Heroes of the Storm unveils its first new Hero in six years!

• A new hero: Xal’atath, the Herald of the Void, joins the Nexus as a Void-wielding Ranged Assassin.
• Release: Xal’atath releases on September 28. But is available starting September 14 on PTR!
• BlizzCon Bundle: Harbinger of BlizzCon Xal’atath Bundle is now for sale. Join the Harbinger of the Void as she descends upon the Nexus with this unique BlizzCon Bundle. Receive Xal’atath, an exclusive BlizzCon Xal’atath Hero color variation, Xal’atath Launch Skin, and a Xal’atath Launch Mount.

I.  New Hero — Xal’atath, Herald of the Void

A Void-wielding Ranged Assassin joins the Nexus. Xal’atath externalizes her power through a summonable object, the Dark Heart, rewarding spatial control, foresight, and extended fights: she grows more dangerous the longer a battle lasts.

• Role: Ranged Assassin
• Difficulty: Medium
• Resources: Mana (primary); Soul Essence (secondary, via her trait)

Ability kit:

• Trait — Void Volley. Basic attacks build Soul Essence; at full Essence, unleash a barrage of void bolts at a target area while moving freely. Tied to the Void Whispers quest, which rewards range, faster charge, and piercing, empowered void damage as it progresses.
• E — Dark Heart Ritual. Summon the Dark Heart talisman to pulse void energy at nearby enemies, then follow and detonate on any Shadow-Marked hero.
• W — Void Step. Blink between three points in a triangular pattern, gaining attack damage at each stop; can be cancelled early to reposition or escape.
• Q — Shadow Mark. Cast a large Void Orb that marks heroes hit by its inner radius; the Dark Heart moves to the impact point and detonates on marked heroes.
• Heroic — Void Eruption. Channel a growing void orb, launch it to blind enemies and dominate space, then detonate in a large area — cast on the Dark Heart for an instant, fully empowered eruption.
• Heroic — Void Convergence. Summon a portal that spawns relentless void minions to overwhelm nearby enemies, replacing fallen minions until the portal ends or is destroyed.

Play styles include Void Hunter (control and sustained damage), Herald of the Void (mobility and minions), and Vessel of the Dark Heart (space and objective control).

II.  Design Pillars

Heroes of the Storm’s ongoing updates are guided by a clear design philosophy:

• Play the Fantasy: bring each Hero’s power fantasy to life.
• Celebrate Asymmetry: lean into what makes the Nexus and its Heroes distinct.
• Compete with the Enemy, Not Your Team: keep the tension between rival teams, not within your own.
• Mythical Memories: matches should offer moments where players feel uniquely powerful, brilliant, or legendary.
• No Dead Matches: matches are either meaningfully contestable or decisively ending.

III.  What’s Next

Blizzard will continue to release update patches to Heroes of the Storm, and are looking at releasing additional Heroes in the future. We will also be listening to player feedback and engagement to determine where to best devote future development resources.