"Heroes of Newerth Returns: Celebration on Hold"

The MOBA genre faces challenging times, with stalwarts like Dota 2 and League of Legends encountering difficulties. Valve's Dota 2 is increasingly becoming a niche product, particularly popular in Eastern Europe, while Riot Games struggles to reinvigorate League of Legends, a game that seems to be in its later stages.

Amidst these struggles, Garena has announced the revival of Heroes of Newerth, a game that once rivaled Dota 2 and League of Legends in the early 2010s but was later discontinued. The game is being rebuilt on a new engine, and the trailer has generated excitement. While this news might be cause for celebration, several concerns loom large.

Firstly, Heroes of Newerth is a re-release of a live-service game from over a decade ago. The MOBA genre has seen a decline in popularity, with many players shifting to newer platforms and gaming trends. Secondly, Garena's track record in supporting projects and esports has often been questioned. The company insists it always saw potential in Heroes of Newerth, yet it's unclear why the game was shut down initially.

Thirdly, the game will launch on the iGames platform, which is partially crowdfunded. This raises the question: why not Steam? In today's gaming landscape, launching without Valve's platform could limit the game's reach and impact its ability to attract a broad audience.

These factors suggest that Heroes of Newerth might remain a niche project with potential for organic growth, but significant doubts persist. On a positive note, a release timeline has been set, with the game expected to launch within a year.

Image: igames.com