Blizzard’s flagship MOBA, Heroes of the Storm, is finally showing signs of life.
Announced at Blizzcon 2026, the game is getting its first new character since Hogger was released in 2020, as well as a new PTR.
Xal’atath, the primary antagonist of World of Warcraft’s Midnight expansion, is coming to the Nexus on Monday, September 28. The PTR begins on Monday, September 14.
This is a welcome surprise for Heroes of the Storm fans, who had all but accepted that the game might never get updated again. Blizzard ended official support for HotS in 2022, explaining that “future patches will primarily focus on client sustainability and bug fixing, with balance updates coming as needed.”
However, the title received a significant patch in 2023, with smaller, sporadic changes and new skins trickling through in the years since then. Fans are more hopeful than ever, and Blizzard is, too — but future updates all depend on how the community responds to this fresh breath of air.
Speaking to the media, a Blizzard franchise leader said the company will “see how this does,” revealing that “if the community responds well, it could lead to more things” and describing this update as the “first foray into something really big.”
Blizzard President Johanna Faries thanked Heroes of the Storm players for holding out hope for so long, and even teased the addition of another new hero in the future.
“To all the HotS players out there, thank you for believing in this game, for carrying the torch, and for reminding us sometimes — very loudly — what this game means to you,” she said. “And who knows — we might even have another new hero on the way in the future, so stay tuned, and we will see you in the Nexus.”
Virginia Glaze
News Editor
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.
Michael Peyton
Senior Editorial Director of Events & Entertainment
Michael Peyton is the Senior Editorial Director of Events & Entertainment at IGN, leading entertainment content and coverage of tentpole events including IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He’s spent 20 years working in the games and entertainment industry, and his adventures have taken him everywhere from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton
