Echoes of Alterac is the latest event to come to Blizzard’s Heroes of the Storm. The event, which will run from June 12 to July 9, 2018, is an obvious tie-in with the upcoming World of Warcraft expansion Battle for Azeroth and features a new map inspired by the latter’s classic Alterac Valley PVP battleground, a new hero, and more.
Echoes of Alterac brings with it Heroes of the Storm’s first Warcraft battleground, Alterac Pass, as well as its first Draenei hero, Yrel, a paladin from the Warlords of Draenor expansion for World of Warcraft. The event will also introduce a slew of Warcraft-inspired skins, portraits, and sprays. Some of the new skins include ones for Auriel, Muradin, Varian, Valeera, Junkrat, Rehgar, Garrosh, and Johanna.
During the event, players will also be able to choose to side with either the Horde or Alliance, similar to the game’s previous Nexomania event, to unlock faction-inspired portraits, banners, and mounts by completing specific tasks such as winning a certain number of games as a Warcraft hero, playing games with friends, and achieving a certain number of takedowns while also winning the game.
The new map, Alterac Pass, is largely inspired by the experience players had with Alterac Valley in World of Warcraft. The biggest feature of the new map is the removal of each team’s Core and replacing them with Generals that move around and fight. Players will also need to capture Prison Camps from the opposing team, which will allow them to summon Cavalry that charge down each lane and give allied Heroes more damage and movement speed. There are also mud pits that can ensnare teams and new Warcraft inspired mercenary camps.
As for Yrel, she is a new melee Warrior that’s equipped with a range of AoE abilities that she can charge up to increase their potency or range. Aside from dealing damage, her primary abilities also either heal her or slow/stun her enemies. Her Heroic Abilities also greatly increase her survivability, including a bubble hearth directly inspired by Paladins from WoW, making her an excellent tank.
The Heroes of the Storm Echoes of Alterac event will run from June 12 to July 9, 2018. You can check out the trailer for the event below:
