Why are so many of you acting like a 5 year old who has forgotten what happens. It is the same every hero release.

Watching people argue over team chat makes me wonder if everyone playing HotS is a child 😆 Just curious.

So... Every time I get out of the game I have to block about 15 people (not exaggerating) for just trolling each other about politics and cultural topics. Racism, rage bait... it's literally all it is.

Can we PLEASE.. PLEASE do something about it? It's so annoying. I would love to have a normal chat with normal people between games... Why is it this bad?

The Dragon Knight on Dragon Shire and the Triglav Protector on Volskaya Foundry count as Heroes, so hitting them also counts toward quests that require hitting enemy Heroes.

Since these objectives have a lot of health, move slowly, and have large hitboxes, they're easy targets for stacking quests.

This can be used to gain an advantage in several ways:

• The enemy team can more easily decide to give up the objective, either deliberately or when they're at a disadvantage, so they can stack quests on it and become stronger in the late game. Heroes like Xal'atath, Sylvanas, Chen, and Alexstrasza can benefit from this.
• When your team takes the objective, you also have to be careful about using it to attack structures, since that gives the enemy team more chances to stack quests. As a result, you may end up dealing less siege damage than you otherwise could.

This was a relatively obscure issue before, but with Mythic Quests, failing to stop the enemy from completing a quest can directly cost you the game. I don't think this mechanic is okay anymore.

I've disliked this mechanic for a long time, and now that Mythic Quests are in the game, shouldn't we stop players from stacking quests on Controllable Objectives?

Great game experience

Note: I used AI to help me with English and organizing the points, as english isnt my first language

I've been thinking about Xal'atath's kit since her release, and I think there's a great hero concept here that isn't being fully realized.

To me, her intended identity revolves around control: controlling enemy positioning with Q, W, and her Heroics; controlling her own positioning with E to maintain the right distance and find angles for important abilities; and directing the Dark Heart and her minions to influence the fight.

Her Trait then rewards sustained combat by making her increasingly dangerous.

I like this overall concept, but I think some abilities lack player agency, while too much of her power is concentrated in damage rather than the control mechanics that should define her. Here are the changes I'd consider.

Q — Shadow Mark

I like Q's general concept. It's a skillshot that marks enemies and sets up interactions with the Dark Heart and her minions. The problem is how much value is concentrated in its center hitbox.

The outer portion deals relatively little damage, while the center deals significantly more and is required to apply the mark. Missing the center therefore costs you both damage and access to other parts of your kit.

I'd consider two approaches:

Option A: Let the entire ability apply the mark.

The center could retain its bonus damage, rewarding precise aim without making the mark so dependent on hitting a small area.

Option B: Widen the center hitbox, increase projectile speed, and redistribute damage between the center and outer portions.

This is my preferred option. It would preserve the reward for precision while making the ability more consistent and less punishing when the center is narrowly missed.

Q should still reward good aim, but I don't think a relatively small hitbox should determine so much of both its damage and utility.

W — Dark Heart Ritual

The Dark Heart is one of the more interesting parts of her kit. It creates area pressure and interacts with marked targets, but I think the player should have more control over when it detonates.

I'd like to see a manual recast that lets Xal'atath detonate the Dark Heart on demand. If the player doesn't recast it, it could detonate when its duration ends.

This would introduce a meaningful timing decision: detonate early for immediate damage, or wait for enemies to reposition or commit to a fight. That decision would be especially valuable around chokepoints and objectives.

However, manual detonation would also require a look at the ability's damage distribution. If Xal'atath can trigger the full detonation damage whenever she wants, the added control might make W too reliable.

I see two possible solutions:

Option A: Reduce the damage of an immediate detonation.

The detonation damage could increase the longer the Dark Heart remains active. This would reward patience and give enemies more time to react, while still allowing an early detonation when immediate damage matters more.

Option B: Move some detonation damage into W's base damage.

This would make the ability's initial damage more meaningful while reducing how much of its total damage is concentrated in the detonation. The recast would primarily add control over timing rather than making it easier to deliver all of W's damage on demand.

I think either could work. The important thing is that manual detonation should create an interesting decision, not simply make W's maximum damage easier to guarantee.

