Heroes of the Storm (HotS) is Blizzard’s crown jewel of the multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) genre with a player count of around 3.3 million. The game grew popular following its release in 2015 and is packed with innovative gameplay and, even better, an all-star roster from the Blizzard universe.
However, after a rather abrupt termination of the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship (HGC) in 2018, coupled with Blizzard’s apparent neglect of the title, the community has been buzzing with questions: Is HotS a dead game? And what’s the deal with the game’s player count?
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How Many People Play Heroes of the Storm In 2025?
HotS is estimated to have around 3.3 million monthly active players and roughly 940,000 daily average users, according to activeplayer.io (Nov. 4 to Dec. 5, 2024). Most of these players are based in South Korea, Sweden, and Denmark.
However, it’s unclear exactly how this data was gathered, making its accuracy debatable. Adding to the problem is that the game’s developer Blizzard Entertainment has not released specific player count data, so any “real” HotS player count numbers remain elusive.
The company’s Q2 2023 earnings report revealed 26 million monthly active users across all its titles, including HotS, World of Warcraft (WoW), Diablo, Overwatch, and StarCraft II. No further updates have been provided since Blizzard’s acquisition by Microsoft in October 2023.
With no official data and many third-party sources ceasing to track Heroes of the Storm, determining the game’s player base is challenging, leaving these estimates as the best available insight.
Is Heroes of the Storm A Dead Game In 2025?
No, HotS is not a dead game—well, not exactly. While HotS viewership on streaming platforms like Twitch has dwindled, it’s not fair to say that Heroes of the Storm is “dead” given that the MOBA is reportedly 3 million players strong. Still, HotS’ player count is a far cry from its competitors, Dota 2 and League of Legends (LoL). For example, Steam DB reports that Dota 2 has ~600,000 active players at any given time. Likewise, LoL has a monthly player count of about 131 million—that’s 43x more than HotS!
What Does HotS’ Future Look Like?
There may still be hope for HotS to reclaim a top spot in the MOBA genre. Following Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the game has continued to receive regular updates. While these patches haven’t added major content, they reflect ongoing support to keep HotS alive.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been strategically integrating Activision Blizzard’s gigantic catalog into its ecosystem to bolster Xbox’s reach across consoles, PCs, and mobile platforms. This acquisition has since expanded the brand’s footprint to a jaw-dropping 500 million monthly active users.
This boost has largely been fueled by franchises like Call of Duty, Diablo, and WoW, which account for a good chunk of its users. While HotS hasn’t yet joined the lineup, its inclusion feels like a logical and inevitable step. This would almost certainly reignite interest, attracting both old and new players to the game.
Who Still Streams Heroes of the Storm In 2025?
There are quite a few Twitch channels that stream HotS. These channels don’t have nearly as many concurrent viewers as players who stream games like Counter-Strike 2, but they allow you to enjoy classic HotS gameplay and chat with other community members.
Top 10 Most Popular HotS Twitch Streamers
- FanHOTS
- LiquidHasuObs
- Shigity
- Khaldor
- Leonblack
- JunHotS_
- BETRUEGERXD
- ultraliskhots
- Ravinar_
- Nano__hots
Note: This info is courtesy of Sully Gnome and based on watch time (hours) for the period Nov. 4 to Dec. 5, 2024.
Heroes Of The Storm – Twitch Stats 2025
Looking for the latest HotS Twitch stats? Say no more.
- Hours watched: 494,492
- Hours Broadcast: 22,964
- Average Viewers: 686
- Max Viewers: 4,209
Note: These stats are courtesy of Sully Gnome and are accurate for the period Nov. 4 to Dec. 5, 2024.
Betting On Heroes Of The Storm At Thunderpick
HotS has certainly faced setbacks since its 2015 release, including the abrupt end of its championship in 2018. But it’s not dead! According to third-party estimates, more than 5 million players actively play the game, and it has its fair share of streamers.
One hope amongst certain HotS fans is that Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision-Blizzard could bring about a resurgence through broader platform availability. Plus, patches and ongoing support suggest a cautious reinvestment in HotS.
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