Earth angel, earth angel, please heal meeeeee.
Blizzard has revealed the newest character for its multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), Heroes of the Storm. It’s the Archangel Auriel from the Diablo universe. She’s a support character, meaning that she works best when used to heal and help other heroes. Heroes of the Storm is an important part of Blizzard’s stable, especially as it tries to establish a presence in the booming esports market. Research firm SuperData expects the esports market to reach $1.23 billion by 2019. MOBAs like League of Legends and Dota 2 are some of the most popular esports. Blizzard, however, does not release numbers for Heroes of the Storm, so we don’t know how it competes with those top-tier mobas.
“Her eternal light illuminates even the darkest souls,” Blizzard noted in a press release sent to GamesBeat. “Seeking harmony in all things, she is a mediator, a counselor, and when the need arises, a fearless warrior.”
Heroes of the Storm is a free-to-play game for PC, but players can buy characters with real money. That’s why it’s important for Blizzard to keep releasing new heroes.
Auriel will first hit public test servers on the week of August 1. Blizzard says that she could “potentially” enter the full game during the week of August 8.