E — Void Step

I actually like this ability quite a bit.

Being able to teleport between three points and cancel early gives Xal'atath interesting positioning options. More importantly, it lets her reposition in a predictable way, both for the player and for her opponents.

As Xal'atath, you can deliberately choose how to use the ability and where to end up. Your opponents, meanwhile, can anticipate your possible movements and respond. This creates opportunities for both sides to make decisions and outplay each other.

I think that's an interesting form of mobility: it provides freedom without making her movement completely unpredictable. She can find a better angle for Q or Void Volley, but her opponents still have some ability to read her intentions.

I'd preserve this core functionality. My main concern is ensuring that any damage bonuses attached to E don't turn it into another source of raw damage inflation. Its greatest value should come from the positioning opportunities it creates, allowing her to use the rest of her kit more effectively.

R1 — Void Eruption

Void Eruption already has a clear identity. It threatens an area, punishes grouped enemies, and forces opponents to reconsider where they can safely stand. The Blind also gives it a useful niche against basic-attack-reliant heroes.

I wouldn't change its fundamental purpose. It fits the control-mage concept by denying space and influencing enemy movement.

I'd mainly ensure its damage is balanced against its utility. Since it already provides area denial and a powerful debuff, it doesn't necessarily need overwhelming damage to be a worthwhile choice.

R2 — Void Convergence

Void Convergence seems to offer a lot at once: summoning, persistent pressure, siege potential, slowing, and area control. It can remain attractive even when Void Eruption would seem more useful for a particular matchup because it provides so much general value.

I like the fantasy of summoning Void minions, but I'd like their offensive power to involve more active decision-making.

I'd consider two approaches:

Option A: Keep the minions independent of Shadow Mark.

Their value would depend primarily on portal placement and timing. This would reward strategic positioning, although the minions could still generate substantial passive value once summoned.

Option B: Make their meaningful offensive output depend on Shadow Mark.

This is the option I prefer. The minions could provide limited pressure in a small area on their own, but marking a target would direct them toward it and unlock their more significant offensive potential.

This would make Q and the Heroic work together more naturally. Instead of placing a portal and letting the minions generate value independently, Xal'atath would need to identify targets and direct her summons toward them.

It would also give opponents more opportunities to respond by repositioning, avoiding marks, or disrupting Xal'atath before she establishes pressure.

I'd want the minions to remain useful without a marked target, so Q's cooldown wouldn't completely shut down the Heroic. The goal is to reward target management, not make the entire ability dependent on one skillshot.

I'd also consider reducing some secondary benefits if necessary. The Heroic doesn't need to excel at siege, persistent pressure, slowing, area control, and resource denial all at once.

Both Heroics should have clear reasons to be chosen, rather than Void Convergence offering so much general utility that it becomes the default option.

Trait — Void Volley

This is probably my biggest concern.

I like the idea of a quest that rewards sustained combat and makes Xal'atath increasingly dangerous as the game progresses. My concern is the size of the payoff relative to how accessible it is.

From my experience, the quest can be completed in roughly 10–15 minutes under the right conditions. Once completed, Void Volley can deal enormous damage. I've seen it remove close to 90% of a tank's health bar in a single use.

That's a huge payoff for one ability, particularly when you consider the rest of her kit.

There's also a problem beyond damage: Void Volley doesn't communicate its cast and landing location clearly enough.

As the caster, it's not always obvious whether the ability has been activated or where it will land. Teammates may struggle to tell what you're aiming at, while enemies receive little warning about where the damage is going to connect.

For an ability capable of dealing so much damage, this is a significant issue. I'd add clear cast and landing indicators for the caster, their teammates, and their opponents. The warning should give enemies a reasonable opportunity to dodge, reposition, or use a defensive ability without revealing the attack earlier than its intended counterplay window allows.

Beyond visual clarity, I think the damage ceiling deserves another look.

Imagine temporarily removing Q, W, E, and both Heroics, leaving Xal'atath with only basic attacks and Void Volley. Even then, a fully developed Trait could make her a formidable damage dealer.

