Blizzard Announces End Of Heroes Of The Storm Esports Programs

Yesterday evening, fans of both Heroes of the Storm and esports received some surprising news regarding the game and its esports programs. In an apparent shift in priorities, Blizzard will be moving developers from the MOBA to other projects -- both current and unannounced, it seems.

While the game will still receive support in the form of new heroes, events, and other content, some things will definitely be changing, particularly in the area of esports. In fact, the company announced that the Heroes Global Championship and Heroes of the Dorm events will not be returning in 2019.

For players and fans, this news was pretty shocking. In fact, it seems that others associated with the programs, such as casters and announcers were caught off guard by the announcement which effectively leaves them looking for other gigs.

My DMs are open for any potential casting opportunities. Beyond the Nexus Co-Host - Analyst - Desk Host - 3 time BlizzCon Grand Finals Commentator - Looking for work. Any RTs are appreciated.

Thanks for your support.

— Dreadnaught (@WadePenfold) December 14, 2018

Of course, others are less surprised by the news. Some noting that Heroes is the least successful Blizzard game, others saying they called the whole thing a while back when they told Blizzard they were doing it wrong and were ignored.

As I've reported, Blizzard has been told to cut costs and ship more games. (https://t.co/la61HsDDga) So today's news on Heroes of the Storm, which is scaling down/losing developers, makes a lot of sense. It's been Blizzard's least successful game by far: https://t.co/XtkI3V6A8L

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) December 14, 2018

I remember talking with Blizzard employees about their plans for Heroes of The Storm as an esport and telling them it couldn't work without some big changes. That was the start of me being on the naughty list but when you're right, you're right.https://t.co/1AqYT1Ezpx

— Richard Lewis (@RLewisReports) December 14, 2018

Of course, this news now has fans of other Blizzard titles worried -- not just about what this means for the esports programs, but what it might mean for the games themselves. It will be interesting to see what other changes Blizzard might announce in the near future, and get a better idea of where they plan to go as a company now.