Search game : hos
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Interview
Fan on taking a break: "Every day was basically 10 to 12 hours of commitment to playing HotS."
Last Tuesday, the “best Heroes of the Storm player in North America” abruptly announced his retirement from the competitive scene after spending the last four years making a name for himself. Fan “Fan” Yang, a member of the first Heroes of the Storm World Championship team for Cloud9 issued a statement through his current team, Tempo Storm, regarding his decision to step down. His full statement can be found here. When Fan was approached by InvenGlobal to talk about his decision to move on from competing in the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) in 2019, he opened up a bit more.
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News
Heroes' pros, casters demand information from Blizzard via Twitter
As Christmas approaches, those who work in and follow the competitive Heroes of the Storm professional circuit called the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) are hoping Santa comes early with some much-needed information. With the 2019 professional circuit yet to be announced, amid reports that Blizzard is experiencing budget cuts, imaginations are running wild that the game many call home will be without a competitive scene come the new year. Blizzard has yet to issue a public statement regarding the future of the HGC as well as notify players behind closed doors as to whether they will have a job in the upcoming months, according to sources. Prior to this past week, the majority of the players and talent have sat back and remained patient for an update. Over the weekend, something changed.
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Feature
SolidJake's selflessness has helped Heroes' community grow
Jake “SolidJake” Kulinski’s involvement in the Heroes of the Storm scene pre-dates the release of the full game being available to the general public. Between masterminding what is arguably the most popular Heroes’ podcast, TownHall Heroes, to casting the amateur Open Division scene and launching a community funded tournament with a $10,000 prize pool, Bloodlust, SolidJake has seen and done it all. While the list of accolades continues further in Blizzard games and the fighting game community (FGC), SolidJake has accomplished all that he has despite failing to look out for ‘numero uno’...himself. As long as his wife and her family’s business is taken care of, as long as the Blizzard community is taken care of, as long as the players and talent around him are taken care of, Jake is fine operating at a loss and putting himself at risk. The consummate ‘fall guy’ as it were. That’s not to say he hasn’t had opportunities to put himself first and selfishly look to further his career in the entertainment business; it has to be on his terms after everyone else around him is first taken care of.
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Interview
Crawford on Stitches’ rework: “We kept Fishing Hook as we knew that was a crowd favorite."
When the task of reworking Stitches was handed to the development team and Crawford, they had a pretty good idea where to start and the issues he currently experienced. This was not the overhaul that Sylvannas recently experienced as his fundamental kit was made well enough back in the day that he just needed more things to do when waiting for his 16-second cooldown to expire on his Hook ability.
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News
Stitches full reworked talents and abilities
The abomination hero, Stitches, has been a frontline pest since the earlier Heroes of the Storm days back in 2014. Hooking opponents, spreading putrid bile and consuming opponents has been his signature tricks and when the development team felt his kit needed to be reworked, they opted not to remove what made him...him. When the dust settled after being tweaked, the new Stitches will be more than a "hook bot" who, in-between his Hook's cooldown, will have more to do on the battlefield.
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Interview
Jackson on Sylvanas: “ If you're a very aggressive player or someone who likes a high-octane hero that can really single someone out and blow them up, she can do that now.”
When the opportunity to rework one of Blizzard’s most famous or infamous characters (depending on who you’re asking), Sylvanas, was placed on the plate of Jackson, his mind immediately went to work. A high-level player himself, Jackson knew the task of turning a hero into an assassin was no easy task and the pressure was on. Unlike the rework Stitches recently received, this was not just tweaking a few abilities and having her play the same but have some quality of life adjustments. This was an overhaul and in preparation for this rework, changes were made back in April.
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News
Sylvanas full reworked talents and abilities
The Queen of the Forsaken, Sylvanas, who was introduced into Heroes of the Storm back in 2015 is next in line to receive a rework of her basic abilities and talents. Previously, the banshee relied on applying map pressure through the use of her trait which disables enemy fortifications and minions. But the development team wanted to take her kit in a different direction, one more focused on teamfighting.
