Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard's MOBA mashup of its various franchises, has largely remained unchanged since its developers moved onto other priorities back in 2022. But as WoW's long-running storylines are moving toward a conclusion that involves Xal'atath, that character is set to be added to HotS, and she arrives quite soon.

Blizzard revealed the new addition as part of the BlizzCon Opening Ceremony. Xal'atath will join the Public Test Realm beginning this Monday, September 14, with a full release set for September 28. This will mark the first new character since Warcraft's Hogger was added in 2020. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wks8GLNUHsk

Xal'atath is a ranged assassin whose trait is Void Volley. Soul Essence is built up by basic attacking, and once the meter is full, it can be used to launch void bolts at nearby targets while continuing to move. Other abilities include one that lets Xal'atath blink three times in a triangular pattern, dealing damage and being cancelable to let you reposition.

Here's the full list of Xal'atath's kit:

  • Trait — Void Volley. Basic attacks build Soul Essence; at full Essence, unleash a barrage of void bolts at a target area while moving freely. Tied to the Void Whispers quest, which rewards range, faster charge, and piercing, empowered void damage as it progresses.
  • Q — Dark Heart Ritual. Summon the Dark Heart talisman to pulse void energy at nearby enemies, then follow and detonate on any Shadow-Marked hero.
  • W — Void Step. Blink between three points in a triangular pattern, gaining attack damage at each stop; can be cancelled early to reposition or escape.
  • E — Shadow Mark. Cast a large Void Orb that marks heroes hit by its inner radius; the Dark Heart moves to the impact point and detonates on marked heroes.
  • Heroic — Void Eruption. Channel a growing void orb, launch it to blind enemies and dominate space, then detonate in a large area — cast on the Dark Heart for an instant, fully empowered eruption.
  • Heroic — Void Convergence. Summon a portal that spawns relentless void minions to overwhelm nearby enemies, replacing fallen minions until the portal ends or is destroyed.

While Xal'atath might turn out to be a one-off addition to the game, it was teased that another character could be added in the future. Given balance updates and a skin have represented the bulk of what's changed since Hogger's launch, it's welcome to see anything of substance arrive for HotS.