The problem with Heroes of the Storm

On paper, Heroes of the Storm is not just a good game. It’s a REALLY good game, on paper. Yah, it actually is (the game is good – not the disgruntled player base or the near-empty servers). HOTS is well-streamlined, almost to perfection. And, I’m not even a fan of MOBAs, at all. Some gamers just don’t like MOBAs (me included). Others find the runes and tool-systems, unenjoyably complex (me also included). But, when Blizzard came into the scene, they actually gave us an answer – Heroes of the Storm! A streamlined MOBA, which was less intimidating, had (and still has) multiple maps, with (sometimes) drastically different objectives, and fun quirks. So, given all that… then, what is the problem with Heroes of the Storm?

The game seems to have it all. It has a collection of various Blizzard characters, taken from their vast IP collection. Which means its a MOBA that allows you to play characters from Overwatch, heroes from World of Warcraft, and even Diablo. Among other games! Heroes of the Storm allows you to mix and match all those IPs into one battlefield. How can something like that go wrong? It’s like a MOBA version of MultiVersus or Super Smash Bros. Which means you can relive some of the nostalgia from various Blizzard games, in one battlefield (with several arena maps and objectives).

The problem with Heroes of the Storm (and how to fix it)

Heroes of the Storm has several issues that mortally plagued it, from the beginning. Some of which include – late updates and balancing fixes, poor communication, and the big one! – The game came too late.

Other MOBAs had already won the market. And, the kinda gamers who are drawn to MOBAs (the players HOTS needed) had already become heavily invested in other MOBAs. Even though Blizzard had all the characters they love, in one game. It was just too little, too late. Today, however… that’s not the real problem.

The problem with Heroes of the Storm now, is that – Blizzard needs to make the game playable offline. Yes, an offline MOBA. This particular MOBA is special, it already has bots. You can already play your matches with computer controlled/AI teammates and opponents. That’s already there! But… you have to first sign-in, before you can reach the menu.

Why should single player bots be locked away behind a multiplayer server? Some may site things like: the need to update your player achievements, and data. And, that’s not reason enough… many games have offline modes where you do not get any gold or progression. Why not do that too?

Conclusion

Given Blizzard’s track record, they are probably never going to make this game playable online. Even though it already has bots, and various maps to keep things interesting. I’ll say again, ’cause its true – on paper, Heroes of the Storm is not just good. It’s REALLY good. Imagine being able to pick this game up, years from now… and still be able to fight on the same team with characters from Overwatch, Diablo, Warcraft, and more. Sigh, Blizzard, Blizzard… Blizzard. You almost have a perfect “future-proof MOBA” (if such a thing can exist).