Heroes of the Storm Live Patch Notes (20th July 2026)

Our next Heroes of the Storm patch is live! Read on for more information.

NOTE: Orange text indicates a change between PTR and Live notes.

---

Quick Navigation:

• General
• Map Updates
• Balance Update
• Bug Fixes

---

General

• New Skin: Ruby Chromesthesia Lucio

• Haunted Mines has been added to Ranked.
• Players can now party with unplaced players in Storm League.
• Updated Homescreen and Startup Music.

Return to Top

---

Map Updates

• Hanamura Temple
  • Additional brush has been added in several locations.
• Warhead Junction
  • Warhead's channel penalty on interrupt reduced from 10 to 5 seconds.

Return to Top

---

Balance Update

Heroes

Abathur

Base

• Locust Strain [D]
  • Health reduced from 350 to 225.
  • Locusts no longer have a duration but now lose Health over time.
  • Locusts now heal for 20% of the damage they deal, and heal for 20% of their maximum Health when a nearby Minion dies.
  • Locust damage reduced from 58 to 36.
  • Locusts now deal 100% bonus damage to non-Heroes.
  • Locusts no longer deal 25% bonus damage to Structures.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Envenomed Nests
    • Armor reduction increased from 10 to 15.
  • Locust Brood
    • Moved from Level 16 to Level 1.
    • Cooldown increased from 45 to 75 seconds.
• Level 4
  • (New) Slapathur
    • Abathur's Basic Attacks now deal 500% 350% bonus damage, Stun non-Heroes for 3 seconds Stun enemies, and disable Structures for 1.5 seconds. This effect has a 6 second cooldown per target against Structures and Heroes.
• Level 10
  • Evolve Monstrosity
    • Now displays as a Quest.
    • Abathur now has a Monstrosity unit frame for tracking Health and stacks of the unit.
• Level 16
  • Survival Intincts
    • Moved from Level 1 to Level 16.

Alexstrasza

Base

• Dragonqueen [D]
  • Cooldown now starts after Dragonqueen has expired.
  • Cooldown reduced from 150 to 130 seconds.
  • Talents that affect Gift of Life also apply to Breath of Life.
  • Talents that affect Abundance also apply to Preservation.
• Breath of Life [Dragonqueen Q]
  • Healing reduced from 20% to 15%.
• Preservation [Dragonqueen W]
  • Healing reduced from 30% to 25%.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Live and Let Live
    • Now also provides 25% recharge rate for Breath of Life.
  • Flames of Fury
    • Cooldown reduction increased from 5 to 6 seconds.
    • NEW MYTHIC REWARD: Hit an additional 40 Heroes without dying to cause Dragonqueen's duration to be refreshed when damaging an enemy Hero.
• Level 7
  • Lifeblossom
    • Now makes Breath of Life remove Slows and Roots.
    • Transforming into Dragonqueen will no longer remove the collected Lifeblossom.
• Level 16
  • Draconic Dicipline
    • No longer affects Dragonqueen's duration.
    • For each allied Hero healed with Dragonqueen's Basic Attacks, reduce the cooldown of Preservation by 1.25 seconds.
• Level 20
  • On Ruby Wings
    • NEW FUNCTIONALITY: If at least 3 Heroes are in an area hit by a Fireball, that Fireball charge is not consumed.
  • Ancient Flame
    • ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY: Now also provides +25% Health.
    • Does not provide Quest stacks while active.

Blaze

Talents

• Level 1
  • Adrenaline Stimpack
    • Active Attack Speed bonus reduced from 100% to 85%.
• Level 10
  • Bunker Drop
    • Cooldown increased from 80 to 85 seconds.

Cho

Talents

• Level 1
  • Consuming Fire
    • Healing bonus increased from 150% to a flat 75 Health.
  • Calloused Hide
    • Health threshold required to trigger reduced from 60% to 40% 50%.
• Level 7
  • Firestarter
    • Cooldown reduction per Basic Attack increased from 1 to 1.5 seconds.

Gall

Talents

• Level 4
  • Rising Dread
    • Bonus per bounce reduced from 25% to 20%.
  • Bomb's Away
    • No longer has a cap on stacks.
    • Damage bonus per stack lowered from 5 to 4.
• Level 7
  • Double Trouble
    • Shadowflame's cooldown reduction from Quest Reward increased from 0.5 to 1 second.
• Level 16
  • Leaden Orb
    • Stun duration reduced from 0.75 seconds to 0.6 seconds.

