Heroes of the Storm Patch Introduces Recruit a Friend and Expands Weekly Hero Rotation

Blizzard has released a new patch for its MOBA Heroes of the Storm.

This latest patch introduces a Recruit a Friend program, expands the Weekly Free-to-Play Hero Rotation, and removes Talent Gating from the game.

Here are the patch notes:

RECRUIT A FRIEND

Invite Your Friends to Play Heroes and Earn In-Game Rewards!

Following today’s patch, each player will receive their own unique Recruit a Friend link.
Invite your friends to join the Nexus using your recruitment link, and you will each unlock epic in-game rewards as they play and level-up in Heroes of the Storm!
Find your link using the new in-game Recruit a Friend panel.
Access the Recruit a Friend panel in-game by clicking the new “Recruit a Friend” button that has been added to the bottom of the Friends List.
50% XP Bonus

We’re offering a week-long 50% XP Bonus for all players in the Nexus, which should help your new recruits get a head-start toward their Recruit a Friend rewards in Heroes of the Storm!
The XP Bonus begins at 10:00 a.m. PST on Tuesday, December 8, and ends at 10:00 a.m. PST on Wednesday, December 16 for players in all regions.
SYSTEM CHANGES

Talent Gating

Talent Gating has been removed from Heroes of the Storm, and players will now have access to all Hero Talents regardless of their account levels.
Hero Rotation

The weekly free-to-play Hero Rotation has been expanded from seven to ten free Hero slots.
Brand new accounts will now begin with six free Hero rotation slots, and four additional slots can be unlocked by reaching player levels 5, 7, 12, and 15, respectively.
SHOP

50% Off All Heroes, Skins, and Mounts!

As part of our celebration for the new Recruit a Friend program, we’re excited to announce that the 50% discount on all Heroes, Mounts, and Skins that arrived with our Black Friday Sale –including the 360 Day Stimpack– will remain in place through the end of the year! What’s more, any brand new items released during this time will also be available at 50% off their normal real-money prices.
BUG FIXES

User Interface

Fixed an issue that could cause the Cho’gall Buddy Brawl Special Event Quests to visually persist for players who had already completed them.