Is Heroes of the Storm Dead? Why It Still Has a Strong Playerbase in 2024
Image Credit: Blizzard, Heroes of the Storm
When Heroes of the Storm first launched in 2015 it was Blizzard’s grand entry into the MOBA world (not counting WC3 mods), a genre dominated by League of Legends and Dota 2. But from the start, HotS seemed like a bit of an outlier, a MOBA built with a friendlier focus on teamwork rather than individual prowess. Fast forward to today, and it’s a game often thought to be on its last legs. After Blizzard announced it was pulling resources from HotS development in 2018, rumors of its demise began swirling. Yet, despite all predictions, Heroes of the Storm persists. It isn’t dead; in fact, it’s quietly alive and supported by a surprisingly active community of players, content creators, and passionate fans.
This article breaks down why Heroes of the Storm is still kicking, why the rumors don’t hold up, and how a once-overlooked game is redefining what it means to “live” in the era of modern gaming.
A Loyal and Steady Playerbase
Heroes of the Storm doesn’t have the booming numbers of League of Legends, but it’s far from abandoned with queue times averaging less than a minute in Quickplay for many, and popping within 10 seconds for ARAM. What makes this particularly remarkable is that, by traditional measures, Heroes of the Storm has become a relatively “closed” game. Blizzard isn’t releasing new heroes or major updates. And yet, players remain loyal. Why? The team-based design, characters with a deep background and history, and a wide variety of objective-based maps. Heroes of the Storm is a cooperative MOBA in a universe full of solo stars, and this difference has been enough to keep the community hooked.
The Real Heroes: The HotS Community
The community surrounding Heroes of the Storm is, by most accounts, unusually tight-knit. When Blizzard dialed back development, HotS fans stepped in, picking up where the company left off. The Heroes of the Storm subreddit has nearly 400,000 subscribers, with daily posts offering everything from strategic tips to heartfelt stories about favorite heroes and memorable games. Players on forums and Discord servers organize custom games, professional-grade tournaments like Heroes Lounge (see below), and themed events, filling in the gaps that Blizzard left.
There’s also a vibrant ecosystem of fan-created guides, YouTube channels, and streams dedicated to HotS. Rather than dwindling, the HotS community seems to have crystallized into a kind of permanent support network, one that’s determined to keep the game alive, regardless of Blizzard’s level of involvement.
Competitive Play: A Quiet Scene that Refuses to Die
Heroes of the Storm no longer boasts the official Heroes Global Championship (HGC) with its flashy production and major cash prizes, but a robust grassroots competitive scene remains. The independent Heroes Lounge hosts regular tournaments and divisions, allowing players to compete at the highest level. This structure held up by the community has kept competition accessible for a solid mixture of serious players and casual enthusiasts.
The Gameplay that Keeps Players Coming Back
What makes Heroes of the Storm appealing enough for players to stick around, year after year? Part of the answer lies in its unique approach to gameplay. Where other MOBAs reward individual performance and skill, HotS places an emphasis on team experience and objectives. Victory is a collective effort, not just the product of one superstar player.
Each map is distinct (something we personally love), with different objectives—take Towers of Doom and Cursed Hollow, where strategy goes beyond simple attacks and defenses. This map variety adds strategy at a level that is absent in many other MOBAs, which focus on a single, repetitive gameplay loops on the exact same map over and over. Players who appreciate a more collaborative, objective-oriented experience without 1v5 snowballing have found a home in HotS, and that appeal doesn’t seem to be fading anytime soon.
A Flicker of Life from Blizzard at BlizzCon 2023
In 2023, Blizzard acknowledged Heroes of the Storm at BlizzCon in an unexpected announcement. They didn’t promise any new heroes or groundbreaking updates, but they did commit to quality-of-life improvements and seasonal events. This small nod seemed to re-energize the HotS fanbase. Player activity spiked right after BlizzCon, as the community rallied around this modest but significant sign that Blizzard hadn’t completely forgotten the game. For fans, even this small commitment was enough to inspire renewed hope, and we are consistently seeing patch notes come out on a somewhat regular basis now well into 2024.
Heroes of the Storm Is Not Dead; It’s Just Evolving
Ultimately, Heroes of the Storm isn’t dead—it’s just different. The current landscape is dominated by games that require endless new content and hype to survive, HotS has quietly become a different kind of success story. It’s a game that persists not through aggressive expansion but through the steadfast dedication of its community. This is a game for fans, and the fans have responded by building a self-sustaining world where HotS can continue to thrive, even without Blizzard’s full support.
So, if you’re wondering whether it’s worth diving into Heroes of the Storm in 2024, the answer is yes. This game is easy to learn and hard to master. You’ll find a dedicated, knowledgeable community that is much friendlier than most we’ve come across and get to play as characters from your favorite Blizzard games all in one arena.
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