The Eternal Conflict is an extended multiweek event that brings epic new Heroes, Battlegrounds, and more to Blizzard's free-to-play team brawler

The Butcher and other legendary characters from Diablo^® III enter the Nexus to continue the war over the High Heavens and the Burning Hells

IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Since the Nexus portal opened on June 2, millions of players around the world have stormed the battlegrounds* as powerful heroes of light, menacing agents of darkness, egg-laying baby amphibians, and stage-diving tauren. Now, Heroes of the Storm^™ invites players to take sides in a war that has been waged between demons and angels since time immemorial—the Eternal Conflict!

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The Eternal Conflict is an epic, multiweek in-game event that expands Heroes of the Storm into a whole new realm. In addition to bolstering the game's playable roster of Heroes with three new characters from the Diablo^® universe, the war between immortals heralds a variety of Diablo-themed character skins and mounts and opens the gates to two thrilling new Battlegrounds, starting with the Battlefield of Eternity. During the event, players should also be on the lookout for those infamous battlefield scavengers, the Treasure Goblins. Heroes who manage to track down these thieving creatures and eliminate them before a match will receive an in-game gold reward for their efforts.

"We're excited to bring the world of Diablo deeper into the Nexus and introduce our first Battleground based on an existing universe," said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. "Players are in for a hellishly good time with the Butcher and other Heroes on the Battlefield of Eternity, and we can't wait to add more Diablo-themed content to Heroes of the Storm as the Eternal Conflict wages on."

Conquer the Battlefield of Eternity

Taking place at the shifting borderland between the High Heavens and the Burning Hells, the Battlefield of Eternity is the first Heroes of the Storm Battleground located within one of Blizzard's established universes. As agents of supreme forces fighting for the fate of all creation, heroes will need to defend their core and attack the enemy while supporting their mighty Immortal, a massive angel—or demon—duking it out against their counterpart in the center of the map. Available in-game starting today, this Battleground features unique themed mercenaries such as Fallen shaman and Khazra impalers with Battleground-specific powers.

Master a Host of New Heroes

The forces of light and darkness will stop at nothing to emerge victorious, so they're sending their most capable heroes into the Nexus. Johanna, the heavily armored Crusader, has established herself as one of the Nexus's most stalwart Warriors, but today she faces a familiar foe—a bloodthirsty demon known as The Butcher. Despite his formidable bulk, the Butcher is a damage-dealing melee Assassin who gains strength by gathering "fresh meat" from the remains of his fallen enemies. The Butcher's Brand ability debuffs enemies so that he gains life with each attack, and he can also bring Lambs to the Slaughter, chaining his hapless victims to a post for the four longest seconds of their puny lives.

Leoric, the Mad King of Khanduras—best known to Diablo players as the Skeleton King—will be the next Warrior to enter the Nexus in the weeks ahead. Notoriously bad at staying dead, whenever Leoric is put down he will rise as a wraith to continue haunting his enemies. In this ghostly form, his attacks slow his enemies and accelerate his return to the mortal realm—until he eventually reforms at the location of his wraith.

Leoric will eventually have to face the next nephalem to heed the Nexus's call—the Monk. The Monk is a mobile, versatile melee Support hero who can heal allies and choose between two hero-defining Traits to fulfill the needs of his team. Stay tuned to www.heroesofthestorm.com for more details on the Monk and other aspects of the Eternal Conflict in the weeks ahead.

What in the Burning Hells Is Heroes of the Storm?

Heroes of the Storm is a free-to-play online team brawler that brings together a diverse cast of iconic characters from Blizzard's far-flung realms of science fiction and fantasy, including the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo universes, and challenges them to compete in epic, adrenaline-charged battles. Players can choose from dozens of Blizzard heroes and customize them to suit their play style, and then team up with friends to fight across eight dynamic Battlegrounds—with more heroes and Battlegrounds on the way. The game features a variety of gameplay modes for players of every skill level, including a Versus A.I. mode, in which players face computer-controlled opponents, and highly competitive draft-style ranked play.

Heroes of the Storm is available for Windows^® and Mac^® PC and has received a Teen rating from the ESRB. Visit www.heroesofthestorm.com to learn more, download the game free, and jump into battle!

With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

For screenshots, artwork, and other media, visit http://blizzard.gamespress.com/Heroes-of-the-Storm.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft^® and the Warcraft^®, StarCraft^®, and Diablo^® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry's most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment's track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company's online-gaming service, Battle.net^®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:

Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including details about upcoming content for Heroes of the Storm, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

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Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
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Source: Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

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