Summary
Heroes of the Stormis bringing back the Heroes Brawl as Brawl Mode, opening up dozens of discontinued maps for the first time in almost five years. This new version of the classic Heroes Brawl game mode is available to play on theHeroes of the StormPublic Test Realm now and will ostensibly officially return when the patch goes live in about a month.
Heroes Brawl, initially introduced as Arena Mode, was aHeroes of the Stormgame mode introduced in 2016that featured weekly rotating challenges with drastic changes to the game. Inspired byHearthstone’s Tavern Brawls, Heroes Brawls introduced unique map layouts, alternative objectives, and zany rulesets, such as an all-Nova Ghost Protocol sniper duel, action-packed Arena versions of several battlefields, and the Escape from Braxis PvE mission. Unfortunately, due to the popularity of single-lane maps, and the difficulty of maintaining the mode, Heroes Brawl was permanently replaced by ARAM – All Random, All Mid – in 2020.
Now, nearly five years later, it seems Heroes Brawls are finally returning to the Blizzard MOBA, albeit under a slightly different name.Heroes of the Stormrecently implemented a new updateon the Public Test Realm featuring some hero balance and bug fixes. However, the most interesting part of the update is Brawl Mode, a new version of the Heroes Brawl that will be added back to the game in the next update.
According to the patch notes, Brawl Mode will rotate every two weeks, on the 1st and 15th of each month, rather than every week as its predecessor did. As before, players can earn a special chest by playing three games of the Brawl while it is active. It currently remains to be seen if fans can earn this reward a single time each Brawl, or once a week while it is live. Considering there were over two dozen Heroes Brawls in the past, players will likely see most of their favorites return in time – and maybe even some new Brawls in the future.
The first Brawl Mode, the holiday-themed Snow Brawl, is currently available fortesting on theHeroes of the StormPTR. The game mode will officially come toHeroes of the Stormwhen the patch goes live, likely in about a month. Considering the in-game interface says the PTR version will last for three weeks,Heroes of the Stormcould be planning to start Brawl Mode at the beginning of February.
June 10, 2025, is the 10-year anniversary ofHeroes of the Storm, so it is fitting that Heroes Brawl has returned for the MOBA’s big year. This is a huge win for fans of the Blizzard MOBA – and many players are hoping it might be yet another prelude toan official revival ofHeroes of the Storm.
Heroes of the Storm PTR Patch Notes (July 30, 2025)
Our next Heroes of the Storm patch has just hit the Public Test Realm and will be available for playtesting. As always, if you encounter any bugs during your PTR play sessions, please stop by thePTR Bug Report forumto let us know about your experiences.
Heroes of the Storm
WHERE TO PLAY
This free-to-play online team brawler assembles a diverse cast of characters from Blizzard’s far-flung realms of science fiction and fantasy, including the Warcraft, StarCraft, and Diablo universes, and challenges them to compete in epic, adrenaline-charged battles.Thrall, Kerrigan, Diablo, Arthas, Zeratul, Tyrael—they’re all here and ready to test their might in the forge of eternal combat. Who will stand with you in battle? Build and customize heroes from across every Blizzard universe to suit your play style. Team up with your friends and engage in fast-paced mayhem across battlegrounds that impact strategy and change the way you play the game.Good players win. Great ones win while dressed to kill. Distinguish yourself in battle with dozens of unique heroes, skins, and mounts, then customize your hero’s talents and choose heroic abilities.The game features an array of gameplay modes for players of every skill level, including Cooperative, in which players team up against computer-controlled opponents, and Quick Match, an accessible way to jump in and play versus others. Experienced players can also join forces against other teams of players in highly competitive, draft-style ranked play.
