Everyone's invited to join the battle for the Nexus when open beta
testing begins on May 19
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Rally your fellow heroes and get ready for battle, because the portal to
the Nexus is about to bust wide open! Blizzard Entertainment announced
today that Heroes of the Storm™ will officially launch on June 2,
following an open beta testing period beginning May 19. The free-to-play
online team brawler brings together a diverse cast of iconic characters
from Blizzard's far-flung realms of science fiction and fantasy,
including the Warcraft®, StarCraft®,
and Diablo® universes, and challenges them to compete
in epic, adrenaline-charged battles.
Heroes of the Storm invites players to customize heroes to suit
their style and then team up with friends for some all-out mayhem. The
game features a variety of gameplay modes for players of every
skill level, including Cooperative, in which players team up against
computer-controlled opponents, and Quick Match, an accessible way to
jump in and play versus others. Experienced players can also join forces
against other teams of players in highly competitive, draft-style ranked
play.
"With its focus on team play and fast-paced fun, Heroes of the Storm is
a fresh take on a very popular genre," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and
cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "We've built Heroes of the Storm in
a way that makes it accessible to new players, but also challenging
enough for veterans who really want to put their skills to the test. We
can't wait to see what Heroes brings to the co-op and competitive
scenes once the Nexus opens up to everyone."
Heroes of the Storm will launch with more than 30 playable Heroes
and 7 dynamic Battlegrounds, each with unique challenges to overcome—and
even more Heroes and Battlegrounds are on the way. Players can customize
the look of their Heroes with a variety of skins, as well as switch
between a stable of special mounts that help them cover ground on the
battlefield more quickly.
To celebrate the launch of Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard will be
holding a live-streamed event on June 1 in London, U.K.. Further
information will be made available as the event draws closer.
The Heroes of the Storm open beta test will follow on the heels
of the epic finale of the Heroes
of the Dorm™ collegiate eSports tournament.
Students from more than 400 schools across the U.S. and Canada have
bashed and brawled their way through the brackets, with hundreds of
thousands of dollars in tuition and other prizes on the line. On April
26, the Heroes of the Dorm championship match will be hosted at
the Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall in Los Angeles and televised live in
prime time on an ESPN network and also accessible via WatchESPN—further
details on the telecast will be announced at a later date.
Heroes of the Storm has received a Teen rating from the ESRB. In
addition to the English version, the game is available fully localized
into Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German,
Italian, Polish, European Spanish, Italian, Russian, Korean, traditional
Chinese, and simplified Chinese. To learn more about Heroes of the
Storm, head over to the official website at www.heroesofthestorm.com.
With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous
positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com
for more information and to learn how to apply.
About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and
the Warcraft®, StarCraft®,
and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com),
a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer
and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of
the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's
track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year
awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is
one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.
*Sales and/or downloads. Based on internal company records and
reports from key distribution partners.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking
Statements: Information in this press release that involves
Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies
regarding the future, including statements about Heroes of the Storm and
the Heroes of the Dorm tournament, are forward-looking statements
that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results
to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking
statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product
delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of
Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any
subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking
statements in this release are based upon information available to
Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this
release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard
assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately
prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future
performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are
subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are
beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially
from current expectations.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20150420005352/en/
Blizzard Entertainment
Rob Hilburger, 949-242-8404
VP, Global
Communications
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Emil
Rodriguez, 949-955-1380 x12064
Director, Global PR
elrodriguez@blizzard.com
or
Che'von
Slaughter, 949-955-1380 x14338
PR Manager
cslaughter@blizzard.com
Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
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