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Kongor Studios / Garena

Heroes of Newerth: Reborn brings back the MOBA legend

Originally posted on Video Games on SI | By Marco Wutz | Last updated Jan 28, 2025 10:00 AM ET

Heroes of Newerth is coming back as free-to-play game Heroes of Newerth: Reborn — one of the most influential standalone successors of the original Defense of the Ancients (DotA) custom map in WarCraft 3, HoN was released by S2 Games in 2010 before ceasing operations in 2022.

Originally held in higher regard by genre fans than League of Legends, which was being worked on at the same time, HoN made one mistake that led to Riot Games’ title gaining the upper hand: S2 Games released its offering as a full-price game, whereas Riot went free-to-play. When Dota 2 entered the picture as another free-to-play alternative — and with the obvious draw of being the “true” successor to DotA — HoN had very little breathing room left, being consigned to a niche existence for the next decade.

Aside from being known for choosing the wrong business model at the wrong time, HoN was infamous for the toxicity of its community — something that, ironically, League of Legends is synonymous with now. Really, though, this probably comes with the genre.

Kongor Studios / Garena

With Dota 2 and League of Legends holding the MOBA genre in stranglehold, Kongor Studios — co-founded by former S2 Games developer Jesse Hayes — wants to bring the third member of the post-DotA triumvirate back near the top.

“After years of community support and the dedication of a passionate fan base, we are beyond excited to bring Heroes of Newerth back to life,” Hayes commented. “This isn’t just a relaunch, but a reimagining of what the game can be in today’s competitive gaming world. From the visuals to the network performance, we’ve worked hard to bring the best possible experience to both veteran players and newcomers.”

Everything from the UI over sound effects to visuals has been reworked and modernized thanks to the use of a new engine. HoN: Reborn will launch with over 80 heroes that veterans of the title will, naturally, recognize — and reinforcements are coming in post-launch updates. Kongor has promised 100-tick servers and a “buttery-smooth performance with higher FPS” to provide users with the best gameplay experience.

Kongor Studios / Garena

HoN: Reborn seemingly offers a bunch of new mechanics as well. There is a new boss on the map, the Phoenix, and players can use ravens for scouting. A creature called Kongor seems to be able to push lanes for their team as well.

Add to that modern amenities like role queue and taunts and you’ve got the very picture of a modern MOBA.

The caveat on the whole thing is that HoN: Reborn will only be available via iGames, an online platform on PC that’s “designed to empower users to both play and create.”

“It provides the tools that made HoN: Reborn for designing, organizing, and monetizing games, all without requiring professional expertise. It also provides the abilities to host tournaments and find funding for your game through Genesis,” the description continues.

Kongor is being backed by Garena for this revival, another name deeply intertwined with HoN’s past.

There is currently no exact release date for Heroes of Newerth: Reborn yet.

This article first appeared on Video Games on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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