v2.55.17

LIVE

Published on July 20, 2026

Heroes of the Storm Live Patch Notes - July 20, 2026

New patch arrived with a new skin, map updates, Abathur updates, Alexstrasza updates, Ragnaros updates, Yrel updates, and balance changes!

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Heroes:

General Updates

New Skin: Ruby Chromesthesia Lucio

Haunted Mines has been added to Ranked.
~~Players can now party with unplaced players in Storm League.~~
Updated Homescreen and Startup Music.

Battlegrounds & Map Updates

Hanamura Temple
- Additional brush has been added in several locations.
Warhead Junction
- Warhead's channel penalty on interrupt reduced from 10 to 5 seconds.

Hero Balance Updates (16)

Cho

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Talent Changes

Level 1

Consuming Fire

Healing bonus increased from 150% to a flat 75 Health.

Calloused Hide

Health threshold required to trigger reduced from 60% to ~~40%~~ 50%.

Level 7

Firestarter

Cooldown reduction per Basic Attack increased from 1 to 1.5 seconds.

Gall

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Talent Changes

Level 4

Rising Dread

Bonus per bounce reduced from 25% to 20%.

Bomb's Away

No longer has a cap on stacks.
Damage bonus per stack lowered from 5 to 4.

Level 7

Double Trouble

Shadowflame's cooldown reduction from Quest Reward increased from 0.5 to 1 second.

Level 16

Leaden Orb

Stun duration reduced from 0.75 seconds to 0.6 seconds.

Yrel

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Vindication [Q]

Heal increased from 320 to 370.
Damage increased from 140 to 160.
Mana cost reduced from 65 to 50.

Righteous Hammer [W]

Stun duration increased from 0.75 to 1 second.
Damage increased from 125 to 140.
Mana cost reduced from 65 to 50.

Avenging Wrath [E]

Slow increased from 50% to 60%.
Damage increased from 225 to 260.
Mana cost reduced from 65 to 50.

Divine Purpose [D]

Cooldown increased to from 8 to ~~16~~ 12 seconds.
Cooldown is now reduced by ~~8~~ 3 seconds whenever Yrel's Basic Abilities are interrupted.
Cooldown is no longer reset when Yrel's Heroic Abilities are used.

Talent Changes

Level 4

Hand of Freedom

Cooldown increased from 30 to 40 seconds.
Movement Speed bonus reduced from 30% to 25%.

Level 20

Seraphim

Cooldown increased from 10 to 20 seconds.

Bug Fixes

Base Avenging Wrath [E] Fixed an issue that caused Yrel's Avenging Wrath to be interrupted by Roots while being channeled.

Blaze

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Talent Changes

Level 1

Adrenaline Stimpack

Active Attack Speed bonus reduced from 100% to 85%.

Level 10

Bunker Drop

Cooldown increased from 80 to 85 seconds.

Genji

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Talent Changes

Level 1

Swift as the Wind

Movement Speed bonus increased from 30% to 40%.

Pathfinder

Movement Speed duration increased from 4 to 6 seconds.

Level 4

Strike at the Heart

Damage increased from 134 to 142.

Level 7

Perfect Defense

Cooldown reduction per hit increased from 2 to 2.5 seconds.

Level 13

Flow Like Water

Cooldown reduction per hit increased from 3 to 4 seconds.

Level 16

Final Cut

Damage reduced from 125 to 115.

Qhira

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Blood Rage [W]

NEW BASELINE QUEST

Deal damage to enemy Heroes with Blood Rage's bleed to permanently increase its damage by 0.25% per stack.
Blood Rage's bleed damage reduced from 11 to 8.

Revolving Sweep [E]

Once attached, Revolving Sweep can no longer be detached by the target becoming Unstoppable.

Talent Changes

Level 1

Fatal Wounds

Damage bonus against low Health targets increased from 30% to 50%.
Quest removed.

Diablo

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Shadow Charge [Q]

Damage increased from 40 to 45.
Terrain collision damage increased from 130 to 140.

Fire Stomp [W]

Damage reduced from 12 to 11.
Return damage reduced from 36 to 34.

Overpower [E]

Damage increased from 73 to 80.

Talent Changes

Level 7

Diabolical Momentum

Cooldown reduction per Basic Attack increased from 1.5 to 2 seconds.

