Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard’s attempt to take on the esports behemoths that are League of Legends and Dota 2, is finally set to enter an alpha test for a small group of American players.
“Work is ongoing and we’re far from considering the game in a polished or finalized state,” Blizzard wrote. “But after a period of extensive internal testing, we’re ready to crack open the Nexus for the very first time and invite some players to step inside.”
Heroes marks Blizzard’s second-ever free-to-play game after the successful recent release of Hearthstone. StarCraft 2 recently opened much of its arcade to all players for free as well.
The game directly competes with the most popular esports in the world. However, it has a few key differences:
– Numerous maps will be competitively playable
– Heroes level as a team as opposed to as individuals
– Objectives vary from map to map
The goal, it seems, is to offer a new, diverse alternative to an already crowded genre.
Heroes of the Storm underwent its most extensive testing at last year’s BlizzCon. We played the game for hours and introduced you to all the heroes you’ll be taking into battle.
To sign up for the alpha test, head over to Battle.net and add the game to your beta profile. For most people, the sign up is automatic. If you’re lucky enough to get the game, there is no non-disclosure agreement, so you’ll be able to stream and share Heroes to your heart’s content.
