‘Heroes of the Storm’ Arena Coming, Cho’Gall Revealed To Be Controlled By Two Players At Blizzcon

Announced this weekend at Blizzcon, Heroes of the Storm will be getting an Arena game mode, continuing to prove that Blizzard will not shy away from shaking up the hero brawler genre with everything they do. This idea is compounded by the addition of Cho’Gall, the newest hero revealed for Blizzard’s Brawler — one that is controlled by two players simultaneously.

On the Arena first, Heroes of the Storm has always been lauded as a brawler willing to iterate upon the traditional three-lane gameplay, adding real objectives for players to pursue that can help win the match just as much as the hero battles that erupt during the game. With the Arena, players will be given only a limited amount of time to choose their hero — and they can only choose based on the three random heroes presented to each player. Arena in Heroes of the Storm will center around a single map objective. The mayhem that can be caused by the small, compact battleground is endless, coupled with the fact that death timers are shortened to accomodate the craziness unfolding.

One of the elements Blizzard seems to be trying to force with this mode is adaptability on the fly. Gone are levels and talent metas. Instead, players will be given only a single choice: which Heroic skill do they want? As a result, the team that can work together to face the challenges the Arena presents will end up being victorious. The maps also change after each five minute round, so players will need to keep on their toes for whatever the game has in store.

No news on when the Arena will be brought to the Nexus, but Blizzard does mention that even after the Areana is brought out, the Heroes of the Storm team will continue to iterate upon the mode, giving players better and better experiences after the mode is implemented. However, by all of the action being seen in the trailers, as shown above, Heroes of the Storm will be shaken up thanks to the craziness this mode can bring to the game.

Another impactful shakeup is the hero Cho’Gall, from World of Warcraft fame, being brought to the Nexus. The fact that he’s being included isn’t the shake-up, but rather how the new Heroes unit is played. Instead of being played by just one person, Cho’Gall is controlled simultaneously by two units, giving strategy and teamwork a new meaning in Heroes of the Storm. While this may seem complicated, it seems that Cho’Gall might actually be an impactful hero that could help foster real teamwork among players. Even Kotaku’s Nathan Grayson claims that the Hero is great for beginners looking to get into the game.

Cho’Gall has two distinct roles: Cho is a Warrior, while Gall is an Assassin. As such, the Gall player will essentially be “riding shotgun” with Cho controlling movement since his skills require melee range. The way Cho’Gall is introduced to Heroes of the Storm is also unique. Cho’Gall is not for sale in the store. Instead, Blizzcon attendees (both in Anaheim and using the “virtual ticket”) will get Cho’Gall for free when he releases. If you play a game with someone as one of the heads of Cho’Gall and you don’t own the hero, you will be given Cho’Gall as a result, and the sharing player will be rewarded with a sack of in-game gold for “sharing the virus.”

Heroes of the Storm has had a busy weekend at Blizzcon 2015, culminating in the crowning of the first ever Heroes of the Storm World Champions, Cloud9.

Looking forward to the new additions to Heroes of the Storm? Sound off on what you think in the comments below.

[Image via Blizzard Entertainment]