Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard’s popular team brawler, is marking a huge milestone: its 10th anniversary! To celebrate, a new patch has arrived, bringing back a fan-favorite event and introducing some welcome quality-of-life changes and fixes. Get ready for free heroes, new cosmetics, and smoother gameplay as the Nexus celebrates a decade of battles.
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Celebrate a Decade: Free Heroes for Everyone!
The most exciting part of the anniversary celebration? Every single hero in the game is unlocked and available for free for a limited time. Whether you’re a returning player looking to jump back in or curious to try a new character you never owned, now is the perfect chance to experiment with the full roster. This special event runs from now until June 15th, giving you ample time to explore all the different playstyles the Nexus has to offer.
New Goodies and UI Freshen Up
The anniversary patch also adds some cool new items and visual updates for players. As a thank you to the community, you’ll automatically receive two brand-new portraits just for logging in and being part of the celebration.
Buying in-game items is getting a bit smoother too. Players who previously couldn’t purchase gems directly in the game client can now do so through the Battle.net shop, offering a more convenient option for some. Blizzard has also standardized gem quantities across different regions, adjusting prices to ensure consistency and incorporating previous bonus amounts into the new standardized values.
Even the game’s initial look and feel are getting a touch-up. The patch includes an updated homescreen and startup music (get ready for some potential nostalgia if you’ve been around for a while!), along with a fresh startup loading screen to greet you when you launch the game.
Fresh Look: Check Out the New Thrall Skin
For players who love collecting cosmetics and customizing their favorite heroes, there’s a notable new skin available: Gear Head Thrall. This cool new look gives the iconic Orc hero a unique mechanical, steam-punk inspired twist, perfect for standing out in the battleground.
Gear Head Thrall skin introduced in the Heroes of the Storm 10th Anniversary update
Squashing Bugs and Improving Gameplay
As with most game updates, this patch also brings a round of bug fixes aimed at making the game run more smoothly and reliably. Several heroes received adjustments to their abilities, addressing various issues that could affect gameplay.
Fixes were applied to abilities for heroes including Brightwing, E.T.C., Gazlowe, Hanzo, Murky, Tychus, and Orphea. These fixes targeted things like ensuring proper cast animations and visual effects played correctly, or resolving interactions with ability cast ranges and travel time. While one specific fix for Orphea’s Shadow Waltz dash behavior was temporarily reverted for further investigation, the overall focus is on polishing the gameplay experience and ensuring abilities function as intended, reducing frustrating glitches.
Celebrating a Decade in the Nexus
Heroes of the Storm reaching 10 years is a fantastic milestone, and this patch is a great way to celebrate with the dedicated community. From the limited-time free hero access that lets everyone try any character to new cosmetic items and essential bug fixes, there’s plenty to dive into. Log in now to grab your free portraits and enjoy the full hero roster until June 15th as you celebrate a decade of Heroes of the Storm!
