Blizzard just dropped Xal’atath into Heroes of the Storm, the first new hero since 2020, alongside an Arthas rework and the return of Haunted Mines. Maintenance mode looks a lot like a comeback. If you have been away from the Nexus for six years, the current build is worth logging back into.
But six years is a long time to be away, and the Heroes of the Storm playerbase is still a fraction of what it was. If you want more matchmaking speed and more consistent updates, the seven Heroes of the Storm alternatives below cover every angle the Nexus once did: fast rotations, top-down MOBA depth, third-person action, and battle royale hybrids.
Quick comparison
| Game | Best for | Free plan | Starting price | Standout feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| League of Legends | Biggest player pool | Free-to-play | $0 | Rotating free rosters |
| Dota 2 | Deepest hero design | All heroes free | $0 | 120+ hero roster |
| Smite 2 | Third-person camera | Free-to-play | $0 | Mythology-based roster |
| Eternal Return | MOBA + battle royale | Free-to-play | $0 | 20-minute matches |
| Pokémon Unite (mobile bridge) | Casual pace | Free-to-play | $0 | Team dunk objective |
| Deadlock | Hero shooter hybrid | Invite-based | $0 | Valve’s ARTS-shooter |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | Ten-minute matches | Free-to-play | $0 | Fast mobile-desktop crossplay |
What Heroes of the Storm still cannot do
Even in maintenance-mode 2026, Steam and battle.net threads flag the same limits: matchmaking outside NA/EU peak hours is slow, competitive queues are collapsed into a single mode, and Blizzard has not committed to a hero cadence beyond Xal’atath. Every alternative below fixes one of those.
The seven alternatives
League of Legends, best for the largest player base
League of Legends is the default MOBA on desktop for a reason. Rotating free champions keep the roster interesting for new players, ranked queues on both NA and EU pop in under 90 seconds at every rank, and patch cadence is every two weeks. Riot’s champion design is the sharpest in the genre.
Where it falls short: matches average 30 to 45 minutes, so it does not replace HOTS’s 20-minute pace. The tutorial is friendlier than it used to be but still not friendly.
Pricing:
- Free: everything ranked. All champions rotate free.
- Paid: skins and champion unlocks.
- vs Heroes of the Storm: same “free-to-play with cosmetics” model but a much larger population.
Migrating from Heroes of the Storm: map objectives translate. Talent trees do not. Expect to relearn item builds from scratch.
Download: Riot Client
Bottom line: the alternative most former HOTS players end up on.
Dota 2, best for hero depth
Dota 2 hands you every hero for free and expects you to figure them out. It is the deepest MOBA on Windows and macOS, with 120+ heroes and item interactions that reward long-form learning. Patches are quarterly and disruptive, which the community loves.
Where it falls short: matches routinely run 45 to 60 minutes. Learning curve is steep enough that r/DotA2 has a “smurf detection” thread that stays busy every week.
Pricing:
- Free: everything gameplay.
- Paid: cosmetics and battle passes.
- vs Heroes of the Storm: same free model, deeper mechanics, longer games.
Migrating from Heroes of the Storm: if you liked Anub’arak’s kit, Dota 2’s Nyx Assassin will feel like home. If you liked Chromie’s ability to snipe from the fog, hop on Windranger.
Download: Steam · Publisher site
Bottom line: the alternative for players who want to master one MOBA for the next five years.
Smite 2, best for third-person combat
Smite 2 brings the top-down MOBA into a third-person camera, which changes the feel of every hero. Mythology-based roster (Odin, Anubis, Bellona) with more melee-first designs than League or Dota. Console-friendly, controller-native.
Where it falls short: roster smaller than Smite 1 and still catching up. Ranked scene is thinner than League’s.
Pricing:
- Free: base game.
- Paid: Founder’s Pack around $30 for early gods, otherwise cosmetics.
- vs Heroes of the Storm: same free model, different camera, controller-first.
Migrating from Heroes of the Storm: third-person view rewards spatial awareness the same way HOTS did around choke points on Cursed Hollow.
Download: Steam · Publisher site
Bottom line: the alternative for players who wanted a controller-native MOBA.
