The latest update surpasses all previous ones since the game entered maintenance mode, suggesting possible alterations and enhancements.
Although Blizzard has not officially communicated any news, this update signifies that the company has not neglected Heroes of the Storm, instilling hope among fans regarding the game's future.
Blizzard's cross-franchise MOBA title, Heroes of the Storm, recently received a surprise update that has generated excitement among fans. This has sparked speculation about a potential revival of the game, which entered maintenance mode last year.
Launched by Blizzard in 2015, Heroes of the Storm brought together iconic characters from Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Overwatch, and other classic Blizzard games like The Lost Vikings. However, after celebrating its seven-year anniversary in 2022, the game announced that it would no longer receive regular content updates. Despite this, Heroes of the Storm has maintained an active player base, albeit small, and has occasionally received balancing adjustments and bug fixes.
Many fans are speculating about a possible revival for Heroes of the Storm due to the size and timing of this update in relation to the previous one. With various new characters introduced in recent years, there is potential for the game to expand further. Additionally, the recent acquisition of Blizzard by Microsoft could bring about fresh opportunities for the previously discontinued MOBA, particularly as Xbox head Phil Spencer has expressed interest in revisiting old franchises.
However, Heroes of the Storm fans should not get overly excited just yet. Blizzard has not made any formal announcements apart from these patch notes, so it is possible that this is simply a larger-than-average balance patch. Furthermore, it is unlikely that there will be any news about Heroes of the Storm at BlizzCon this year, as the convention floor plan does not include any space reserved for the game. Nonetheless, this PTR patch demonstrates that Blizzard has not forgotten about its MOBA, giving fans of Heroes of the Storm hope for the future.
Observer UI
D.Va's Mech Healthbar is now displayed in the observer interface's top bar.
Misha's Healthbar is now displayed in the observer interface's top bar.
The Lost Vikings Healthbars are now displayed in the observer interface's top bar.
AbathurChanged Icon color for Locust Strain.
Anub'arakChanged Icon color for Chitinous Plating.
BlazeIncinerator Gauntlets Icon changed to non-Heroes Damage from Basic Attacks.
CassiaMartial Law Icon changed to Searing Damage from Basic Attacks.
DehakaChanged Icon color for Elongated Tongue.
DiabloChanged Icon for Soul Shield to be different than Spell Shields.
GenjiChanged Icon color for Zanshin.
JainaChanged Improved Ice Block Button to be normal Ice Block.
NovaChanged Icon color for Rapid Projection.
SonyaRampage Icon changed to Cooldown Reduction from Basic Attacks.
SylvanasRemorseless Icon changed to Range Increase for Basic Attacks.
The Lost VikingsNordic Attack Squad Icon changed to Searing Damage from Basic Attacks.
VallaManticore Icon changed to Searing Damage from Basic Attacks.
WhitemaneChanged Icon color for Saintly Greatstaff.
ZaryaFeel the Heat Icon changed to Damage Increase from Basic Attacks.
Abilities
SplashAbilities that Splash will reveal the area and does not require target to be visibile.
Invulnerability
JohannaBlessed Shield no longer hits Invulnerable enemies.
JunkratFrag Launcher no longer hits Invulnerable enemies.
NazeeboPlague of Toads no longer hits Invulnerable enemies.
TracerParting Gift no longer hits Invulnerable enemies.
UI
Floating Combat Text for Experience earned from killing blows now has a gold color.
Balance Update
General
SamuroIncreased Windwalk healing from 1% per second to 3% per second.
Decreased Way of the Wind healing from 5% on cast to 4% on cast.
Bug Fixes
General
Heroes
AbathurFixed an issue that caused Abathur's Monstrosity to gain an additional 0.02 damage per stack.
Toxic Next no longer reveals attackers while Arming.
AnduinMoral Compass is now considered Splash damage and will not hit targets Immune to AOE.
Fixed an issue where Oil Spill granted more vision than intended.
Flame Stream now reveals targets hit.
BrightwingInvisible Friends now displays a healing over time preview.
Phase Shift's heal now happens after teleportation instead of at the same time.
Fixed an issue that caused Butcher to lose more than intended stacks of Fresh Meat when killed.
Furnace Blast now reveals targets hit.
No longer revealed when Lamb of the Slaughter damages an enemy.
CassiaFend now reveals targets hit.
Fixed an issue where Lightning Fury Bolts were not displaying as critical hits against Blinded enemies.
Martial Law no longer damages Heroes while Blinded.
