Heroes of the Storm Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Hero League

Hero League is a game mode that allows players to compete in ranked matches against other players of similar skill. It can be found using the Ranked page on the Play screen.

Players will see their current rank, win/loss record, and a few notable stats displayed on the Hero League Play Screen. From here, click “Ready” at the bottom of the screen to jump into the Hero League queue alone, or in a maximum party size of two players.

Requirements[]

  • Minimum player requirements has been removed. Any level can participate in Hero or Team League games.
  • Since there are bans now, it is required to own 14 or more heroes, who are at least Level 5 or higher.
    • Weekly free hero rotation now counts toward the minimum Hero requirement. They also need to be Level 5 or higher.
    • Neither Cho nor Gall count towards this requirement, due to the event of being the last player on your team to choose a hero as they are played together.

Matchmaking[]

Players must queue for Hero League alone.

The matchmaker will search the Hero League queue in order to place players with and against players of similar skill, and will also use a matchmaking rating (MMR) that’s separate from Quick Match rating. This is an individual rating, meaning that it is unique to each player's own performance, and will not change based on different parties or players they buddy up with. Everyone will start their Hero League journey with a blank slate in terms of MMR, which may initially cause Hero League matchmaking to feel a little wild while the matchmaker learns more about each player’s individual skill level. The more Hero League games are played, the more accurate matchmaking will become.

Points and Rank[]

Hero League begins with a series of 10 placement matches, to determine initial rank. During these matches, a player may encounter a large range of allies and opponents. After these are complete, the player will be placed at a rank deemed to be appropriate for their skill level.

Wins award points, losing also results in points being lost. In a game where the matchmaker pits you against an evenly matched opponent, the player gains or loses around 200 points. Winning against a more skilled opponent will gain more points, but losing to one penalizes you less. Winning against a less skilled opponent will earn fewer points, and losing to one penalizes you more. There are occasional bonus points for skill bonus.

Each rank is represented as 2% of the overall population of Hero League, with 50 being the least skilled and 1 being the most. Ranking up or losing a rank will place you at first near the middle of ranking up or down again, usually taking two to three consecutive wins or losses to do either. The exceptions are that you cannot fall below rank 40 due to losses, and once reaching rank 1 you acquire points still, which means that a few losses will not always de-rank you to 2. [Needs Editing]

Placement[]

All players must play 10 placement matches in order to receive an initial ranking.

Abandoning[]

  • Any player who leaves an in-progress Hero League or Quick Match game, and does not rejoin before it is finished, will be locked from playing any ranked games until they complete a new Quick Match game. That player will also still earn or lose ranked points depending on the outcome of the match he or she left prematurely.
  • Any player who leaves a Hero League game during Draft Mode will lose a substantial amount of ranked points, become unable to play ranked games until completing a Quick Match game, and will also cause any players in his or her party to incur these penalties.

Revamp[]

As part of the June 2016 Ranked Play revamp, Hero League will receive the following rewards.

Hero League Portraits
Ranked Play Mount
Ranks Rewards
Ranks 50 - 41 Preseason Hero League Portrait
Ranks 40 - 31 1500 gold, Preseason Hero League Portrait
Ranks 30 - 21 2000 gold, Preseason Hero League Portrait
Ranks 20 - 11 2500 gold, Elemental Wolf Mount, Preseason Hero League Portrait
Ranks 10 - 6 3000 gold, Elemental Wolf Mount, Epic Elemental Wolf Mount, Preseason Hero League Portrait (tier-unique)
Ranks 5 - 2 3500 gold, Elemental Wolf Mount, Epic Elemental Wolf Mount, Preseason Hero League Portrait (tier-unique)
Rank 1 4000 gold, Elemental Wolf Mount, Epic Elemental Wolf Mount, Preseason Hero League Portrait (tier-unique)

Patch changes[]

  • Patch (Patch June 13, 2017Note: Lessened personal rank adjustments in both Hero League and Team Leagues, which will allow players’ ranks to move more quickly during win or loss streaks.
  • Patch (Patch June 21, 2016Note: Fixed an issue causing the Hero League screen to fail to update with Placement Match results after a game completed.
  • Patch (Patch June 14, 2016Note: Fixed an issue that caused the Draft UI to occasionally disappear in Hero League and Team League lobbies.
  • Patch (Patch May 17, 2016Note: The matchmaking system will prefer to create a game that’s a little less even, using the highest-rated players available, rather than create an even game that includes lesser-skilled players.; Mount preferences will now be properly saved across Hero League and Custom Game draft lobbies.
  • Patch (Patch February 2, 2016Note: Fixed an issue that could allow the Team League portrait border and ranking to be displayed during Hero League loading screens, and vice versa.
  • Patch (Patch December 15, 2015Note: Resolved some cases in which Hero League games could incorrectly flag players to receive leaver penalties.
  • Patch (Patch November 17, 2015Note: Two-player parties in Hero League Draft Lobbies will no longer receive single pick slots, and will now always select their Heroes on the same turn.; Players in Hero League draft lobbies can no longer be invited to join a Real-ID friend’s party.
  • Patch (Patch October 20, 2015Note: Players failing to select a Hero in Hero League draft lobbies will no longer be granted a random Hero. Instead, the AFK player will now receive leaver penalties and the game lobby will disband, placing all remaining players back at the queue screen.; The time allotted to select your hero in Hero League and Team League draft lobbies has been increased from 30 to 45 seconds.
  • Patch (Patch October 6, 2015Note: Players now have a chance to receive a one-question survey following Hero League, Team League, and Quick Match games.
  • Patch (Patch September 8, 2015Note: Additional party size rules have been added to Hero League, which is now limited to players who queue alone, or in parties of two.
  • Patch (Patch July 21, 2015Note: Players that attempt to purchase a Hero while searching for a match in Hero League will now be warned prior to finalizing the transaction that the purchased Hero will not be usable during the upcoming match.
Advertisement