OFFICIAL Written by GPN · Nov 9, 2026, 5:00 PM ET · Heroes of the Storm · Gaming
Blizzard has put the next Heroes of the Storm patch on the Public Test Realm, and it is available for playtesting now. The PTR notes cover balance changes for nine heroes and a long list of bug fixes, and Blizzard is asking players who hit problems to report them in the PTR bug report forum.
Balance
Gazlowe gets the clearest buff of the round: his health rises from 2275 to 2375, his basic attack damage goes from 100 to 105, and the life leech on Deth Lazor climbs from 25% to 30%. His level 20 Bomb Toss talent no longer grants an additional charge.
Medivh's Arcane Rift damage rises from 170 to 185 and Force of Will's cooldown drops from 9 to 8 seconds, but Portal's cooldown goes up from 16 to 20 seconds. His level 1 talents are reworked around Raven Form: Winds of Celerity now also cuts cast time by 0.25 seconds, Raven's Intellect jumps from 200% to 400%, and the ability to cast Portal in Raven Form without dismounting moves from Portal Mastery to Dust of Appearance, whose cooldown drops from 45 to 40 seconds.
Chromie, Greymane, Lucio, Mei, Mephisto, and Stukov all get smaller talent and numbers tuning. Chromie's Once Again the First Time damage rises from 50% to 55% while Timewalker's Pursuit drops from 15% to 12%. Greymane's Incendiary Elixir stacks harder, from 25 to 30 damage bonus per stack. Lucio's Sound Barrier shields grow and his level 20 Summer Anthem keeps teammates unkillable for 2.5 seconds instead of 1.5. Mei's Blizzard detonates faster and hits harder, Mephisto's Malicious Intent and Hateful Mending both get stronger, and Stukov's Fetid Touch and Flailing Swipe pick up damage and cooldown relief.
Xal'atath
Xal'atath gets the longest list in the patch. Shadow Mark reaches further, from range 8 to 9, and Dark Heart Ritual's detonation damage rises from 245 to 260, while the Mythic Reward damage bonus on Void Volley drops from 50% to 35%. Across her talents, several effects are trimmed or reworked: Cloak of Shadows only grants Spell Armor while actively blinking, Toxic Mark no longer extends debuff duration on its own, Void Eruption loses 10% damage per second and 10% speed, and Fractured Reality's damage bonus falls from 25% to 15%. Marked Resilience's shield rises from 160 to 200, and Relentless Whispers now adds 75% basic attack damage per teleport instead of attack speed.
Bug Fixes
The fix list covers Sapper attacks instantly hitting nearby targets and Sapper warning areas persisting indefinitely, plus a run of hero-specific fixes — including several for Xal'atath's health regeneration, marking, and Void Minion spawning — and a fix for the death icon at certain resolutions.
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