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The following section contains information from Heroes of the Storm and is not canon to StarCraft continuity
Heroes of the Storm Logo1

Heroes of the Storm logo

Heroes of the Storm[1] (formerly titled Blizzard DotA, and Blizzard All-Stars)[2] is a hero brawler.[3] It is free-to-play[4] and the game was released digitally.[5] Formerly a mod for StarCraft II, it has since become an independent product.[6]

The game launched June 2, 2015.

Overview

"In a tiny, trans-dimensional pocket universe sit two dark and terrible gods. One red. One blue. To amuse themselves, they kidnap great heroes from across time and space! And those heroes come from one company: BLIZZARD! These heroes are forced to fight to the death in an endless battle with no purpose... other than ladder points.
This is Blizzard DOTA! Coming soon(ish)™. Seriously!"

- Original mod summary(src)

BlizzardDotA SC2 DevLogo1

The game's original Blizzard DotA logo

Heroes of the Storm made its first appearance at BlizzCon 2010. The idea at the time was to used it as a showcase for the abilities of the Galaxy Map Editor,[7] as with Wings of Liberty having just shipped, Blizzard would have nothing new to show on the StarCraft front of the event.[8] In this build, heroes could use currency earned in battle to purchase upgrades in shops. They then fought alongside allied creeps for maximum efficiency and crush enemy towers and their bases.[9] Two factions existed in the game—the Guardium and the Scourge. Each hero had a "good" (Guardium) and "evil" (Scourge) version.[9] The evil incarnation usually wore some zerg armor.[10]

As of July, 2011, the game had entered playtesting.[11] By August of the same year, the game underwent a complete reboot, the original version "flattened." According to Frank Pearce, the original version bore too much resemblance to its Warcraft III counterpart, where novice players were at a disadvantage. Blizzard sought to redesign the game to make it "easy to learn, difficult to master.[12] After another positive showing at BlizzCon 2011, the game had more passion inside Blizzard, and they began to discuss what they could do with the MOBA (or "hero brawler" as it was called internally) genre. It was decided to make the game easy to get into with a focus on team gameplay.[7]

BlizzardAllStars SC2 DevLogo1

The game's original Blizzard All-Stars logo

The game was originally expected to launch concurrently with Heart of the Swarm but has since been delayed, and was released separately.[5]

During development, a number of employees who had worked on Blizzard's Project Titan were shifted to work on All-Stars. As of August 2013, the game's development has reached "a significant internal milestone," and has entered wider internal playtesting.[13]

Blizzard DotA (as it was originally called) was the subject of some controversy, in light of Valve's Dota 2. Blizzard has taken steps to prevent any trademarking of "DotA" or any other acronymn of "Defense of the Ancients," maintaining that it should remain with the Warcraft modding community, from which the concept sprung.[14] In May of 2012, both Valve and Blizzard reached an agreement—Valve would be able to use the term "DotA" commercially while Blizzard could use it in a non-commercial sense. The name of the Blizzard version was changed to "Blizzard All-Stars," which Rob Pardo stated "ultimately better reflects the design of our game."[2] It was later changed to "Heroes of the Storm."[15]

StarCraft Elements

HeroesoftheStorm Heroes Art1

Various heroes

The following StarCraft elements exist in the game:

Heroes

The following StarCraft heroes are playable:

Proposed and Data-only

BlizzardAllStars AllStars Art1

StarCraft vs. Warcraft

The following StarCraft heroes have been proposed or data exists for them in the game:

Battlegrounds

Brawls
  • Braxis Outpost
  • Escape from Braxis
  • Deadman's Stand

Collectables

Skins

The following skins make reference to the StarCraft franchise. With Heroes of the Storm 2.0, master skins and tints were converted into individual skins. Each skin is grouped by its base skin, with subdivisions should the variant tints also include StarCraft content. Tints where the base skin is not a StarCraft reference are listed as their own individual skin.