Surge of Light now reveals the area it affects and enemies that it hits.
ChoGallConsuming Blaze now reveals targets when applied.
Dread Orb now reveals targets hit.
Fixed an issue that caused Cthun's Gift to Slow while Blinded.
Fuel for the Flame no longer display as critical damage against Heroes.
Runic Blast now reveals targets hit.
Shadowbolt Volley no longer has an abnormal vision height.
Shadowbolt Volley now reveals targets hit.
The Will of Gall is now treated as a Quest talent and displays the progress in the talents tab.
ChromieFixed an issue that caused Sand Echo's Basic Attacks to grant stacks while Blinded.
Shifting Sands will no longer be removed upon death.
Time Trap will no longer prevent Allies from being revealed temporarily.
DeathwingDeath Drop's Armor Reduction is now removed by Stasis.
Gaze Onto Destruction no longer reduces the damage of non-Heroes hit.
DeckardFixed an issue where Horadric Staff does not consume the cooldown when used on an Evading target.
Fixed an issue where Potion of Shielding increased Deckard's Self Healing.
Burrow will now cleanse negative effects.
Lurker Strain no longer reveals area around knocked back targets.
Lurker Strain now reveals targets hit.
Lurker Strain's Knockback will no longer function as a Stun.
D.VaDefense Matrix now works on Zagara's Banelings.
FalstadBOOMerang's Armor Reduction is now removed by Stasis.
Hammerang now reveals targets hit on return.
Hammerang's explosion no longer displays as a crit after selecting BOOMerang.
Fixed an issue that could cause Mobile Offensive to not apply when moving.
Phase Bomb Splash damage now consumes Block charges.
GarroshDecimate now reveals targets hit.
Into the Fray now shows up on Garrosh's Try screen.
EZ-PZ Dimensional Ripper can now have the cooldown announced to your team.
Mecha-Lord no longer grants Armor while Blinded.
Fixed an issue that caused Go For the Throat to apply the incorrect cooldown to Disengage with Running Wild selected.
Removed dual block visual from Thick Skin.
Gul'danFixed self-healing bonus from Hunger for Power.
Pursuit of Flame is no longer visible through fog.
Fixed an issue that caused Sharpened Arrowheads to reduce Armor before damage is dealt with Storm Bow.
JainaFixed an issue that caused Frost Bolt to hit targets behind Frost Bolt.
Fixed an issue that caused Frost Shards to allow more than 2 additional targets to be hit.
Frostbite Armor now has a block visual.
Heaven's Fury no longer prevents allies from being revealed.
JunkratFixed an issue that caused Junkrat's Frag Launcher to gain 0.002 damage per stack of Taste for Explosions.
Splash damage now consumes Block charges.
Kel'ThuzadDeathchill will no longer activate if the target loses Root or Slow by becoming Unstoppable.
Fixed an issue that caused Kel'Thuzad's buttons to light up when getting 15 baseline quest stacks.
Fixed an issue that caused Power of Icecrown's damage increase to be lost upon death.
KerriganFixed an issue that caused Kerrigan's Self Healing to increase when she gains Assimilation Shields.
Fury of the Swarm no longer reveals targets.
Psionic Shift now reveals targets hit.
Ultralisk Splash damage reveals targets.
KharazimFixed an issue that caused Insight to progress while Blinded.
LeoricBuried Alive can no longer have its duration reduced.
Fixed an issue where Leoric could receive Tyrande's Shadowstalk Healing when Undying was active, thereby reducing his respawn timer.
Ossein Renewal can no longer be cast while Undying is active.
Fixed an issue where Aether Walker would sometime not reset correctly.
Lt. MoralesMedi Drone no longer heals Heroes in Undying state.
Lunara has resolved a problem where Invigorating Spores could trigger on-hit effects on Invulnerable enemies. Additionally, Invigorating Spores will no longer inflict percentage damage when Blinded.
Fixed an issue that caused Umbral Bind to not increase Vengeful Knives damage.
Mal'GanisWinged Guard now has a block visual.
MalthaelEthereal Existence now has a block visual at max stacks.
MeiFixed an issue that caused Cooling Servos to Slow while Blinded.
MurkyFixed an issue that caused Big Tuna Kahuna to be multiplicative with other health bonuses.
Octograb now reveals the target instead of the area around the target.
Pufferfish now reveals targets hit.
Slime now reveals targets hit.
Anti-Armor Shells now applies debuff after damage.
Explosive Snipe now reveals targets hit.