Level 20

Dying Breath

Cooldown reduction per Hero hit increased from 25 to 30 seconds.

Lord of Terror

Health stolen increased from 10% to 12% maximum Health.

Hogger

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Talent Changes

Level 1

On the Prowl

Rage generated on activation reduced from 30 to 25.

Level 4

Hogger's Joggers

Rage threshold required to gain 10% movement speed increased from 30 to 35.

Bug Fixes

Level 20 No Control Fixed an issue that caused No Control to target enemies that are not visible.

Thrall

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Talent Changes

Level 1

Crash Lightning

Talent disabled in ARAM.

Abathur

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Locust Strain [D]

Health reduced from 350 to 225.
Locusts no longer have a duration but now lose Health over time.
Locusts now heal for 20% of the damage they deal, and heal for 20% of their maximum Health when a nearby Minion dies.
Locust damage reduced from 58 to 36.
Locusts now deal 100% bonus damage to non-Heroes.
Locusts no longer deal 25% bonus damage to Structures.

Talent Changes

Level 1

Envenomed Nests

Armor reduction increased from 10 to 15.

Locust Brood

Cooldown increased from 45 to 75 seconds.

Level 4

(New) Slapathur

Abathur's Basic Attacks now deal ~~500%~~ 350% bonus damage, ~~Stun non-Heroes for 3 seconds~~ Stun enemies, and disable Structures for 1.5 seconds. This effect has a 6 second cooldown per target against Structures and Heroes.

Level 10

Evolve Monstrosity

Now displays as a Quest.
Abathur now has a Monstrosity unit frame for tracking Health and stacks of the unit.

Level 16

Survival Intincts

Chromie

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Dragon's Breath [W]

Now shows a radius preview to enemies.

Time Trap [E]

Health reduced from 400 to 250.

Talent Changes

Level 1

Once Again The First Time

Quest requirement reduced from 40 to 20 stacks.
Quest must now be completed without dying.

Deep Breathing

Damage per stack reduced from 1% to 0.5%.
No longer has a cap on stacks.

Level 2

Chronic Conditions

Now also causes Time Trap to activate automatically upon touching an enemy Hero.
Slow reduced from 30% to 20%.
Movement Speed bonus reduced from 30% to 20%.

Level 11

Here and There

Range increased from 20 to 40.
Snap targetting is now used. The Echo nearest the player's target position will be used.

Johanna

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Shield Glare [E]

Cooldown increased from 12 to 13 seconds.

Talent Changes

Level 10

Blessed Shield

Cooldown increased from 60 to 65 seconds.

Ragnaros

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Blast Wave [E]

Damage increased from 104 to 120.

Molten Core [D]

Cooldown increased from 120 to 180 seconds.
Health increased from 3996 to 5000.
Duration increased from 18 to 23 seconds.
Ragnaros is now Stunned for 1 second upon exiting.
Molten Core's Abilities range reduced from 35 to 20, but now grows from 20 to 35 over 9 seconds. Molten Swing is not affected by this.

Molten Swing [Molten Core Q]

Damage increased from 161 to 250.
No longer deals increased damage to Minions.
Cooldown increased from 6 seconds to 9 seconds.
Now also knocks enemies back.

Meteor Shower [Molten Core W]

Damage increased from 151 to 200.
Cooldown increased from 2.5 to 6 seconds.
Area of effect increased by 66%.
Delay between hits significantly increased.
No longer deals increased damage to Minions.
Slow increased from 25% to 35%.
Now deals 75% reduced damage to Structures.

Explosive Rune [Molten Core E]

Cooldown decreased from 4 to 2.5 seconds.
Damage adjusted from 285 on impact to 440 damage over 5 seconds.
No longer deals increased damage to Minions.
Now deals 75% reduced damage to Structures.

Talent Changes

Level 1

Engulfing Flame

Damage bonus reduced from 75% to 50%.

Level 10

Sulfuras Smash

NEW MYTHIC QUEST

Hit 8 enemy Heroes with the center of Sulfuras Smash. Mythic Reward: Sulfuras Smash gains an extra charge.

Level 20

Lava Surge

No longer reduces the cooldown of Lava Wave by 30 seconds.
Now also gives +200% Movement Speed to allied Minions and Mercenaries in its path.