Abathur
Alarak
Alexstrasza
Anduin
Anub'arak
Artanis
Arthas
Azmodan
Blaze
Brightwing
The Butcher
Dehaka
D.Va
E.T.C.
Fenix
Gazlowe
Illidan
Johanna
Kael'thas
Kerrigan
  • Queen of Blades Kerrigan
    • Toxic Queen of Blades Kerrigan
    • Char Queen of Blades Kerrigan
    • Shadow Queen of Blades Kerrigan
  • Brood War Kerrigan
  • Primal Queen Kerrigan
    • Verdant Primal Queen Kerrigan
    • Ash Primal Queen Kerrigan
  • Queen of Ghosts Kerrigan
    • Vespene Queen of Ghosts Kerrigan
    • Cruel Queen of Ghosts Kerrigan
    • MEKA Queen of Ghosts Kerrigan
    • Queen of Templar Kerrigan
    • Cyber Ghost Kerrigan
Li-Ming
Muradin
Murky
Nova
Probius
Raynor
Rexxar
Sgt. Hammer
Stukov
Tassadar
Tracer
Tychus
Uther
Zagara
Zarya
Zeratul

Mounts

Banners

Sprays

Announcers

Units and Structures

Hero Based

Map and Event Based

  • Adjutant (map adviser)
  • Archangel (boss mercenary; part of the "Deadman's Stand" Heroes Brawl)
  • Baneling (neutral creep)
  • Bunker (StarCraft-themed fort)
  • Command center (StarCraft-themed Hall of Storms)
  • Creeper (summoned by swarm host boss; referred to as Podling)
  • Cyclone (StarCraft-themed catapult)
  • Dr. Cook (map adviser, original character)
  • Factory (background detail)
  • Ghost (as a minion)
  • Ghost academy (background detail)
  • Goliath (mercenary)
  • Guardian (neutral creep; part of the "Deadman's Stand" and "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawls)
  • Hatchery (part of the "Deadman's Stand" Heroes Brawls)
  • Hellbat (mercenary)
  • Hydralisk (neutral creep; part of the "Deadman's Stand" and "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawls)
  • Keystone (special event)
  • Marine (as a minion)
  • Marauder (as a minion)
  • Medivac dropship (part of a special event quest)
  • Minerals (background detail, also a part of the "Mineral Madness" Heroes Brawl)
  • Mira Han (on a picture, background detail; announcer on "Deadman's Stand" brawl)
  • Missile turret (StarCraft-themed turret)
  • Mutalisk (part of the "Deadman's Stand" and "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawls)
  • Nuclear missile (collected on Warhead Junction)
  • Nydus worm (part of the "Deadman's Stand" and "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawls)
  • Planetary Fortress (StarCraft-themed core)
  • Raven (mercenary)
  • Refinery (background detail)
  • Roach (part of the "Deadman's Stand" and "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawls)
  • Sac (summons neutral creeps)
  • SCV (background unit, also a part of a special event quest as well as a part of the "Mineral Madness" Heroes Brawl)
  • Seeker missile (attack from ravens)
  • Slivan (boss in the "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawl)
  • Spine crawler (part of the "Deadman's Stand" Heroes Brawl)
  • Supply depot (background detail)
  • Swarm host (boss mercenary)
  • Ultralisk (neutral creep; part of the "Deadman's Stand" and "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawls)
  • Xel'naga tower (StarCraft-themed watchtower)
  • Zergling (neutral creep; part of the "Deadman's Stand" and "Escape from Braxis" Heroes Brawls)

Removed

The following StarCraft elements were present in early builds but have since been removed/altered:

Heroes

HeroesoftheStorm Heroes Art2

Who has the advantage?

