No other multiplayer online battle arena can compare to Heroes of the Storm when it comes to sheer variety. While many games in the genre only feature one map to battle on, Blizzard's free-to-play MOBA features a huge number of maps, each with unique objectives and visuals.
And, as it turns out, that was just the beginning.
Announced today (sort of), "Heroes Brawl" will soon be the newest addition to Heroes of the Storm. The mode was originally announced last year as "Arena Mode," but since then Blizzard has taken the new way to play Heroes of the Storm in a different direction, one that will add custom rules, modifiers and brand-new maps that rotate in and out on a weekly basis for even more variety.
It's a formula that is far from new for Blizzard, following in the footsteps of weekly brawls in Overwatch and Hearthstone. Like those brawls, Heroes Brawl in Heroes of the Storm will put an emphasis on crazy situations that players otherwise would never experience in a standard match of the MOBA.
For example, one week may have players all playing the same hero, while another may choose heroes for players at random. One week may see teams battle in small arena maps, while another week will see modifiers added to full-size Heroes of the Storm maps that add a whole new layer to the experience. Modifiers will change too, with Blizzard promising the gameplay modifiers will "add completely new and unexpected quirks" that will change how players play the game.
There's no telling what all kinds of new game types and ideas Blizzard has cooked up for the mode, but the company is letting fans in on a few brawls to expect. One mode, titled "Hammer Time," sees each player playing as Sgt. Hammer with thrusters constantly engaged. Another will see every player become the stealthy sniper Nova, with one shot resulting in death.
The aim of the mode is to create a fast, in-and-out mode that players can dive into. Some brawls may finish in as few as four or five minutes, while others will be closer to the length of a normal Heroes of the Storm match.
Better yet, Blizzard is giving players an incentive to try out the brawls each week. Blizzard states that players will earn both gold and unique in-game rewards for participating in three brawls each week.
Hero Brawl arrives in Heroes of the Storm on Oct. 17.