Heroic Difficulty

NEW FUNCTIONALITY

When Molten Core is used on a dead Fort or Keep, the cooldown reduced by 110 seconds. Passive: Increase the starting and maximum range of Molten Core's Abilities by 100%. Molten Swing is not affected by this.

Mal'Ganis

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Talent Changes

Level 1

Will of Tichondrius

Stun's duration increase reduced from 0.5 to 0.25 seconds.

Level 16

Blind as a Bat

There is now a 0.2 second reactivation delay upon finishing 3 swipes of Fel Claws. This matches the time between other swipes.

Whitemane

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Searing Lash [E]

NEW QUEST

Hit Heroes with Searing Lash to increase Whitemane's maximum Health by 3 and Mana by 2.

Talent Changes

Level 1

Pity the Frail

Cooldown reduction per hit reduced from 1.5 to 1 second.

Inquisitor's Prayer

NEW FUNCTIONALITY

For each Hero hit by Searing Lash, restore 25 Mana. Passive: Zeal's duration is increased by 2 seconds.

Level 7

Intercession

Cooldown increased 45 to 60 seconds.

Level 13

Scarlet Wrath

Mana restore increased from 0.5% to 1%.

Level 20

Guiding Light

Now also increases the Spell Power gained from Zeal's activation by 15%.

Alexstrasza

Hero Balance Adjustments

Stats Builds Impact

Base Abilities & Stats

Dragonqueen [D]

Cooldown now starts after Dragonqueen has expired.
Cooldown reduced from 150 to 130 seconds.
Talents that affect Gift of Life also apply to Breath of Life.
Talents that affect Abundance also apply to Preservation.

Breath of Life [Dragonqueen Q]

Healing reduced from 20% to 15%.

Preservation [Dragonqueen W]

Healing reduced from 30% to 25%.

Talent Changes

Level 1

Live and Let Live

Now also provides 25% recharge rate for Breath of Life.

Flames of Fury

Cooldown reduction increased from 5 to 6 seconds.

NEW MYTHIC REWARD

Hit an additional 40 Heroes without dying to cause Dragonqueen's duration to be refreshed when damaging an enemy Hero.

Level 7

Lifeblossom

Now makes Breath of Life remove Slows and Roots.
Transforming into Dragonqueen will no longer remove the collected Lifeblossom.

Level 16

Draconic Dicipline

No longer affects Dragonqueen's duration.
For each allied Hero healed with Dragonqueen's Basic Attacks, reduce the cooldown of Preservation by 1.25 seconds.

Level 20

On Ruby Wings

NEW FUNCTIONALITY

If at least 3 Heroes are in an area hit by a Fireball, that Fireball charge is not consumed.

Ancient Flame

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONALITY

Now also provides +25% Health.
Does not provide Quest stacks while active.

Bug Fixes

General

Attack beams from Forts, Keeps, and the Core will now be more visible when attacking Heroes.

Maps

Haunted Mines
- Fixed an issue where the player would not auto-mount when using the Hearthstone from inside the mines.
Warhead Junction
- Fixed an issue that caused Heroes to not be revealed while launching a Warhead.
- Fixed an issue that caused the Warhead's channel beam to persist when interrupted.

