Heroes of Newerth Introduces F2P Option

Today the shocking news came in from S2 that Heroes of Newerth, the Premium Pay To Play MOBA game, was introducing a new F2P option. The reactions of the community have varied from ecstatic to “OMG I Quit!” and the fall-out from this change will surely be interesting to watch.

OnRPG will go ahead and list out the basic concepts provided to explain what new free players have access to and how veteran current players will be compensated.

Three Account Types

Basic Accounts are given to anyone who now signs up to play the game for free. Basic Accounts gain access to the weekly 15 free heroes chosen randomly. They are only able to select ‘All Pick’ in the matchmaking options. They are able to purchase additional heroes but only through the in-game store.

Verified Accounts are the next level up in the new hierarchy of account status. Basic accounts can be upgraded to this level through their show of dedication to the game. This will be measured by the purchase of cash shop currency (Goblin Coins) or through extensive playtime in the game. These players will be able to enter ‘verified only’ matchmaking which will ensure that only other players with verified status will be chosen to enter their game. They can also play any match making mode but at the cost of tokens or passes.

Legacy Accounts are for those who have paid for a HoN account previous to the F2P change. They are also allowed to enter into the verified only matchmaking system. They can also access any game mode without the need of tokens or passes. They will also be able to participate in the ‘Early Access Buys’ to pay to purchase heroes 4 weeks prior to their public release (these heroes are not eligible for tournament play until released publicly).

Along with this F2P announcement comes a substantial patch providing many fixes and reworks highly demanded by the HoN community (for the most part). A new better hero encyclopedia was added, the spectator mode interface was improved greatly, and matchmaking algorithms should function better than ever before.

Be sure to drop by our fast developing OnRPG Forum Thread to give us your opinion on this patch and the F2P change!