WoW's infamous Alterac Valley battleground is coming to Heroes of the Storm

The next Heroes of the Storm in-game event will pit the forces of the Horde and the Alliance against one another in a battle for heroes, portraits, banners, and mounts called Echoes of Alterac. The event will unfold on a new battleground, Alterac Pass, a three-lane map in the mountains inspired by World of Warcraft's Alterac Valley, and will see the Draenei finally join the action in the Nexus with the addition of a new hero, Yrel.



Yrel brings three primary abilities to the battleground: Vindication, which damages nearby enemies and heals her; Righteous Hammer, which deals damage and knocks enemies back; and Avenging Wrath, a jump-in attack with area-of-effect damage that slows her opponents. Her Heroic Abilities are Ardent Defender, a barrier that surrounds her for three seconds, absorbing all incoming damage and healing her for half of that amount, and Sacred Ground, which grants her a bonus 40 armor as long as she remains with its area of effect. Divine Purpose, her Hero Trait, enables Yrel to instantly charge her next basic ability at no mana cost, and passively enables her basic abilities to charge up over 1.5 seconds, at the cost of reduced movement rate.


Alterac Pass itself is a large three-lane map that lacks a "structural core" outside the Hall of Storms. Instead, each side has a faction leader—General Vanndar Stormpike for the Alliance, and Drek'Thar of the Frostwolf Clan for the Horde—who must be defeated in order to claim victory. The map features traditional forts and keeps to be destroyed, and there are also prison camps that, when taken, will spawn cavalry units that will support players with a damage and speed-boosting aura.



Beginning on June 12, players who complete four games as a Warcraft hero will earn a Warcraft Reinforcements chest; after that, a new portrait can be claimed for achieving 50 takedowns in winning games, and a new banner for playing six games with friends. Winning eight games as a Warcraft hero will net you a new mount, and there will also be new Horde and Alliance skins to claim: Spirit Healer Auriel, Vanndar Muradin, Grand Marshal Varian, and Nightslayer Valeera for the Alliance, and Sapper Junkrat, Drek'Thar Rehgar, High Warlord Garrosh, and Warsong Johanna for the Horde.


The Battle for Alterac Pass is set to begin on June 12 (the skins and mounts will be available beginning on June 19) and run until July 9.