Abandoned by Blizzard - The Tragedy of Heroes of the Storm

[00:10] The genre  that encompasses games such as Dota and League of Legends sprouted from Defense of the Ancients,   a fan-developed mod designed within the  framework of Warcraft 3. It seemed fitting,  

[00:22] then, that Warcraft creator Blizzard Entertainment  would announce a multiplayer online battle arena,   or MOBA, of its own during BlizzCon 2010. A fully-fledged MOBA, the project bore many  

[00:34] names and assumed multiple forms throughout its  relatively brief lifecycle. It first appeared   manifested as Blizzard DOTA, then adopted the  title of Blizzard All-Stars due to a legal   dispute, before the developer settled on Heroes  of the Storm. But the name arguably mattered  

[00:49] little overall, especially since players had made  their preferences known by the time Blizzard tried   cutting itself a piece of the battle arena pie. A couple delays and a production overhaul   meant Heroes of the Storm wouldn t arrive until  roughly five years after stealing the spotlight  

[01:04] at BlizzCon in 2010. When its servers finally  came online, Valve and Riot Games had cornered   the market with Dota and League of Legends,  respectively, leaving barely any room for another   property to muscle its way inside. Still, Blizzard  made an attempt, and succeeded to some degree.  

[01:21] Heroes of the Storm challenged the  familiar design paradigms of battle arenas,   which allowed the Warcraft studio to carve out a  unique space. Professional and collegiate-level   Esports leagues even spawned from the endeavor,  yet Heroes never quite reached the heights of its  

[01:37] competitors. As a result, the game s few successes  did nothing to stave off its early trip to the   graveyard of discontinued online services. This is the tragedy of Heroes of the Storm.  

[03:16] After approximately seven years of development,  Blizzard shipped StarCraft 2 in July 2010,   but a time of celebration and relaxation  morphed into brainstorming sessions for a   brand-new project. As Heroes of the Storm Game  Director Dustin Browder explained to Polygon,  

[03:31] some developers followed up the StarCraft 2  release with questions about what the team   would showcase during that October s BlizzCon.  Arguments that such discussions should wait fell   by the wayside, dismissed when those who favored  the idea contended that fans paid good money for  

[03:47] quality entertainment at the annual convention.  Despite the limited time frame, members of the   StarCraft crew accepted the challenge. Given internal concerns as to whether   the modding community would utilize the StarCraft  sequel s robust toolset, Blizzard decided to build  

[04:02] its next adventure with those selfsame tools. The  beginnings of Blizzard DOTA blossomed from there,   its content inspired by an in-house arcade  machine packed with emulated games. Notably,   the artwork wrapped around the cabinet depicted  characters and imagery from Blizzard-owned  

[04:17] properties. The vision for Blizzard DOTA  followed this concept to the next logical   step a MOBA wherein iconic Diablo, StarCraft,  and Warcraft characters could battle each other   on maps modeled after the digital worlds from  which they originated. A BlizzCon 2010 audience  

[04:32] watched a presentation of the game s earlier  version and seemed enthused by the premise.   Because it was initially conceived as a free  StarCraft 2 add-on, Blizzard DOTA s production   team around the time of its reveal included  only two designers and a few artists who  

[04:46] developed it intermittently. Player enthusiasm  and work on StarCraft 2 s Heart of the Swarm   expansion ultimately forced the company to  postpone the Dota endeavor altogether.   Blizzard DOTA returned to the BlizzCon  stage in 2011, wearing a fresh coat of  

[05:01] paint separating it from competing MOBAs.  For starters, as opposed to implementing a   demanding learning curve, Blizzard fostered an  easy-to-learn, difficult-to-master philosophy,   with gameplay elements emphasizing aggression and  fast-paced action. The experience, once again,  

[05:17] intrigued BlizzCon audiences, though this  particular event would mark the game s last public   appearance under the name Blizzard DOTA. A legal  dispute with Valve over the Dota trademark ended   in a settlement allowing the Half-Life maker to  use the title commercially for its next project,  

[05:31] Dota 2. Meanwhile, the terms of the agreement  limited Blizzard s rights to user-created   content in Warcraft 3 and StarCraft 2, thus  heralding the age of Blizzard All-Stars.  

[05:43] Details concerning the settlement went public  in May 2012, a period in which Dustin Browder   claimed other seeds of change began to take  root for Blizzard All-Stars. Most importantly,   this represented the juncture wherein  developers started devising ways of monetizing  

[05:57] the MOBA while maintaining its attachment to  StarCraft 2. But the Blizzard Strike Team,   staffers who tested games outside of their  assigned projects, wanted more for All-Stars,   believing the online experience demanded a  release wholly independent of StarCraft. Blizzard  

[06:12] All-Stars accordingly evolved from an unpaid  add-on to a standalone free-to-play title.   The transition heralded a few more alterations to  Blizzard s initial plans for All-Stars. Though the   StarCraft 2 engine powered the MOBA, a Strike Team  member s insistence that it looked too much like  

[06:28] another StarCraft mod culminated in somewhat of an  art overhaul. Higher quality standards were placed   on the free-to-play project, as well; in turn, the  size of the All-Stars crew ballooned exponentially  

[06:40] once Heart of the Swarm shipped in May 2013.  Given the then unceasing popularity of League   of Legends and the anticipation surrounding  Dota 2, Blizzard felt compelled to entice   prospective players with a unique offering. In pursuit of such ends, developers eventually  

[06:56] jettisoned the All-Stars Item Shop, a system  in League of Legends and Dota 2 featuring items   that players utilized for buffing their  characters. The decision required some   convincing for other staffers who believed  the Item Shop too critical an element of the  

[07:10] genre. But discussions about the shop in Dota  encouraging toxic behavior amongst the player   base helped seal the deal All-Stars would forego  the inclusion of a traditional Item Shop, despite   the years spent testing that very system. As the crew reconsidered other core tenets  

[07:26] of the genre, even more adjustments to  the formula took hold. Blizzard developed   a system whereby in-game teammates shared  experience points, for example. In addition,   matches lasted around 20 minutes, engendering  aggressive play styles. The Warcraft creator,  

[07:41] thus, rejected the MOBA label, instead deeming its  Dota-esque title a team brawler. Fans ate it up,   itching for any fresh details the development  house could provide. Blizzard All-Stars would  

[07:54] undergo yet another transitory period before the  wider public could enter the Nexus, however.  

[08:20] Weeks ahead of BlizzCon 2013, Blizzard debuted the  crossover title s new name in an animated trailer   produced by Jon Burton from CarbotAnimations.  The game formerly known as Blizzard All-Stars  

[08:32] suddenly bore the Heroes of the Storm title.  Such news came in the months following publisher   Activision Blizzard s earnings report for the  second quarter of 2013, wherein Blizzard s then   CEO and President, Mike Morhaime, divulged that  resources from the since-canceled Titan MMO had  

[08:49] shifted to internal projects the MOBA included. Most signs pointed to another Blizzard success   story, and the studio couldn t have asked for  better public interest-related figures on the   back of generally positive reception from alpha  testing and BlizzCon 2014. According to Activision  

[09:06] Blizzard s fourth quarter statistics for 2014,  more than nine million people had signed up to   participate in the team brawler s open beta a  presumed harbinger of good things to come.   The full game hit PC on June 2, 2015, complete  with 30-plus playable Heroes and seven different  

[09:24] battlegrounds. Blizzard promised to  support Heroes of the Storm long-term,   its post-release plans centered around a trickling  of iconic heroes, maps, and other additive content   offerings. It scored well at launch in terms of  critic reviews, with many applauding Blizzard  

[09:40] for expertly weaving together an experience  that felt both deep and relatively simple.   Some dubbed the title a good entry into an  overly complicated genre, due in part to   Blizzard trimming away the fat to let players dive  right into the fast-paced fun. Not everyone felt  

[09:56] similarly moved, however. Perceived flaws in the  hero building, leveling, and gameplay balancing   departments divided critics and players alike. But these troubles did little to slow the title   s post-launch momentum on the production side of  things. By the end of 2015, Heroes of the Storm  

[10:13] had received a treasure trove of updates, ranging  from new maps such as the Diablo-themed Infernal   Shrines to extra Heroes including Warcraft s  Rexxar and the two-player-controlled Cho gall.  

[10:25] 2016 proved an especially busy year for the  Blizzard-branded MOBA. Most importantly,   the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship  Circuit kicked off, its prize pool of $4   million setting the stage for one of the biggest  years in Esports history. Another set of Heroes,  

[10:40] battlegrounds, and modes entered the Nexus,  too, along with a Season 1 update in June that   opened the door for a revamped ranking system,  matchmaking improvements, and new rewards for   Hero and Team players. But while Heroes of the  Storm s first full year of availability enjoyed  

[10:56] numerous victories, the game never managed  to dethrone League of Legends and Dota 2.   Game Director Dustin Browder exited  Heroes of the Storm in December 2016,  

[11:12] Technical Director Alan Dabiri assumed Browder  s responsibilities, charged with shepherding   the online title through an all-new era  later known as Heroes of the Storm 2.0.  

[11:27] The 2.0 update, which arrived in April  2017, introduced a significant overhaul   to many of the MOBA s core systems. For one,  Blizzard reworked progression and rewards,   notably removing the level cap for hero and  player levels. The patch also decreased the grind  

[11:43] commitment between levels; whereas the old system  required 10 to 20 hours to level up, Production   Director Ka o Milker claimed similar progression  would take a mere two to three hours under 2.0.  

[11:56] Additional types of cosmetic items entered  the mix through Overwatch-style loot chests,   namely in the form of Announcer voice packs, Hero  voice lines, sprays, and banners. This shift meant  

[12:08] cosmetics previously locked behind a paywall were  easier to obtain, thereby lowering the barrier to   entry. Evidently, Blizzard aimed to reconstruct  the battle arena for lapsed players, regulars, and  

[12:21] newcomers, with Milker telling PC Gamer that 2.0 s  improvements represented a step towards turning a   great game into a great free-to-play game. Update 2.0 constituted but one of the many  

[12:34] noteworthy additions to Heroes of the Storm in  2017. Overwatch s D.VA joined the fight in May;   Blizzard unleashed StarCraft character Stukov  not too long thereafter; and the Overwatch-themed  

[12:46] Volskaya Foundry became a playable battleground  that September. All told, 2017 seemed the most   transformative for the MOBA but if its second full  year saw Blizzard build upon existing foundations,  

[12:59] the ensuing third year denoted the beginnings of  said foundations being razed from the ground.  

[13:11] The drama surrounding microtransactions  in the 2017 releases of Middle-earth:   Shadow of War and Star Wars: Battlefront  II opened the floodgates in many respects,   such that governments around the world began  paying closer attention to in-game purchases.  

[13:26] Gambling sat at the forefront of the issue,  encouraging legislators in countries like Belgium   to take swift action. After much deliberation,  then, the Belgium Gaming Commission ruled that   loot boxes violated gambling regulations.  To conduct business in the region, Blizzard  

[13:43] had no choice but to excise paid loot boxes from  Heroes of the Storm and Overwatch in August 2018.   The MOBA suffered yet another blow in December,  just two months after President and Co-Founder  

[13:56] Mike Morhaime resigned and was succeeded by  Warcraft executive J. Allen Brack. In a December   blog post, Brack and Chief Development Officer Ray  Gresko announced a downsizing for the Heroes of  

