Why Blizzard says Heroes of the Storm is a ‘hero brawler’

BOSTON — Blizzard doesn’t want to refer to Heroes of the Storm as a MOBA, or a multiplayer online battle arena. I get that. The MOBA landscape is getting crowded with Defense of the Ancients 2, Heroes of Newerth, and Infinite Crisis standing as just three of the highest-profile games in the crowded genre.

League of Legends still bills itself as a MOBA, though some call it an “action real-time strategy game,” or an ARTS. Blizzard wants to differentiate Heroes of the Storm, so they’ve been referring to it as a “hero brawler,” ostensibly because they want to reinforce their simpler, more accessible design for players new to such games.