Fixed an issue that caused Anti-Armor Shells to display an incorrect damage value for Nova's Holo Decoys.
Holo Decoys no longer reveals area when killed.
Snipe no longer reveals around target.
Triple Tap no longer reveals area around the target, and the target is now revealed for 2 seconds afterward, up from 1.3 seconds.
OrpheaFixed an issue that caused Dead Magic to splash to Evading targets.
Fixed an issue that caused Empowered Eldritch Conduit to be lost on death.
ProbiusFixed an issue that caused Pylon Overcharge to deal additional damage when Construct Additional Pylons is selected.
QhiraBasic Attacks will no longer reveal targets hit.
Blood Rage's activation no longer grants Fatal Wounds progress.
Fixed an issue that caused Finishing Touch to grant attack speed on attacks that bring the target below 50% health.
Fixed an issue that caused Your Pain, My Gain to grant Armor while Blinded.
RagnarosCauterize Wounds now displays on the Death Recap correctly.
Lava Wave can no longer pickup or magnetize Experience Globes.
RaynorFixed an issue that caused Execute Orders to not display in the Death Recap.
Fixed an issue that caused Give Em' Some Pepper damage to behaving incorrectly.
RehgarFixed duration of Totemic Projection.
Fixed an issue that caused Misha to not gain Primal Intimidation's Passive on respawn.
Fixed an issue where Unleash the Boars was not affected by some damage modifications.
SamuroBurning Blade is now Splash damage.
Way of the Wind now increases Self Healing instead of Healing.
SylvanasDeafening Blast now applies Black Arrows if active.
Deafening Blast now reveals targets hit.
Fixed an issue that caused Evasive Fire to be refreshed while Blinded.
Fixed an issue that caused Lost Soul to reduce cooldowns while Blinded.
Fixed an issue that caused Remorseless to not apply Black Arrows while Blinded.
Fixed an issue that caused Remorseless to not Stun enemies while Black Arrows is active.
Fixed an issue that caused Remorseless to not Stun Mercenaries with 3 stacks of Black Arrows and Mercenary Queen.
Might of the Banshee Queen is no longer removed on death.
TassadarArchon no longer applies armor reduction while Blinded.
Archon Splash damage no longer reveals targets hit.
Archon's Armor reduction is now removed by Stasis.
Feedback's Armor reduction is now removed by Stasis.
ThrallFeral Resilience now has a block visual.
The Lost VikingsHunka' Burning Olaf now reveals target instead of the area around the target.
It's a Sabotage can no longer be applied while Erik is Blinded.
Nordic Attack Squad now shows in recap.
Fixed an issue that caused Composition B and Quantum Spike to deal percent damage to non-Heroes.
Heavy Handed's Armor is now removed by Stasis.
Locked and Loaded no longer causes Basic Attacks to display as a crit.
Ricochet will no longer reveal targets hit (Tracer Rounds will still apply if taken).
Telefrag no longer reduces the cooldown of Recall while Blinded.
When Tracer completes a reload, it now displays floating text.
TyrandeFixed an issue that caused Elune's Chosen to heal for overkill damage.
Fixed an issue that caused Self Healing to not increase her Self Healing.
Fixed an issue that caused Sentinel to be reset if a Hallucination is killed while revealed.
Fixed an issue where Mark of Mending was not healing Evading targets.
Holy Radiance now reveals enemies hit.
Holy Radiance reveal updated to match area of effect.
ValeeraAmbush now reveals the target for 2 seconds.
Blade Flurry now reveals targets for 2 seconds.
Eviscerate now reveals the target for 2 seconds.
Fixed an issue where Garrote's damage displayed incorrectly in the Death Recap.
Garrote now reveals the target for 2 seconds.
Sinister Strike now reveals the target for 2 seconds.
Master At Arms now reveals targets hit and the area affected.
WhitemaneClemency no longer reveals the area around the heal target.
Divine Reckoning now reveals targets hit.
Inquisition and Shared Punishment now reveal the target for 2 seconds after expiring.
XulShackler no longer reveals the area it affects.
YrelAegis of Light no longer reveals area it affects.
Avenging Wrath now reveals targets hit.
Dauntless now has a block visual.
Vindication now reveals targets hit.
ZaryaExplosive Barrier now reveals the area and targets.
ZeratulCleave now reveals the area it affects.
Zul'jinBuzzsaw now reveals targets hit for 2 seconds.
Grievous Throw now reveals targets hit for 2 seconds.
Guillotine now reveals targets hit.
Heroes of the Storm is available now on PC.