Eternal Return, best for shorter matches
Eternal Return is the closest thing to Heroes of the Storm’s short-match promise. Twenty-minute rounds, battle royale island shrinking, and MOBA-style hero builds combine in a way HOTS never quite committed to. Around 25,000 concurrent players in mid-2026 on Steam.
Where it falls short: its identity is a hybrid, which means the MOBA depth is lighter than League and the battle royale is tighter than Apex.
Pricing:
- Free: base game.
- Paid: cosmetics.
- vs Heroes of the Storm: same free model, closer match length.
Migrating from Heroes of the Storm: the pacing translates instantly. The map is the biggest adjustment.
Download: Steam · Publisher site
Bottom line: the alternative for players who miss the 20-minute queue-to-victory arc.
Pokémon Unite (via mobile bridge), best for casual sessions
Pokémon Unite runs on Nintendo Switch and mobile officially, and on Windows through Google Play Games for PC. Ten-minute matches, five-versus-five, roster of familiar Pokémon. It is the most family-friendly MOBA on this list.
Where it falls short: not a native Windows game. Google Play Games for PC works but the frame pacing is inconsistent.
Pricing:
- Free: base game.
- Paid: Aeos Coins for Pokémon unlocks.
- vs Heroes of the Storm: even shorter matches, more casual, requires Google Play Games or an emulator.
Migrating from Heroes of the Storm: if you played HOTS with your kids, this is where they will want to go.
Download: Google Play Games on PC · Publisher site
Bottom line: the family-night HOTS successor.
Deadlock, best for the shooter-MOBA crossover
Deadlock is Valve’s hero shooter with MOBA lanes, invite-based since 2024 but still growing. Six versus six, lanes with towers, hero abilities on cooldown, third-person shooting. It is the most novel entry on this list.
Where it falls short: still officially in playtest as of 2026, so builds change, and getting a first invite requires a friend in the beta.
Pricing:
- Free: base game (invite-only).
- Paid: none currently.
- vs Heroes of the Storm: same free model. Shooting mechanics on top of MOBA lanes.
Migrating from Heroes of the Storm: carry the map awareness with you. The shooting layer is the new part.
Download: Steam · Valve invite-based
Bottom line: the most-innovation MOBA-adjacent game on desktop this year.
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, best for phone-desktop crossplay
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang runs primarily on phones but has a Windows client via Google Play Games. Matches average 10 to 12 minutes, the roster is 130+ heroes deep, and cross-play with mobile means you always get a queue.
Where it falls short: UI is designed for touch, mouse controls need remapping, and the community skews mobile-first.
Pricing:
- Free: base game.
- Paid: cosmetics and hero unlocks.
- vs Heroes of the Storm: shortest matches on this list, largest global population.
Migrating from Heroes of the Storm: ten-minute queues are addictive, and cross-play with mobile means never waiting.
Download: Google Play Games on PC · Publisher site
Bottom line: the alternative for the fastest possible MOBA sessions.
How to choose
- Pick League of Legends if you want the biggest player base and the most polished new-player experience.
- Pick Dota 2 if you want to sink two years into one MOBA.
- Pick Smite 2 if you play with a controller.
- Pick Eternal Return if HOTS’s 20-minute matches were the hook.
- Pick Deadlock if you want the newest hybrid design and can get an invite.
- Stay on Heroes of the Storm if you have been meaning to try Xal’atath. The comeback patch is real, and the servers are still on.
FAQ
Is Heroes of the Storm shutting down? No. Blizzard confirmed active development in 2026 with the Xal’atath patch and an ongoing balance cadence. Maintenance mode has ended.
What is the closest MOBA to Heroes of the Storm’s fast pace? Eternal Return and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang both run 10-to-20-minute matches. Eternal Return also carries the “no last-hits” simplicity HOTS pioneered.
Which Heroes of the Storm alternative has the shortest learning curve? Pokémon Unite. Ten-minute matches, familiar creatures, no last-hitting.
Do any Heroes of the Storm alternatives run on macOS? League of Legends and Dota 2 both ship native macOS clients. Smite 2 and Deadlock require Windows.
Are there any Heroes of the Storm alternatives with couch co-op? Smite 2 supports local split-screen on console versions. On desktop, MOBAs remain one-screen-per-player.