[14:08] the Storm group, which relocated numerous staffers  to other internal projects. The choice came down   to the proliferation of resources since Blizzard  wanted the rest of its live titles and unannounced   endeavors to receive ample development support.  Still, Brack and Gresko assured players that,  

[14:24] though the cadence would change, the crew  planned to continue rolling out new content.   A statement from Ka o Milker similarly  attempted to set minds at ease,   as the Production Director insisted that not  all was lost. Akin to the community, though,  

[14:39] he lamented the turn of events, expressing  disappointment in the knowledge that Heroes   hit its stride in 2018 but would have to endure  the reshaping of previously laid plans for 2019.  

[14:51] To the chagrin of many Blizzard faithful,  the diminished resources were just the tip   of the iceberg. The firm also terminated the  title s Esports circuit, immediately inciting   fury amongst pro and collegiate competitors. One  professional player, Lauber, said he spent months  

[15:07] training with new squadmates and even emailed  Blizzard about the 2019 league, yet never heard   anything about a cancelation beforehand. Kala, the  Tempo Storm coach, highlighted the misfortune of   people building their livelihoods around Heroes  only to become blindsided by the sudden news.  

[15:23] The coach further claimed to have spoken with  developers at BlizzCon 2018, who told him the   Global Championship would return the next year. Naturally, internet speculation spread like   wildfire in the absence of firm details as  to why Blizzard pumped the brakes. Popular  

[15:39] theories posited that Brack either pulled the  Esports plug or received word from Activision   brass to enact cost-cutting measures. Blizzard  s strategy would be called into question again   with the deployment of a March 2019 update  that removed the option to purchase randomized  

[15:55] loot boxes with real money. The studio relayed  the news via patch notes without explanation,   though reason indicated pressure from gambling  regulators constituted the motivating factor.   In general, 2019 proved a rough year for Blizzard  all-around. The Blitzchung ruling and controversy,  

[16:12] in particular, marred the company s reputation.  Three high-profile exits further depleted the   public s faith in leadership. Heroes of the Storm  s former Game Director, Dustin Browder, departed   the development house, along with Hearthstone s  Director and Production Director Eric Dodds and  

[16:28] Jason Chayes. Oddly, the company didn't publicly  acknowledge these veteran resignations until   months after all three had already stepped away. Amid the dwindling public support, Blizzard   occasionally delivered fresh Heroes of the  Storm content to sate the lingering player  

[16:44] base. It even received free unlocks for every  character for a limited time in early 2020,   a small sign of life for the MOBA that developers  had all but abandoned. These methods were not   enough to revive it. Consequently, the death  knell rang in July 2022 upon the announcement  

[17:01] of ceased development efforts. In line with  other longstanding games such as StarCraft 2,   Blizzard promised balance adjustments, bug fixes,  and free hero rotations would persist unabated.  

[17:13] stratosphere naturally inundated the web.  Mike Morhaime offered an explanation in   the months following his resignation. During a  roundtable at Gamelab Barcelona in June 2019,  

[17:26] the former CEO argued the Heroes team made a great  game; the problem was that it arrived too late."   Morhaime said the crew recognized the brilliance  of the Defense of the Ancients mod at the time  

[17:38] but didn t want to disrupt the community s  stellar work. Instead, Blizzard prioritized   the Warcraft IP s expansion, which Morhaime  deemed the right call, yet maintained that,   in retrospect, had the studio properly read  the tea leaves, Dota s swell in popularity  

[17:54] would ve signaled to executives the need for a  small group devoted to a comparable project.   Despite attempts at innovating the Dota formula,  Blizzard sidestepping a golden opportunity to get   in on the ground floor arguably hurt its chances  of success the most. Heroes of the Storm, thus,  

[18:11] exemplifies a classic case of too little  too late, the kind of lesson the industry   would do well to remember. Except  the unending churn of live-service   games suggests the title formerly known as  Blizzard DOTA won t be the last of its kind.