Heroes of the Storm Adding Diablo’s Malthael

Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard’s answer to eSports juggernauts Dota 2 and League of Legends, is bringing a new character into the mix. Taking a break from shipping in Overwatch characters, Blizzard is going back to the Diablo universe with Malthael, the Aspect of Death. Blizzard has updated their Heroes of the Storm page to give a few details about what to expect from this new character.

Blizzard’s page for the hero describes him as a fallen angel: “Once the Aspect of Wisdom, Malthael abandoned heaven after the Worldstone’s destruction. In secret, he had resolved to end the Eternal Conflict by becoming a Reaper of Souls and eliminating everything affected by demonic corruption, including humanity.” He is classified as an assassin and therefore looks to be a bit of a glass cannon. Most of his abilities seem centered around his hero trait, the “Reaper’s Mark.” Here’s what all Malthael is capable of:

• Hero Trait – Reaper’s Mark – Basic attacks inflict this status debuff on enemies. The Mark lasts for four seconds, reveals the affected enemy, and drains 2.5% of their health every second while it is active.
• Ability 1 – Soul Rip – Deals damage to all nearby enemies affected with Reaper’s Mark and heals Malthael for a portion of the damage done.
• Ability 2 – Wraith Strike – Teleports through an enemy affected by Reaper’s Mark, dealing damage and renewing the debuff.
• Ability 3 – Death Shroud – Emits a wave of dark mist that applies Reaper’s Mark to everything it touches.
• Heroic Ability 1 – Tormented Souls – Gives Malthael armor and applies Reaper’s Mark to all nearby enemies for a duration of 4 seconds.
• Heroic Ability 2 – Last Rites – Marks an enemy and, two seconds later, hits them for 50% of their remaining health. If an enemy dies under this condition, the ability’s cooldown is reduced.

Looks like Malthael can cause some serious issues if he is able to keep multiple targets marked for extended periods. Make sure to target him first.

We were quite taken with Heroes of the Storm back when it first released, and Blizzard has added tons of content and heroes to keep the metagame evolving. Stay tuned for more info on HotS as it is released.

Excited about Malthael’s kit? Or are you going to stick to other assassins for your burst damage? Let us know in the comments below.