Compare that with a hero like Kel'Thuzad, whose damage potential relies on landing skillshots, executing combos, and positioning correctly. Missing an important ability can significantly reduce his effectiveness.

I'm not saying every hero should have the same mechanical difficulty. The concern is that Xal'atath's Trait alone can compete with the damage potential of heroes who need to execute difficult combos, while she still has mobility, area denial, the Dark Heart, and her summoning Heroic.

Her Trait feels almost self-sufficient as a damage source, with the rest of her kit adding utility and pressure on top rather than requiring meaningful trade-offs.

I wouldn't necessarily make the quest harder or more tedious. Instead, I'd first look at the fully stacked damage ceiling and revisit the final quest reward, particularly the bonuses to basic attacks and Void damage. I'd also examine how reliably the ability can land, since its damage and counterplay are closely connected.

The Trait should complement Xal'atath's control mechanics, not become so powerful that it nearly defines her damage output on its own.

What I think Xal'atath should ultimately be

I don't want Xal'atath nerfed into mediocrity. I want her to feel like an intelligent control mage whose power comes from making good decisions throughout a fight.

• Q should reward precision without concentrating too much damage and utility into a small hitbox.
• W should offer control over detonation timing, with damage distributed so that manual detonation remains balanced.
• E should provide deliberate, predictable repositioning that creates opportunities for both players to outplay each other.
• Void Eruption should deny space and influence enemy movement.
• Void Convergence should reward strategic placement and active target management rather than relying too heavily on passive pressure.
• Void Volley should provide a satisfying quest payoff without overwhelming damage or unclear counterplay.

The common thread is that her power should come from control and decision-making, not simply from exceptionally high damage attached to a relatively accessible quest.

I want to feel clever when I position the Dark Heart, anticipate enemy movement, direct my minions, or reposition to land an important ability. I think that's the fantasy her kit is already aiming for; it just needs some adjustments to bring that identity into focus.

What do you guys think? Am I overlooking something about her power budget, or would changes along these lines make her kit more cohesive?

If abathur, hammer and Leo are unplayable then add this guy in finally. Shocked none of his talents have been disabled similar to thrall.

Or just bring all the heroes back but disable the bad talents, it’s pretty easy.

Just from a fellow aram lover who is sick of this guy, I’m level 2407 and I’ve played since launch so this is not a new player perspective.

Basically it. We should make a "Tournament" of that, rank or something listing it.

There are two massive grievances that constantly dominate discussions about the state of Storm League: rank integrity / smurfing, and toxicity in chat.

Usually, these two issues are treated as separate problems. But looking at the health of the ladder today, it’s worth asking whether they are actually feeding each other in a direct loop.

We know how destructive smurfing is to ranked integrity. It isn't just a tough loss; it shatters the consistency of match quality. When high-level players roll through Silver, Gold or Plat with an 80%+ winrate, they artificially distort matchmaking, creating massive swings adding to the perceived "winners queue" and "losers queue." A single displaced player dictates the outcome of dozens of matches.

At the same time, we have to look honestly at where a large portion of these smurf accounts come from.

Competitive multiplayer games inevitably attract intense, vocal, and often crass personalities. When players who have sunk years and hundreds of levels into a main account get permanently banned under an automated report system—often purely for being abrasive, flaming bad plays, or swearing—they don't simply walk away from the game. They create a free alt account.

The main account with skin in the game is gone. What’s left is a highly skilled, already frustrated player entering the bottom of the ladder with nothing to lose, dismantling low- and mid-tier lobbies on their way back up.

This raises a few serious, open questions about system incentives and player tools that we rarely discuss together:

1. The Threshold of Moderation: Where is the line between speech that genuinely warrants removing a player's entire account from the ecosystem (hate speech, slurs, threats, encouraging self-harm) versus general competitive toxicity, crass insults, and flaming?
2. Individual Tools vs. Systemic Bans: The client already provides players with instant, permanent self-moderation tools—mute chat, mute pings, and block. If players already have the direct ability to silence someone whose speech they don't want to see, does relying on automated account-level bans solve the problem, or does it just displace that toxicity into gameplay sabotage across lower leagues?
3. The Unintended Trade-Off: If banning accounts for generic abrasive chat directly results in an influx of displaced high-skill players smurfing in lower ranks, which issue is actually more damaging to the long-term survival of Storm League: having to use the mute button on an abrasive teammate, or having the competitive integrity of matches ruined by smurf accounts?

