Blizzard announced during the BlizzCon 2026 opening ceremony on September 12 that Xal'atath is coming to Heroes of the Storm as a new hero. GameSpot, IGN, PC Gamer and Wowhead reported that the character reached the game's Public Test Realm on September 14, with a full release scheduled for September 28.
Xal'atath is the MOBA's first new hero since Hogger, who was added in 2020, according to GameSpot, IGN and PC Gamer; Polygon dated Hogger's release to December 2020. Wowhead and Polygon said BlizzCon attendees could play Xal'atath on the show floor over the convention weekend.
The character comes from World of Warcraft. PC Gamer described Xal'atath as the Harbinger of the Void, who first appeared in the Legion expansion as a voice in the weapon slots of Shadow Priest players and has become the villainous face of the current Midnight expansion. IGN likewise identified Xal'atath as the primary antagonist of Midnight.
Out of maintenance mode
Wowhead and PC Gamer reported that Blizzard moved Heroes of the Storm into maintenance mode in 2022, and IGN quoted Blizzard's statement at the time that "future patches will primarily focus on client sustainability and bug fixing, with balance updates coming as needed." PC Gamer said the game has received only light-touch balance passes and bug fixes since, while IGN noted a significant patch in 2023 followed by smaller, sporadic changes and new skins.
Blizzard indicated Xal'atath may not be the last addition. PC Gamer reported that another new hero will be revealed at some point in the future, and GameSpot said a further character was teased. Speaking to the media, a Blizzard franchise leader said the company will "see how this does," adding that "if the community responds well, it could lead to more things" and calling the update a "first foray into something really big," according to IGN. Polygon reported that Heroes of the Storm remains available on Mac and Windows PC.