the biggest roadblock Gen. G Esports will need to overcome if they want to be crowned back-to-back Heroes of the Storm World Championships at BlizzCon, their entire season’s work comes down to this event. Winning the two Western Clash tournaments and finishing second place at the Mid-Season Brawl international event in Sweden is nice, sure. But for Dignitas’ captain, Josh “Snitch” Bennett, taking home the lion’s share of the $1 million BlizzCon prize pool and hoisting the trophy in a couple weeks is all that matters and will define their 2018 when looking back on it. Coming up short is simply not acceptable to him.