Heroes

Ana
- Level 10
  - Eye of Horus
    - No longer reveals in a global line when hitting a Structure.
    - Removed a minor delay when dealing damage to enemy Heroes.
Anub'arak
- Base
  - Scarab Host [Trait]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Beetles created by Ultimate Evolution clones of Anub'arak to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
    - Fixed an issue that caused Anub'arak's Beetles to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
- Level 7
  - Leeching Scarabs
    - Fixed an issue that caused the healing done by Leeching Scarabs to not be affected by damage modifiers.
Arthas
- Base
  - Howling Blast [W]
    - Fixed an issue where the visuals of Howling Blast didn't match the area hit.
  - Frostmourne Hungers [D]
    - Fixed an issue where the Slow benefit of Froststrike was provided baseline.
- Level 10
  - Army of the Dead
    - Fixed an issue that caused Arthas's Ghouls to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
Deathwing
- Base
  - Cataclysm [R]
    - Deathwing will no longer be teleported to where Cataclysm is targeted if he is killed during Cataclysm.
Deckard
- Level 10
  - Lorenado
    - Fixed an issue that caused Lorenado to not deal damage to Unstoppable enemies.
Hogger
- Level 20
  - No Control
    - Fixed an issue that caused No Control to target enemies that are not visible.
Jaina
- Base
  - Frostbolt [Q]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Frostbolt's range indicator and actual range to not match.
    - Fixed an issue that caused Frostbolt cast by Ultimate Evolution clones of Jaina to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
  - Blizzard [W]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Blizzard used by Ultimate Evolution clones of Jaina to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
  - Cone of Cold [E]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Cone of Cold cast by Ultimate Evolution clones of Jaina to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
- Level 10
  - Summon Water Elemental
    - Water Elemental's Basic Attacks damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
- Level 20
  - Wintermute
    - Fixed an issue that caused Water Elemental's Wintermute effects to deal more damage than intended to Chilled targets.
    - Wintermute's Blizzard damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
    - Wintermute's Cone of Cold damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
    - Wintermute's Cone of Cold now initiates its Cone of Cold cast at the same time Jaina initiates her cast and will be interrupted if it or Jaina is interrupted.
    - Wintermute's Frostbolt damage now inherits all damage modifiers placed on Jaina.
    - Wintermute's Frostbolt now initiates its Frostbolt cast at the same time Jaina initiates her cast and will be interrupted if it or Jaina is interrupted.
Kerrigan
- Level 10
  - Summon Ultralisk
    - Fixed an issue that caused Kerrigan's Ultralisk to not have its damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
Leoric
- Level 16
  - Royal Focus
    - Now displays the remaining duration around Skeletal Swing's button.
Malfurion
- Level 1
  - Vengeful Roots
    - Fixed an issue that caused Malfurion's Treant to not have its damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
    - Treant's damage will now display as Vengeful Roots in the Death Recap.
Medivh
- Level 4
  - Raven Familiar
    - Fixed an issue that caused Medivh's Raven Familiar created by Ultimate Evolution clones of Medivh to not gain Spell Power bonuses.
- Level 20
  - Guardian of Tirisfal
    - Fixed an issue that caused targets near the edge of Arcane Rift's range with Guardian of Tirisfal to not be hit.
Nazeebo
- Base
  - Voodoo Ritual [Trait]
    - Quest progress indicators will now show around the killed enemy Minion.
    - Quest progress will now be gained in instances where a second Nazeebo damages the target and the target dies within 6 seconds of the first Nazeebo applying Voodoo Ritual.
    - Fixed an issue that caused stacks of Voodoo Ritual gained prior to selecting Thing of the Deep to not be granted to Thing of the Deep.
    - Fixed an issue that caused Vodoo Ritual's tooltip to display the incorrrect total damage value.
    - Fixed an issue that caused Vile Infection's tooltip to display the incorrrect total damage value.
- Level 1
  - Thing of the Deep
    - No longer causes Voodoo Ritual to display two Quest indicators.
- Level 4
  - Blood Ritual
    - Fixed an issue that caused Blood Ritual to not grant Health or Mana when the target affected by Voodoo Ritual timed out due to their Health passively being reduced.
Nova
- Level 20
  - Fast Reload
    - Fixed an issue that caused Fast Reload to trigger when a Triple Tap target dies before it hits them.
Probius
- Base
  - Photon Cannon [E]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Probius's Photon Cannons to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
- Level 1
  - Gathering Minerals
    - Now also empowers any Photon Cannon already on the battlefield upon Quest completion.
Tychus
- Base
  - Overkill [Q]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Overkill to reveal unintended areas.
Xul
- Base
  - Raise Skeleton [Trait]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Warriors to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
- Level 10
  - Skeletal Mages
    - Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Mages to not have their damage reduced by D.Va's Defense Matrix.
    - Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Mages to not apply their Slow in an aura while Blinded or against Evading Heroes.
    - Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Mages to not apply their Slow with their attacks against Heroes with Heroic Attack only Evasion effects.
- Level 16
  - Weaken
    - Fixed an issue that caused Xul's Skeletal Warriors to not apply Weaken's damage reduction while Xul is Blinded or against Heroes with Heroic Attack only Evasion effects.
Yrel
- Base
  - Avenging Wrath [E]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Yrel's Avenging Wrath to be interrupted by Roots while being channeled.
Zagara
- Base
  - Infested Drop [E]
    - Fixed an issue that caused Roaches created by Ultimate Evolution clones of Zagara to not gain Spell Power bonuses.

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