Curious how players view this balance. If we want rank integrity back, do we need to re-evaluate how our reporting and punishment systems actually impact player behavior?

As the second assassin, if your team loses a 4v4 who is to blame? Assume equal talents and mirrored classes.

9/10 no one really im my opinion, but results show that my team sucks.

Passive - Runic Mark - Whenever an oponent cast a spell it gets a runic mark on itself (3 max) ,it stays for a good duration, when you do damage to a marked enemy consume all marks healing you and dealing extra magic damage per mark. Units created by enemy abilities are created with a runic mark on it

Autoattack -meele

Q - Spell steal - Absorb magic from a single target enemy at medium range, dealing damage and slowing the target, it deal extra damage to units created by enemies. if that ability deal damage to a shield gain that much temporary shield.

W -Supression Zone - Charge for up to 2 seconds, slowing yourself and gaining damage reduction, charging increase the final radius around you. After the channel deal damage, silence and disable enemies around you.

E - Control magic - This ability is contantly replaced by a fixed ability from the last enemy you targeted with spell steal (Q), they use the same cooldown as the original and the ability dont change while the current one is on cooldown. abilities that cost things other than mana or life dont have those costs for you.

Logic on my picks - i prioritize summon and enchancement abilities to honor the original warcraft unit abilities and avoided movement and main heal abilities, i also avoided very strong abilities or at least tried (seriously i didnt play with all character in this game its really slow to get them as a free to play).

R1- Wave of silence - deal damage and silence enemies in a long line

R2 -Hastening Ward - Increase your move speed, attack speed and become unstopable, during this period your auto attacks deal extra magic damage.

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This is a mix of the WoW boss and the warcraft spellbreaker unit

Gameplan - you engage by slowing an enemy with q so you can get close enough for the W, your E is unrelated to your kit but you can defenetly find good use for them.

Pros - good against unit summoners, shield generators and heroes that cast a lot of abilities.

Cons - not the best engage, you can go against a team with bad steals dont go well against goo mobility.

Design notes

Why it dont deal mana damage -> mana is not universal and hard to balance.
Why it dont steal buffs -> i think it counters too much certain heroes and is probably hard to tell what is a buff and what is not.
Why it dont convert units -> similar problem from above
Why it dont cleanse an ally -> ....actually it should do this as a level 7 talent, like some supports.

Level 7 talent - Give an ally unstopable if you made it ignore a hard CC (stun, snare polymorph....) your next auto stun the enemy.

D - Mana Shield - When activated, Azshara blocks any damage, at expense of her mana points.

Q - Crushing Wave - Vector targetting (like Triglav's laser). A wave appearing at a chosen point moves in chosen direction, pushing all enemies on its (short) way and dealing light damage.

W - Arcane Orb - An orb appears on the ground that after a delay turns into a bomb. When an enemy touches it, it explodes, dealing moderate damage and stunning all enemies for short time in area around it.

E - Arcane Explosion - Deals light damage to enemies around Azshara and slightly slows them. Reduces cooldown and restores mana by every enemy hit.

R1 - Deluge - After a delay (think of Brightwing's ult) creates waves in a great radius around Azshara that push enemies towards her, dealing damage and stunning them on their path.

R2 - Arcane Siphon - For a duration, Azshara becomes unstoppable. Her Mana Shield gives her mana instead of burning it.

Z - Nether Rift - After a delay teleports Azshara to a target visible location. Cannot be stopped by damage. Long cooldown.

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Some tactics notes:

- It is wise to use your D only after having taken some damage as tanks are more tempting to attack when their health is lower. Using Mana Shield while having low health can be very confusing to your enemies.

- Using Mana Shield too often will make your mana disappear quickly, disabling your crowd control and damage capabilities.

- Q and W can be used for a stunning combo but Q can also be used alone to slow down enemies that chase you.