Chromie

Base

• Dragon's Breath [W]
  • Now shows a radius preview to enemies.
• Time Trap [E]
  • Health reduced from 400 to 250.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Once Again The First Time
    • Quest requirement reduced from 40 to 20 stacks.
    • Quest must now be completed without dying.
  • Deep Breathing
    • Damage per stack reduced from 1% to 0.5%.
    • No longer has a cap on stacks.
• Level 2
  • Chronic Conditions
    • Now also causes Time Trap to activate automatically upon touching an enemy Hero.
    • Slow reduced from 30% to 20%.
    • Movement Speed bonus reduced from 30% to 20%.
• Level 11
  • Here and There
    • Range increased from 20 to 40.
    • Snap targetting is now used. The Echo nearest the player's target position will be used.

Diablo

Base

• Shadow Charge [Q]
  • Damage increased from 40 to 45.
  • Terrain collision damage increased from 130 to 140.
• Fire Stomp [W]
  • Damage reduced from 12 to 11.
  • Return damage reduced from 36 to 34.
• Overpower [E]
  • Damage increased from 73 to 80.

Talents

• Level 7
  • Diabolical Momentum
    • Cooldown reduction per Basic Attack increased from 1.5 to 2 seconds.
• Level 20
  • Dying Breath
    • Cooldown reduction per Hero hit increased from 25 to 30 seconds.
  • Lord of Terror
    • Health stolen increased from 10% to 12% maximum Health.

Genji

Talents

• Level 1
  • Swift as the Wind
    • Movement Speed bonus increased from 30% to 40%.
  • Pathfinder
    • Movement Speed duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds.
• Level 4
  • Strike at the Heart
    • Damage increased from 134 to 142.
• Level 7
  • Perfect Defense
    • Cooldown reduction per hit increased from 2 to 2.5 seconds.
• Level 13
  • Flow Like Water
    • Cooldown reduction per hit increased from 3 to 4 seconds.
• Level 16
  • Final Cut
    • Damage reduced from 125 to 115.

Hogger

Talents

• Level 1
  • On the Prowl
    • Rage generated on activation reduced from 30 to 25.
• Level 4
  • Hogger's Joggers
    • Rage threshold required to gain 10% movement speed increased from 30 to 35.

Johanna

Base

• Shield Glare [E]
  • Cooldown increased from 12 to 13 seconds.

Talents

• Level 10
  • Blessed Shield
    • Cooldown increased from 60 to 65 seconds.

Mal'Ganis

Talents

• Level 1
  • Will of Tichondrius
    • Stun's duration increase reduced from 0.5 to 0.25 seconds.
• Level 16
  • Blind as a Bat
    • There is now a 0.2 second reactivation delay upon finishing 3 swipes of Fel Claws. This matches the time between other swipes.

Qhira

Base

• Blood Rage [W]
  • NEW BASELINE QUEST: Deal damage to enemy Heroes with Blood Rage's bleed to permanently increase its damage by 0.25% per stack.
  • Blood Rage's bleed damage reduced from 11 to 8.
• Revolving Sweep [E]
  • Once attached, Revolving Sweep can no longer be detached by the target becoming Unstoppable.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Fatal Wounds
    • Damage bonus against low Health targets increased from 30% to 50%.
    • Quest removed.

Ragnaros

Base

• Blast Wave [E]
  • Damage increased from 104 to 120.
• Molten Core [D]
  • Cooldown increased from 120 to 180 seconds.
  • Health increased from 3996 to 5000.
  • Duration increased from 18 to 23 seconds.
  • Ragnaros is now Stunned for 1 second upon exiting.
  • Molten Core's Abilities range reduced from 35 to 20, but now grows from 20 to 35 over 9 seconds. Molten Swing is not affected by this.
• Molten Swing [Molten Core Q]
  • Damage increased from 161 to 250.
  • No longer deals increased damage to Minions.
  • Cooldown increased from 6 seconds to 9 seconds.
  • Now also knocks enemies back.
• Meteor Shower [Molten Core W]
  • Damage increased from 151 to 200.
  • Cooldown increased from 2.5 to 6 seconds.
  • Area of effect increased by 66%.
  • Delay between hits significantly increased.
  • No longer deals increased damage to Minions.
  • Slow increased from 25% to 35%.
  • Now deals 75% reduced damage to Structures.
• Explosive Rune [Molten Core E]
  • Cooldown decreased from 4 to 2.5 seconds.
  • Damage adjusted from 285 on impact to 440 damage over 5 seconds.
  • No longer deals increased damage to Minions.
  • Now deals 75% reduced damage to Structures.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Engulfing Flame
    • Damage bonus reduced from 75% to 50%.
• Level 10
  • Sulfuras Smash
    • NEW MYTHIC QUEST: Hit 8 enemy Heroes with the center of Sulfuras Smash. Mythic Reward: Sulfuras Smash gains an extra charge.
• Level 20
  • Lava Surge
    • No longer reduces the cooldown of Lava Wave by 30 seconds.
    • Now also gives +200% Movement Speed to allied Minions and Mercenaries in its path.
  • Heroic Difficulty
    • NEW FUNCTIONALITY: When Molten Core is used on a dead Fort or Keep, the cooldown reduced by 110 seconds. Passive: Increase the starting and maximum range of Molten Core's Abilities by 100%. Molten Swing is not affected by this.

