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.
Kaeo Milker, the Production Director for Heroes of the Storm, foreshadowed a huge change to the game. They will be dividing the previous 4 hero roles into 6, and remove fort and keep EXP -- as he spoke about it, we could see how determined he was to fundamentally improve Heroes of the Storm. These changes, along with the addition of the HotS-original hero Orphea, shows that the world of HotS may expand even further in the future. As the Production Director for HotS, Kaeo Milker helps decide how and who to adopt from among Blizzard's many characters to add to HotS. We had the opportunity to talk to Kaeo Milker about the future plans for updates at BlizzCon 2018.
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.
This press release was copied directly from a document provided by Blizzard Entertainment.
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.
At the Heroes of the Storm: Deep Dive panel on the second day of the BlizzCon 2018, the dev team talked about how the designers created Orphea, the newest hero in Heroes of the Storm and the first her
BlizzCon this year is also the event where J. Allen Brack announces his appointment to the new CEO of Blizzard. Beginning as the production director of World of Warcraft, Mr. Brack has been working at
Orphea, the newest hero in Heroes of the Storm, was revealed at the BlizzCon 2018. Orphea, who is the daughter of the Raven Lord, is an Assassin hero with powerful skills that enhances her basic attac
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.
Orphea, the newest Heroes of the Storm hero, has been revealed at the BlizzCon 2018. Orphea is the very first hero in HotS that is original to the game. Here are the character portrait, artwork, scree
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.
"I'll never stop fighting, for my family, for the realm, for the nexus!"
"If Gen.G is the final boss then bring it on: we want to play that level of a series again"
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.
BlizzCon 2018: a grand event for gamers as well as the dream stage for esports players, is right around the corner. Many players and fans are eagerly waiting for its arrival; for the players especially, it will be the best and last stage to accomplish something grand before the year ends. The event will feature competitions for many of Blizzard's major IPs, specifically Overwatch, HoTS, Starcraft II, and Hearthstone. With so many going on, it can be hard to keep track of it all, so we're here to help lay out the basics for the tournaments at BlizzCon.
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.
