The MOBA Heroes of Newerth (HoN), which was discontinued in 2022, is set to return in a remastered version and once again compete with the strong competition from League of Legends and DOTA 2.
What do I need to know about HoN? When Heroes of Newerth was released on May 12, 2010, League of Legends was already the dominant player among MOBAs that one had to measure up to. When DOTA 2 turned the two-way competition into a three-way battle in July 2013, the pressure increased.
Although the game from S2 Games had some unique features despite its gameplay similarities to DOTA – such as the deny mechanic, which allowed players to kill their own minions and towers so that the opponent wouldn’t receive gold or experience from them – the Buy2Play model, higher complexity, and the high quality of free-to-play competitors led to a decline in player numbers.
The end was only a matter of time: On June 20, 2022, the servers were shut down. Much too early, as the developers of Kongor Studios now explain. With the help of the publisher Garena, they have now announced a remastered version of HoN. Here is the trailer:
Balancing Act Between Nostalgia and Modernity
What improvements are expected? With the new iGames engine, HoN is expected to look modern and sound better. The developers also plan to improve the combat experience and add features like role queues. At the same time, they want to preserve the strong core of the game to honor its legacy and the fans.
Unlike the original, Heroes of Newerth: Reborn will be based from the start on a free-to-play model with optional microtransactions. However, these are not supposed to affect the gameplay in any way. However, the funding does not seem to be guaranteed. Alongside the announcement, the developers have launched a crowdfunding round for HoN: Reborn on app.igames.com.
How is the community reacting to the announcement?
- kaljumies9297 is excited on YouTube: “How did I get goosebumps from this video? Welcome back! I hope the audience will enjoy it!”
- akashP998 writes on YouTube: “A HoN comeback was not on my list for 2025. But I’ll take it!”
- dragadrianul5341 is ecstatic on YouTube: “The best game of all time. Take my money. I’ve been playing since the beta.”
- klikkerTV expresses gratitude on YouTube: “This is so unbelievably awesome. Thank you very much for your work.”
Did you play HoN back then? Are you looking forward to the comeback? Let us know in the comments! For more about the MOBA, which was once caught between League of Legends and DOTA 2, read here: The oldest competitor of LoL is now officially dead – What made Heroes of Newerth so special
