Blizzard is slapping Heroes of the Storm, splashing some water on its face, and telling it to get back in there.
Heroes of the Storm 2.0 is now live in North America, and it will roll out to other territories throughout the day. This relaunch of Blizzard’s multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) for PC change’s the free-to-play game’s reward systems and gives players a bunch of free heroes. 2.0 isn’t altering the actual game much — this is still a MOBA, so two teams of heroes will try to destroy each other’s bases — but Blizzard is hoping that improved rewards and the free heroes can bring back lapsed players and attract new ones in one of gaming’s most competitive sectors.
Heroes of the Storm launched for PC in 2015. MOBAs are some of the most popular games in the competitive gaming scene, especially hits like League of Legends and Dota 2. Blizzard does not release player numbers for Heroes of the Storm, but it’s unlikely its matching those juggernauts. This relaunch, if it proves popular, could help it better compete with the MOBA kings.
2.0 is taking cues from Overwatch, Blizzard’s hit team-based shooter. Players now earn a loot chests every time they level up their account, which can include cosmetic items or heroes. Logging into the game also lets you pick one of four “mega hero bundles” for free, which each include 20 heroes.
This MOBA is also getting new heroes along with the 2.0 launch: Cassia the Amazon from Diablo II and Genji from Overwatch. Genji is out today, while Cassia came out earlier in the month. D.Va from Overwatch is also coming later. Blizzard is also adding Hanamura, a map from Overwatch, as a new battleground for Heroes of the Storm.