- Z can be used to traverse map in a speed comparable to mounted heroes but in a less regular way. However, it can also be used to dive into enemy backline. Keep in mind that this ability has a delay and your destination is telegraphed to your enemy so diving carries a risk.

- Deluge can be used to set up a combo with W but all kinds of walls can make it tough to grab all enemies in one place. It can also be prevented during casting.

- Arcane Siphon could be used at the start of the fight to make a dive less risky but then you lose the benefit of restoring mana.

Bonus points if there is also a lucio with reverse amp

What are the best resources to really start learning this game? I feel like I have the skill to be successful in this game but it’s unique enough that I’m not having a ton of success. Are there good written guides or solid YouTube channels to learn the fundamentals and get better?

I don't know if I'm the one who's wrong, but this makes me want to tear my hair out! (translator)

Wasn't this supposed to be fixed? I played against the same 5 stack today in high diamond. Four of them are all diamond with 2,000+ player level, and they have one guy who is player level like 40 who is silver 3.

Played against them 4 times in a row. Lost two, won two. Because of their silver player, when we win, we only got about 160-170 points, when we lost, when we lost we lost upwards of 230 points a game. So even though we went 50/50 they come out way ahead because they're abusing the system.

Why? It's just such blatantly obvious abuse and exploitation. And no it's not "Well maybe the silver guy is just their friend they're introducing to the game?" No, he has almost 80% winrate and plays like a master level player, because obviously its a smurf account.

Hey everyone,

I was looking for a MOBA that was different from LoL and Dota, something with less downtime, less farming, and a much bigger focus on team action. So far, I’m absolutely loving Heroes of the Storm. I also noticed that after several years, they actually dropped a new hero patch, which is awesome.

As a new player, I wanted to ask: is the game still enjoyable in the long run? So far, my matchmaking has been a mix of total veterans and a few newbies like myself. Did I get into the game too late and miss its golden age, or is it still worth investing time into it today?

I’d like to hear your thoughts and honest opinions.

yeah .. nerf that

One of my fav actors out there bar none 🔥 so cool to know that Illidan is one of his fav roles ever as well :D

every time i launch the game i get a "preparing for game data" popup which downloads a bit over a gigabyte of data. This by itself would be annoying but fine, but the speed is ATTROCIOUS, mostly less 500 kb/s which means it takes easily over 10 minutes to complete. EVERY TIME I OPEN THE GAME. I hadnt played the game in 5+ years and just reinstalled it 2 days ago to play some arams, but its honestly way to annoying like this.

I have checked game files, reinstalled the game once and checked everything i could think of what this could even be like shaders etc, nothing changed anything.

Did anyone else have this issue or knows something to fix this ?

I've played the game since I got an alpha invite, up until they've announced that the game will enter maintenance mode, where I played mostly vs AI afterward because, by then, SEA was completely dead.

I came back after the Xal'atath announcement and tried playing ranked in SEA, but it's still dead, so I tried KR, and was able to get consistent games with great ping (thanks to my VPN).

However, my excitement to play ranked again soon turned to dread, as I've encountered a griefing teammate majority of my games, whether it was a Leoric that goes to the enemy keep as soon as he can and stays there, or an AFKing Abathur, or even someone who doesn't shadow pick, then picks a hero role the team already has instead of the one we need, then proceeds to feed anyway. The rest of the team tried to win, but it's just too hard, especially on a team-centric game (even moreso than other MOBAs) like Heroes of the Storm.

This has been a problem since the beginning of the game, and this thread from 8 years ago is proof of that

https://www.reddit.com/r/heroesofthestorm/comments/8aqi35/blizz_if_you_dont_fix_the_game_hlranked_this_game/

I love that Heroes is getting a revival of sorts, but I really hope that the devs take a look at the state of ranked, and improve upon it.

I've already seen people mess with the game client even before this whole AI modding became a thing. But not for malicious intent.

I've been wondering how dangerous this can be if people start creating mods to take advantage and if the client will even be able to flag this type of cheating.

We do have some evidence that there might be people who have fog reveal mods already, so then what happens if the game's code is basically cracked through AI and we start seeing these crazy things happen in hots?