Thrall

Talents

• Level 1
  • Crash Lightning
    • Talent disabled in ARAM.

Whitemane

Base

• Searing Lash [E]
  • NEW QUEST: Hit Heroes with Searing Lash to increase Whitemane's maximum Health by 3 and Mana by 2.

Talents

• Level 1
  • Pity the Frail
    • Cooldown reduction per hit reduced from 1.5 to 1 second.
  • Inquisitor's Prayer
    • NEW FUNCTIONALITY: For each Hero hit by Searing Lash, restore 25 Mana. Passive: Zeal's duration is increased by 2 seconds.
• Level 7
  • Intercession
    • Cooldown increased 45 to 60 seconds.
• Level 13
  • Scarlet Wrath
    • Mana restore increased from 0.5% to 1%.
• Level 20
  • Guiding Light
    • Now also increases the Spell Power gained from Zeal's activation by 15%.

Yrel

Base

• Vindication [Q]
  • Heal increased from 320 to 370.
  • Damage increased from 140 to 160.
  • Mana cost reduced from 65 to 50.
• Righteous Hammer [W]
  • Stun duration increased from 0.75 to 1 second.
  • Damage increased from 125 to 140.
  • Mana cost reduced from 65 to 50.
• Avenging Wrath [E]
  • Slow increased from 50% to 60%.
  • Damage increased from 225 to 260.
  • Mana cost reduced from 65 to 50.
• Divine Purpose [D]
  • Cooldown increased to from 8 to 16 12 seconds.
  • Cooldown is now reduced by 8 3 seconds whenever Yrel's Basic Abilities are interrupted.
  • Cooldown is no longer reset when Yrel's Heroic Abilities are used.

Talents

• Level 4
  • Hand of Freedom
    • Cooldown increased from 30 to 40 seconds.
    • Movement Speed bonus reduced from 30% to 25%.
• Level 20
  • Seraphim
    • Cooldown increased from 10 to 20 seconds.

Return to Top

---

Bug Fixes

General

• Attack beams from Forts, Keeps, and the Core will now be more visible when attacking Heroes.

Maps

• Haunted Mines
  • Fixed an issue where the player would not auto-mount when using the Hearthstone from inside the mines.
• Warhead Junction
  • Fixed an issue that caused Heroes to not be revealed while launching a Warhead.
  • Fixed an issue that caused the Warhead's channel beam to persist when interrupted.

