Heroes of the Storm will attract new players. However, this is not done by yourself, but rather by letting the existing players handle it.
More heroes needed for the Nexus
In recent weeks, Heroes of the Storm has been expanded with more and more heroes. Most recently, the unusual concept of Cho’Gall was introduced, and soon Lunara and Greymane will follow. To accommodate the increasing number of characters, Blizzard is increasing the number of heroes that are in the “rotation”, meaning they can be played for free. Instead of having access to 7 free heroes, this has been expanded to a whopping 10 heroes. 6 of these are immediately available for newcomers, while the other four slots are unlocked at account levels 5, 7, 12, and 15.
Recruit a (new) friend!
Generally popular in MOBAs is the classic “Recruit a Friend” feature, which is now also making its way into HotS. Through a new website, players receive a personal invitation link and can encourage friends and acquaintances to play. As the recruited player gains levels, both receive rewards! If the recruited player reaches level 10, the recruiter is rewarded with a special portrait. If a player successfully recruits 4 friends (and helps them reach level 10), there is a special mount, the “Eagle Hoverbike” from Raynor in Starcraft 1.
The recruited player receives the hero Raynor and a 5-day booster immediately after their first login to get started right away. At level 10, the “Recruit a Friend” portrait and Sylvanas as a free character await.
The bad news to finish: The system does not work retroactively. Those who have already brought their friends to play in recent months will be disappointed. Recruited players may have reached a maximum of level 5 in the game, which will likely lead to all players creating numerous “smurf” accounts to grab the rewards.
Mein-MMO says: Fundamentally a sensible system to attract new players to the game – but it comes much too late. The same will happen that happened with all MOBAs that introduced such a system later: veterans will revolt. All players who have already motivated friends, relatives, acquaintances, complete strangers, and the neighbor’s dog to play will be disappointed, especially since they likely attracted more players than anyone before.
On Twitter, complaints have already been made, hoping that the decision will be reconsidered. Dustin Bowder has rejected this but apologized briefly. The feature is “healthy for the game in the long run.”
We don’t have to lean too far out of the window to guess: A new Heroes of the Shitstorm is brewing. Not entirely unjustified.
