Blizzard’s free-to-play MOBA Heroes of the Storm is now in open beta

By Kris Wouk May 20, 2015

heroes of the storm silence option — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Last month we reported that Blizzard had finally announced a release date for its free-to-play Heroes of the Storm. On top of that, it announced an open beta date of May 19. The company held true to its promise, and the game is now open to all.

That said, players new to the game should be aware that they may have to wait a bit to get in. “Should one-too-many brawlers try to cram through the Nexus Portal at once, you may encounter a queue when attempting to log in to the client.” Blizzard wrote in a blog post. “Not to worry, however, as the wait should be brief, and you’ll be back to crushing opponents in no time.”

Heroes of the Storm is essentially a mash-up of other Blizzard games in MOBA form, though don’t let the company hear that — it prefers to call the game a “hero brawler.”

Some people have been playing the game for over a year by now, and most of the bugs have been worked out, but Blizzard is careful to warn that the game isn’t quite yet finished. The company “will be closely monitoring the game to ensure a positive play experience for everyone.”

If you still want to hold off until the game is in its final state, you won’t have long to wait. The official release date for Heroes of the Storm is June 2. That seems close considering that the game has only now entered open beta, but considering that Blizzard hit its open beta target, we’re optimistic.

To celebrate the official launch, Blizzard is asking fans to “answer the calling” by uploading their picture to the Nexus Calling website. This gives fans the chance to see themselves “warped into the Nexus by appearing on the website and having a chance to feature in the live-streamed celebration event.”

This event will feature interviews with the game’s developers and live musical entertainment, though Blizzard isn’t being too specific about what that entertainment will consist of.

With the launch of the open beta, Blizzard has created a new Heroes of the Storm trailer. Watch it below, or go download the game and get started.

Heroes of the Storm - Enter the Nexus

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