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Column
Blizzard’s HGC silence speaks volumes
As December approaches, professional Heroes of the Storm players are unsure if they will have a job in 2019. Since 2016, Blizzard Entertainment has run the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) circuit each year, pitting the best of the best from around the world against one another over the course of a calendar year with the finale being the World Championship event held at BlizzCon. With nearly $5 million awarded in prizes during the 2017 year and a lot of mouths to feed in the process, the survival of HGC, in its current format or otherwise, is paramount for those that rely on it for steady income. As it stands, HGC has not been announced to return in 2019 yet. No statements, press releases or announcements have been issued suggesting its existence going forward.
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News
Pro players divided on 2019 HGC map pool
With BlizzCon safely in the rearview mirror, sights are set on the 2019 Heroes Global Championship (HGC) circuit, assuming Blizzard is interested in returning it, as nothing has been announced yet publicly. To fill the lull in the action, pro players and the Heroes of the Storm community spend the offseason partaking in a fun hobby: theorycrafting, or predicting what may transpire in the upcoming months. A topic presented to a few players for the sake of this story that sparked a conversation within the community as a result was: “What battlegrounds will we play on in 2019?”
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News
Sources: Tempo Storm to part ways with ViN, Glaurung
One of the top teams in the North American Heroes of the Storm scene is going to look much different come 2019. According to sources, Tempo Storm is expected to part ways with Vi "ViN" Nguyen and Mike "Glaurung" Fisk as the team looks to reload for the upcoming season.
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News
Sources: Simplicity discussing acquisition of Team Freedom roster
A promising North American Heroes of the Storm roster in 2018 may play under a different sponsor in 2019, according to sources. Currently represented by Team Freedom, the roster consisting of Merek "zugrug" Kangas, Phillipe "Nazmas" Laberge, Jérôme "KilluZiioN" Tanguay, Orie "YoDa" Gue and Vincent "Lutano" Alonso is in the process of fielding information regarding a new organization to call home for the upcoming Heroes Global Championship (HGC) season.
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Interview
SolidJake: "I think there are plenty of people that have gotten knocked out of HGC that deserve to be knocked out."
Heroes of the Storm caster Jake “SolidJake” Kulinski has a unique perspective that he is able to view the health of the competitive community from. One seldom seen and heard. As one of the casters of the amateur competitive scene, known as Open Division, SolidJake has experience seeing player’s careers blossom over time, the trails and tribulations they may endure along the way and understands the importance of having a strong bedrock to grow new talent in.
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News
Upcoming gameplay changes leave HGC community polarized
In the upcoming month, the Heroes of the Storm team will be putting into motion their initial round of gameplay changes that were announced at BlizzCon to, in their eyes, improve the overall state of the game. While many changes will not go live until 2019, such as showing a player’s visible Match-Making Rating (MMR) and changes to the Ranked player experience, what is being released in the near future may be more impactful long-term. How team experience is received via destroying enemy fortifications will be completely re-worked to prevent one team “snowballing” another based off early game pressure, according to Blizzard.
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News
Activision Blizzard's stock drops 10 percent overnight
Overnight, Activision Blizzard (ATVI) stock dropped by an estimated 10 percent after their Quarter 3 earning’s report was made public. While the estimated revenue for the company was in-line with their projections of $1.66 billion for the quarter, a drop in monthly active users for the third straight quarter turned out to be a cause for concern for some.
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Interview
Defining a Tank in Heroes of the Storm is no easy task
“What is a ‘Tank’ hero in Heroes of the Storm?” Not only is that the million dollar question within the game’s community but for the development team within Blizzard as well. In theory, the role of a hulking brute who can control the battleground while soaking up damage and dishing out crowd-control for teammates to abuse seems straightforward. Not quite. What about their ability to peel for teammates? How much initiation should they have within their kit? Are they better off in the solo lane where their sustainability can contest a hero such as Thrall? Do they have the tools to get out of danger that they put themselves in? These questions, in addition to the above theory of what makes a Tank, is a careful balancing act for the development team when looking to release a new hero into the nexus or tweak an old one. At the BlizzCon event in Los Angeles, California held last weekend, Adam Jackson, a Balance Designer responsible for making these difficult decisions, sat down with InvenGlobal to shed some light into the intricacies that go into creating this misunderstood role.