Heroes

• Ana
  • Level 10
    • Eye of Horus
      • No longer reveals in a global line when hitting a Structure.
      • Removed a minor delay when dealing damage to enemy Heroes.
• Anub'arak
  • Base
    • Scarab Host [Trait]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Beetles created by Ultimate Evolution clones of Anub'arak to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Anub'arak's Beetles to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
  • Level 7
    • Leeching Scarabs
      • Fixed an issue that caused the healing done by Leeching Scarabs to not be affected by damage modifiers.
• Arthas
  • Base
    • Howling Blast [W]
      • Fixed an issue where the visuals of Howling Blast didn't match the area hit.
    • Frostmourne Hungers [D]
      • Fixed an issue where the Slow benefit of Froststrike was provided baseline.
  • Level 10
    • Army of the Dead
      • Fixed an issue that caused Arthas's Ghouls to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
• Deathwing
  • Base
    • Cataclysm [R]
      • Deathwing will no longer be teleported to where Cataclysm is targeted if he is killed during Cataclysm.
• Deckard
  • Level 10
    • Lorenado
      • Fixed an issue that caused Lorenado to not deal damage to Unstoppable enemies.
• Hogger
  • Level 20
    • No Control
      • Fixed an issue that caused No Control to target enemies that are not visible.
• Jaina
  • Base
    • Frostbolt [Q]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Frostbolt's range indicator and actual range to not match.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Frostbolt cast by Ultimate Evolution clones of Jaina to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
    • Blizzard [W]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Blizzard used by Ultimate Evolution clones of Jaina to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
    • Cone of Cold [E]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Cone of Cold cast by Ultimate Evolution clones of Jaina to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
  • Level 10
    • Summon Water Elemental
      • Water Elemental's Basic Attacks damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
  • Level 20
    • Wintermute
      • Fixed an issue that caused Water Elemental's Wintermute effects to deal more damage than intended to Chilled targets.
      • Wintermute's Blizzard damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
      • Wintermute's Cone of Cold damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
      • Wintermute's Cone of Cold now initiates its Cone of Cold cast at the same time Jaina initiates her cast and will be interrupted if it or Jaina is interrupted.
      • Wintermute's Frostbolt damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
      • Wintermute's Frostbolt now initiates its Frostbolt cast at the same time Jaina initiates her cast and will be interrupted if it or Jaina is interrupted.
• Kerrigan
  • Level 10
    • Summon Ultralisk
      • Fixed an issue that caused Kerrigan's Ultralisk to not have its damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
• Leoric
  • Level 16
    • Royal Focus
      • Now displays the remaining duration around Skeletal Swing's button.
• Malfurion
  • Level 1
    • Vengeful Roots
      • Fixed an issue that caused Malfurion's Treant to not have its damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
      • Treant's damage will now display as Vengeful Roots in the Death Recap.
• Medivh
  • Level 4
    • Raven Familiar
      • Fixed an issue that caused Medivh's Raven Familiar created by Ultimate Evolution clones of Medivh to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
  • Level 20
    • Guardian of Tirisfal
      • Fixed an issue that caused targets near the edge of Arcane Rift's range with Guardian of Tirisfal to not be hit.
• Nazeebo
  • Base
    • Voodoo Ritual [Trait]
      • Quest progress indicators will now show around the killed enemy Minion.
      • Quest progress will now be gained in instances where a second Nazeebo damages the target and the target dies within 6 seconds of the first Nazeebo applying Voodoo Ritual.
      • Fixed an issue that caused stacks of Voodoo Ritual gained prior to selecting Thing of the Deep to not be granted to Thing of the Deep.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Vodoo Ritual's tooltip to display the incorrrect total damage value.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Vile Infection's tooltip to display the incorrrect total damage value.
  • Level 1
    • Thing of the Deep
      • No longer causes Voodoo Ritual to display two Quest indicators.
  • Level 4
    • Blood Ritual
      • Fixed an issue that caused Blood Ritual to not grant Health or Mana when the target affected by Voodoo Ritual timed out due to their Health passively being reduced.
• Nova
  • Level 20
    • Fast Reload
      • Fixed an issue that caused Fast Reload to trigger when a Triple Tap target dies before it hits them.
• Probius
  • Base
    • Photon Cannon [E]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Probius's Photon Cannons to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
  • Level 1
    • Gathering Minerals
      • Now also empowers any Photon Cannon already on the battlefield upon Quest completion.
• Tychus
  • Base
    • Overkill [Q]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Overkill to reveal unintended areas.
• Xul
  • Base
    • Raise Skeleton [Trait]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Warriors to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
  • Level 10
    • Skeletal Mages
      • Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Mages to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Mages to not apply their Slow in an aura while Blinded or against Evading Heroes.
      • Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Mages to not apply their Slow with their attacks against Heroes with Heroic Attack only Evasion effects.
  • Level 16
    • Weaken
      • Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Warriors to not apply Weaken's damage reduction while Xul is Blinded or against Heroes with Heroic Attack only Evasion effects.
• Yrel
  • Base
    • Avenging Wrath [E]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Yrel's Avenging Wrath to be interrupted by Roots while being channeled.
• Zagara
  • Base
    • Infested Drop [E]
      • Fixed an issue that caused Roaches created by Ultimate Evolution clones of Zagara to not gain Spell Power bonuses.

Return to Top

---

Click here to discuss this post with other players in the official Heroes of the Storm forums.