The “Heroes of the Storm” 2.0 update has been released, completely revamping the game’s progression and reward system and adding new content
Blizzard’s multi-franchise-spanning MOBA “Heroes of the Storm” just got a lot more interesting for casual and hardcore players alike with a fully revamped progression system, as well as some new heroes, a new map and a returning cross-game promotional event.
The main feature of the “Heroes 2.0” patch is the array of cosmetic and social item drops that can be earned by opening random loot chests. These chests have different rarities and can be earned by leveling up individual heroes and your overall account level, a similar system to Blizzard’s popular first-person shooter, “Overwatch.”
A range of new emojis based on characters of the Diablo franchise that appear in “Heroes of the Storm.”
Some of the new rewards include chat emojis, voice lines, announcer packs, ground sprays and any of the game’s character skins or mounts, most of which were formerly only available through a microtransaction purchase. Getting duplicate items gives players points that can be put toward unlocks of their choice. You can also use gold, another in-game currency, to re-roll loot drops for individual chests.
Specific item drops can also be purchased with gems, the game’s new premium currency. Gems replace straight cash prices on in-game items, which means they can be used to purchase new playable heroes as well.
As an added bonus, anyone who logs into the game from now to May 22 will receive 100 gems to purchase one of four new hero starter packs called Mega Bundles. Only one of these can be purchased, but they provide 20 heroes to aid new players or help fill in holes in a veteran’s roster. There are currently four Mega Bundles available, one for each style of play.
This patch also marks the return of the “Nexus Challenge” event, where players can earn special items in “Overwatch” by playing matches with friends. This coincides with the addition of Genji and D. VA, two playable characters from Overwatch, as well as a new map based on Genji’s home turf, Hanamura, to the “Heroes of the Storm” roster.
Watch the trailer for the newest “Heroes of the Storm” map and heroes below:
The Strong National Museum of Play has announced the five newest inductees into its World Video Game Hall of Fame
In 2015, The Strong National Museum of Play, an intellectual and historical institution devoted to studying play, began inducting culturally significant video games into the World Video Game Hall of Fame as part of its ”eGameRevolution” exhibit. Games inducted into the Hall of Fame are those that have made a significant impact both culturally and in video game industry at large. Nominees can span all platforms, eras and genres. The Strong has since only selected only a handful of games to be inducted each year from a changing list of finalists.
This year’s five new inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame. (Courtesy of The Strong National Museum of Play)
This year’s winners are “Donkey Kong,” “Halo: Combat Evolved,” “Pokémon Red and Green,” and “Street Fighter II.” These games were selected from 12-item list, with “Pokémon Red and Green” being a holdout finalist from 2015 and “Street Fighter II” returning from last year’s finalists.
These new additions were selected by a panel of journalists, scholars and other historical video game experts based on the following criteria:
Icon-status: The game is widely recognized and remembered.
Longevity: The game is more than a passing fad and has enjoyed popularity over time.
Geographical reach: The game meets the above criteria across international boundaries.
Influence: The game has exerted significant influence on the design and development of other games, on other forms of entertainment, or on popular culture and society in general. A game may be inducted on the basis of this criterion without necessarily having met all of the first three.
Physical copies of all inductees to the World Video Game Hall of Fame are showcased at The Strong in Rochester, New York.
Nominations for next year’s inductees can be submitted by anyone online.