Thoughts on the Future of Heroes of the Storm

Heroes of the Storm. Image credit: heroesofthestorm.com

Heroes of the Storm is great. It's hard to find other words for it. In fact, if it weren't for Hearthstone, another great Blizzard game, I'd be playing HotS non-stop. Blizzard has taken one of the more obtuse and impenetrable game genres and pulled off an easy-to-learn/hard-to-master game that could turn the rest of the genre on its collective ear.

Before we get into that, though, I'd like to sketch out why I enjoy the game. Heroes of the Storm is a way to answer one of the geekiest questions of all time: Who would win in a cage match between x and y?

Of course we won't get an ultimate answer in HotS, Blizzard works hard to ensure balance in their games. But it allows us, at least in the Blizzard universe, to put the question to the test; to beat on each other with our favorite heroes from our favorite games. It's just plain Super Smash Brothers style fun.

So let's get a little deeper into the game:

HotS has condensed and distilled the MOBA(mutliplayer online battle arena) format into a game that an average player can pick up and learn quickly.  By reducing the role-playing derived elements to a team-based leveling system and a short, linear ability tree, the majority of the gameplay can be taught in a 10-15 minute tutorial. And while the basic abilities and strategies are easy to understand, there is a rich depth of strategy hovering just below the surface.

The strategy in HotS relies on teamwork, the interaction between hero abilities(Gamepedia HotS wiki) and the use of map mechanics(Gamepedia HotS wiki) that provide bonuses and abilities to the opposing teams. The large cast of playable heroes in addition to the rotation of several battlegrounds allows for a wide variety of playing styles and tactics. The team leveling in the game ensures that newer or less-capable players are not left behind and can still contribute to the game.

HotS will be a fascinating game to watch in relation to the rest of the industry. While League of Legends and Dota 2 have had a huge head start in the market and especially in the pro-gaming space, Heroes of the Storm has a distinct advantage over the other two. While popular, League of Legends and Dota 2 have a famously steep learning curve. It takes a lot of time and practice to make an impact on the game.

Because of HotS' team leveling mechanic and the simplified structure of the ability trees, inexperienced players can make an immediate impact on the game and help their team win. I believe that because the game is easy to understand and play, it will be fun to watch for a wide variety of gamers; much more so than League of Legends or Dota 2.

This is all conjecture, of course. The game could flop like any other game could. But let's draw the comparison between pro gaming and pro sports. We generally watch the sports that we, as viewers, are familiar with. In the United States, it's mostly football, basketball, baseball, hockey, and soccer (viewership numbers are approximately in that order). These are sports that we are familiar with and grew up playing, often the sport that we focused on in our youth is our favorite sport to watch.

The easier it is to grow familiar with a game, the more appreciation we'll have for the pro-level players and the more we'll enjoy watching them play.

To close, I'll pose a fun little question. Which sports correspond to which games in the world of Blizzard pro gaming? I'll stick my answers below.

Starcraft (I and II): Football
Hearthstone: Baseball
Heroes of the Storm: Basketball, Hockey, and Soccer