Structures

Units

Other

Notes

Nexus DecalSC2

The Nexus Sigil decal

  • The symbol of Heroes of the Storm is available as a decal in StarCraft II multiplayer for players who purchased a ticket or virtual pass for BlizzCon 2014.[20]
  • The Purifier tempest has a poke quote stating "I am the true Hero of the Storm!"
  • In the Nova Covert Ops mission "Dark Skies," a structure in the eastern lane of the map has a holographic Space Lord's Starbreaker mount, as well as posters of the Queen of Ghosts Kerrigan skin.[22]
  • In Co-op Missions, one of the mutator conditions is named "Heroes from the Storm." This mutator will spawn enemy StarCraft II heroes featured in Heroes of the Storm as well as Karax.
    • One of the mutations containing Heroes from the Storm was named "Enter the Nexus," a reference to name of the multiverse where the game takes place, "the Nexus."[23]
  • When D.Va is mounted without her MEKA in her Heroes of the Storm iteration, the phone she holds displays a picture of Kerrigan from StarCraft: Brood War.
  • A portrait of the Heroes of the Storm character Qhira is available in StarCraft II to players who purchased the 30th Anniversary Celeberation Bundle.

References

  1. Blizzard Entertainment. 2013-10-17. The Game Formerly Known as "Blizzard All-Stars". Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2013-10-18.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2012-05-11, Valve and Blizzard Settle DotA Dispute. IGN, accessed on 2012-05-11
  3. 2013-11-08, BlizzCon 2013 - Heroes of the Storm - Building the Nexus. YouTube, accessed on 2013-12-04
  4. 2013-08-01, Titan: "Unlikely to be a Subscription Based MMORPG". Titan Focus, accessed on 2013-09-16
  5. 5.0 5.1 2012-06-15, Dustin Browder Interview - MLG Anaheim 2012. StarCraft Legacy, accessed on 2012-07-19
  6. 2013-01-22, Blizzard "actively working" on Blizzard All-Stars, so what's the hold up?. Eurogamer.net, accessed on 2013-09-16
  7. 7.0 7.1 2013-11-08, Heroes of the Storm™ Developer Interview. YouTube, accessed on 2013-12-09
  8. 2014-10-03, THE THREE LIVES OF BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT. Polygon, accessed on 2014-10-04
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 StarCraft Legacy staff. 2010-10-22. BlizzCon 2010 StarCraft II Custom Maps and Editor Panel. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2010-10-23.
  10. StarCraft Legacy staff. 2010-10-24. BlizzCon 2010 StarCraft II Art Panel. StarCraft Legacy. Accessed 2010-10-26.
  11. 2011-07-27, Happy Birthday, StarCraft II!. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2011-07-29
  12. 2011-08-22, Blizzard DOTA "completely rebooted". Eurogamer, accessed on 2011-08-27
  13. 2013-08-01, Diablo III Announcement Coming at Gamescom. Diablo Somepage, accessed on 2013-09-16
  14. 2012-02-10, Blizzard v. Valve Over DotA Trademark Before Trademark Trial & Appeal Board. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2012-02-18
  15. Blizzard Entertainment. 2013-10-17. The Game Formerly Known as "Blizzard All-Stars". Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed 2013-10-18.
  16. Blizz_KinaBREW (March 5th, 2018).Fenix and Talandar reddit.com, 3-5-18
  17. 2020-07-16, Heroes of the Storm AMA - July 16, 2020 Reddit.com Accessed on 2020-07-16
  18. 18.0 18.1 2013-11-11, Heroes of the Storm: Sixen Interviews Dustin Browder. YouTube, accessed on 2013-12-01
  19. 2014-05-20, MURKY HERO WEEK. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2014-05-25
  20. 2014-09-24, BlizzCon 2014 : In-Game Goodies Sneak Peek. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-09-30
  21. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Into the Void (mission). (in English). November 10, 2015
  22. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Nova Covert Ops, Dark Skies (in English). 2016-11-22.
  23. Blizzard Entertainment. StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void. (Activision Blizzard). PC. Mission: Co-op Missions Mutator, Mutation Creation Contest Winner (in English). 2017-03-13.

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