Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard’s fun MOBA game, still remains in the shadow of LoL or DotA 2. However, according to Game Director Alan Dabiri, that’s not a bad thing. Heroes of the Storm is not meant to be a second DotA or LoL, but rather a game that both Blizzard fans and developers can enjoy.
At BlizzCon 2017, Game Producer Alan Dabiri announced, among other things, that there would soon be some changes in Heroes of the Storm. They want to make the “Laning Phase” more significant.
So the game phase in which one is supposed to gain control of the “Lanes” and engage in fierce duels and 2vs2 battles. In LoL or DotA 2, the Lane Phase is essential for the game structure, in HotS it has so far been more of a pastime when there is nothing better to do.
This should change with the updates announced at BlizzCon for 2018. With adjustments such as unlimited ammunition for the towers that should detect invisible units, lane battles will likely become more intense and important.
Should HotS therefore become more of a standard MOBA like LoL or DotA 2?
HotS doesn’t have to be the best MOBA in the world
As Alan Dabiri mentioned in an interview with Polygon, HotS should not become a clone of LoL or DotA 2. The planned changes aim to improve aspects in HotS that have been okay so far but could be better. And a more intense laning phase is likely part of that.
In general, they do not want HotS to climb the MOBA Olympus and displace LoL and DotA 2 (which is currently far from happening).
Heroes of the Storm has its own path in the MOBA genre and wants to advance the genre as a whole by breaking conventions and introducing tactical and strategic options that do not exist elsewhere.
Heroes of the Storm is a huge fan service
Furthermore, one aspect of HotS is particularly important to Dabiri: Heroes of the Storm is a celebration for all Blizzard fans. Where else can you play as your beloved heroes and villains and make them compete against each other in all sorts of situations? This is especially cool when the corresponding character has long since become irrelevant in their original home game, like Arthas or Garrosh.
And then there’s the possibility for developers to play around with silly and absurd ideas that they could never implement in the main game. For example, “Dreadlord Jaina,” a long-held fan theory that will probably never become part of WoW canon. In HotS, however, there is a Jaina skin that depicts her as a cruel demon.
Heroes of the Storm is meant to be a game that appeals to both Blizzard fans and Blizzard developers. As long as it excites Blizzard game fans, it doesn’t matter if it stands in the shadow of powerful competitors like DotA 2 or LoL.
LoL is so far away – what else can Blizzard say?
Jürgen says: Sure, HotS is not the market leader in the MOBA genre, and many players find the game overly simple and unchallenging compared to LoL or DotA 2. Therefore, Alan Dabiri cannot stand up and market HotS as a mega-success.
That HotS does not sweep the MOBA competition away as WoW once did with other MMORPGs is also likely due to the new updates. It’s easy to say that you don’t want to be the top dog in the genre when you know you won’t be for the foreseeable future.
But in one respect, I agree with Dabiri: HotS is a true celebration for Blizzard fans! It’s so much fun to stick a sticky bomb to Diablo as Tracer from Overwatch or to throw some grenades at the orc Thrall as a tank from Starcraft. I feel like a little boy again, discussing with my friends on the playground whether Darth Vader could defeat the Terminator in a duel or if Batman would have a chance against Wolverine.
Learn everything about the new heroes Hanzo and Alexstrasza in Heroes of the Storm!