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Interview
Interview with Kaeo Milker: “Hoping for More Strategic Plays by Removing Fort EXP”
Kaeo Milker, the Production Director for Heroes of the Storm, foreshadowed a huge change to the game. They will be dividing the previous 4 hero roles into 6, and remove fort and keep EXP -- as he spoke about it, we could see how determined he was to fundamentally improve Heroes of the Storm. These changes, along with the addition of the HotS-original hero Orphea, shows that the world of HotS may expand even further in the future. As the Production Director for HotS, Kaeo Milker helps decide how and who to adopt from among Blizzard's many characters to add to HotS. We had the opportunity to talk to Kaeo Milker about the future plans for updates at BlizzCon 2018.
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Interview
JayPL after his final match: "Thanks to everyone for all of the support. I was able to live my dream."
For four years, Jérôme "JayPL" Trinh has called Heroes of the Storm his home. Now, he's moving on to greener pastures as he has played his last competitive match. After falling short in the Heroes Global Championship (HGC) BlizzCon grand finals to back-to-back world champion, Gen.G Esports, an emotional JayPL sat slumped in his computer chair, staring at the screen in front of him with a blank face. In the background, a crowd roared as the Korean powerhouse lifted the trophy in the air while confetti rained down on them. Once the cheering concluded, a chant began to rise within the completely full viewing area in front of the stage while caused him to break a smile.
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Interview
Holmes on BlackHeart's Bay: "There's a surprising number of players out there that love the unique challenges and gameplay requirements of the map."
During the annual BlizzCon event held at the Anaheim Convention Center, the Heroes of the Storm development team made themselves available to speak with the media regarding a myriad of topics. Battleground Designer, Steve Holmes, and Live Game Designer, Adam Jackson, discussed two battlegrounds in particular that have been points of contention for some within the community. Regarding the map, BlackHeart's Bay, that has been in the game since its' early day and is now a bit out-dated both in its design and playstyle, Holmes acknowledged he is aware of the feedback of the community.
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News
Interview with Matthew Cooper, the content designer for Heroes, on Orphea and future plans for Heroes
Orphea, the newest hero in Heroes of the Storm, was revealed at the BlizzCon 2018. Orphea, who is the daughter of the Raven Lord, is an Assassin hero with powerful skills that enhances her basic attac
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News
Heroes of the Storm dev team to re-work Ranked experience, new heroes, roles
After the Heroes of the Storm development team announced broad changes coming to the game in 2019 during the Opening Ceremony, a panel held later in the afternoon at BlizzCon provided some specifics. Led by Joe Piepiora (Lead Systems Designer) and Matt Cooper (Senior Game Designer), the development team began the "What's Next" panel by first discussing the impactful changes they have made in 2018 thus far. New maps, heroes and events were the topics of conversation before the tone shifted over to what the player base can expect later this year and in 2019.
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News
Orphea, the newest Heroes of the Storm character revealed at BlizzCon
For the first time in Heroes of the Storm history, the development team created a hero that has no previous association with another Blizzard title. Orphea, a young mage who feuds with the Raven Lord will be entering the nexus in the near future. According to the announcement video, she will be free to all individuals who purchased the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket.
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Interview
After a decade long chase, HasuObs attends his first BlizzCon
The name “HasuObs” has been associated with three different competitive Blizzard Entertainment titles for over a decade. Yet, while Dennis Schneider, his real name, has been in the top one percent of players across Warcraft 3, Starcraft 2 and, now, Heroes of the Storm, he has never been to a BlizzCon before. Part of the problem has to do with the fact that he lives in Germany and it’s not an easy travel for him. Another has to do with, as he admits, just not being able to get over the hump of the stiffest competition in Europe.
