Blizzard ends esports support for Heroes of the Storm

Steven Rondina Published 15/12/2018

Blizzard is cutting its support for Heroes of the Storm esports.

The publisher announced on its website that much of the manpower behind the game was being diverted to other titles. It also announced the cancellation of the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship and Heroes of the Dorm esports events.

“We now have more live games and unannounced projects than at any point in the company’s history,” said Blizzard in its statement. “As a result, we’ve made the difficult decision to shift some developers from Heroes of the Storm to other teams, and we’re excited to see the passion, knowledge, and experience that they’ll bring to those projects.”

Heroes of the Storm is a MOBA that includes characters from various Blizzard brands. Launched in 2015 as an answer to surging titles such as Dota 2 and League of Legends. While the game was met with generally positive reviews, it never came close to reaching the heights of popularity enjoyed by rivals in the genre.

The game made strides on the esports front but never quite managed to establish itself as a major title. The HGC attracted some of the biggest organizations in esports and became a regular part of BlizzCon. Meanwhile, Heroes of the Dorm stands as arguably the most successful collegiate esports event to date, having been broadcast on American cable television through ESPN.

But the competitive scene has struggled to retain prominent organizations and players.

News that the HGC and Heroes of the Dorm were cancelled drew a tidal wave of negative reactions on Twitter, with pro players expressing their frustration across social media.

That said, casual fans need not worry about the game disappearing in the foreseeable future. Kaeo Milker, production director for Heroes of the Storm, released a statement revealing that he was “continuing to develop the game with an incredible team that has the experience and passion required to support Heroes of the Storm well into the future.”

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

View full profile

Read Also

League of Legends

Riot Games eyes Polymarket and Kalshi for esports sponsorships Michael Hassall Riot Games, the creator of League of Legends and VALORANT is reportedly exploring the protentional of sponsorship deals with prediction market operators including Polymarket and Kalshi, as per reports emerging late last night (Sep. 10). First reported by Cecilia D’Anastasio of Bloomberg, Riot has started conversations with the two top prediction market operators, Kalshi and Polymarket, with a view to one or both of them becoming sponsors within Riot Games’ ...

Slots

This Is How Gates of Olympus 2500 Builds On The Iconic Series Ian John Since the first Gates of Olympus slot hit casinos in 2021, the series has evolved into one of the most recognisable in the Pragmatic Play stable. The combination of scatter wins, tumbling symbols and dramatic multipliers has established a formula that has been followed in a number of sequels and spin-offs. The latest in that series is the Gates of Olympus 2500 slot, but this game takes a slightly more ...

Dota 2

ESIC hand down ruling in EWC Dota match-fixing case: Lifetime ban for coach as DarkMago gets a nickel Michael Hassall South American Dota 2 player Gonzalo "DarkMago" Herrera will be banned for five years from competitive Dota 2, with his coach Juan "Vintage" Angulo banned permanently, following the results of an The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) investigation. ESIC handed down the findings and rulings from its investigation into match-fixing allegations leveled at members of South American Dota 2 team PlayTime during the Esports World Cup on Sep. 10, in a ...

News

Rams vs 49ers Preview — Who Will Win? Zachary Roberts The Los Angeles Rams open the season as Super Bowl favorites. Their first test? The division rival San Francisco 49ers. This game obviously has huge implications in what was the strongest division in football last year, sending three teams with 12 wins to the playoffs and hosting both NFC finalists. So, who's going to win? The Rams and 49ers face off tonight in the second game of the NFL season. ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Livestreams Apple Keynote and Meets New CEO John Ternus Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. became one of the first non-tech streamers to livestream an Apple event, appearing alongside the company's CEO at the keynote despite initial speculation from fans that he was using a green screen instead of physically being there. Speed has consistently blurred the lines between a streamer and mainstream celebrity in 2026. He collaborated with FIFA on a game and then performed at the World Cup closing ...

Slots

Juice, New B2B iGaming Provider Backed by Stake, Launches at Casinos Ben Boland A new B2B iGaming provider has just been launched globally, with Juice going live on September 9. Juice comprises five studios well-known for producing a range of original games for Stake.com. It is releasing a range of over 100 games that can be used by operators all over the world. The five studios behind the new brand comprises Twist Gaming, Knucklehead Syndicate, Monstrums, Massive Studios and The Originals. The entire ...

News

It Looks Like the PlayStation 6 Is Not Coming Out Anytime Soon Zachary Roberts The PlayStation 6, much like the Project Helix Xbox, is under development. This much we know, but exactly when the new generation of consoles will arrive is anyone's guess. We know precious few details about the PlayStation 6, including its release date. Kalshi traders, though, have made their opinion known on when the next Sony console will hit the market. Will the PlayStation 6 come out this year? Almost certainly ...