Xal'atath Joins Heroes of the Storm as First New Hero in Nearly Six Years
Xal'atath has made her way into Heroes of the Storm, marking the game's first new hero addition in almost six years. Blizzard also kicked off a Twitch Drops campaign alongside her release, running through October 5.
The Void-powered ranged Assassin becomes the 91st character on the roster. Her kit revolves around the "Dark Heart," an object she summons onto the battlefield, and her threat level scales up the longer a fight drags on.
Ahead of launch, Xal'atath was available for testing on the PTR, where the team fine-tuned her final build. With her now live in the game, Blizzard has published an ability overview video to accompany her debut.
The character was first announced a few weeks ago at BlizzCon. Her arrival follows a longer period of limited development: Blizzard shifted the game into support mode in 2022, concentrating on optimization and balance. Roughly a year and a half later, the developers chose to broaden that support effort with new content — hero ability reworks, the return of the "Haunted Mines" map, and an updated talent system. Work on Xal'atath began about a year ago.
At BlizzCon, Blizzard president Johanna Faries suggested more surprises were coming. The team has now confirmed that a 92nd hero is in development, though specifics remain under wraps.