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Preview
All You Need to Know about the 2018 BlizzCon Tournaments
BlizzCon 2018: a grand event for gamers as well as the dream stage for esports players, is right around the corner. Many players and fans are eagerly waiting for its arrival; for the players especially, it will be the best and last stage to accomplish something grand before the year ends. The event will feature competitions for many of Blizzard's major IPs, specifically Overwatch, HoTS, Starcraft II, and Hearthstone. With so many going on, it can be hard to keep track of it all, so we're here to help lay out the basics for the tournaments at BlizzCon.
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Interview
HeroesHearth Homi: “I will try to do my best to basically not be a burden.”
As HeroesHearth Esports, the number one seed from North America, approaches this year’s Heroes Global Championship (HGC) BlizzCon event, they feel as if they’re playing with house money. They have to, as they perform best in a relaxed environment, just having fun with the guys. The group of underdogs rose up from the Open Division and qualified for every international event in 2018. And, while their performance at such events leaves much to be desired, their growth is indisputable. But, in order to be considered among the other top teams in the world, they will need to overcome, yet again, another bump in the road.
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Interview
Khaldor on North America: "There is a lot of entitlement and there is not really a very good work ethic."
Everyone is allowed to partake in a little drama, gossiping and rumor-sharing from time to time. There’s no shame in that. It’s part of human communication and can help form relationships with peers. It does, however, become an issue when certain individuals would rather start and spread tittle-tattle than shrug it off and not get involved. For Thomas "Khaldor" Kilian, a 16-year veteran of the esports industry and current Heroes of the Storm caster, he has seen his fair share of drama and, from his experience, no region focuses more on it than North American.
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News
Snitch on his fourth BlizzCon: "My desire for Heroes of the Storm is to leave a legacy."
For Team Dignitas, the best team in Europe and, arguably, the biggest roadblock Gen. G Esports will need to overcome if they want to be crowned back-to-back Heroes of the Storm World Championships at BlizzCon, their entire season’s work comes down to this event. Winning the two Western Clash tournaments and finishing second place at the Mid-Season Brawl international event in Sweden is nice, sure. But for Dignitas’ captain, Josh “Snitch” Bennett, taking home the lion’s share of the $1 million BlizzCon prize pool and hoisting the trophy in a couple weeks is all that matters and will define their 2018 when looking back on it. Coming up short is simply not acceptable to him.
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Interview
Relationships: one of the many sacrifices made in esports
Dedicating your life to mastering a craft requires an internal understanding that sacrifices need to be made if your intention is to be the best you can be. Relationships with friends, one’s own health and the ability to dedicate enough time and energy to enter the dating world are some of the very common facets of everyday life that are occasionally put on the backburner when you work in an industry as volatile as esports. Long hours, working weekends and traveling around the world can and do impact those who work “traditional” jobs but esports can take it to extremes at times. Thomas “Khaldor” Kilian is no stranger to the impact that devoting more than 15 years of his life to esports has had on his ability to find love, enjoy a night out with friends and form intimate relationships with peers around him.
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Interview
Khaldor forms a narrative on set, deals with criticism off it
Few figures in the Heroes of the Storm scene are as polarizing as Thomas “Khaldor” Kilian. Ever since he was handed a Technical Alpha key back in 2014, Khaldor has dedicated his blood, sweat, and tears towards playing, commentating, dissecting and discussing Heroes of the Storm. His love for the title, in addition to his decade-long-plus background in the esports industry in titles such as Warcraft 3 and Starcraft 2, opened up opportunities for him that he was able to capitalize on through a spartan-like work ethic. These right set of circumstances allowed him to be is one of the full-time Heroes Global Championship (HGC) casters for the European region, a location very close to his heart as he grew up in Germany.
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News
Turnover: a natural and healthy progression in the Heroes’ pro scene
t’s a natural reaction for fans of players or the pro circuit to be concerned when news of an original member of the first Heroes of the Storm World Championship team, King Caffine, declares that playing at the highest level feels like a “part-time job” to him. However, change is not only healthy in terms of keeping the HGC fresh but very common in an industry where some turnover is necessary.
