Heroes of Newerth Enters Open Beta Tomorrow

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Heroes of Newerth has been in closed beta for a long time now, but that all changes tomorrow. The "Defense of the Ancients (DOTA)" hero-arena game will enter open beta tomorrow at 7PM EST/4PM PST.

New heroes and content will be added to the game during open beta, according to publisher and developer S2 Games.

When the open beta launches, players will be able to sign-up without any keys. At this point, players that have pre-purchased the game will get some cosmetic bonuses: gold character name with a gold shield emblem next to it along with the ability to use in-game taunts.

For more information on what the open beta will mean for pre-purchase and closed beta players, keep reading.

    1.) If I pre purchased prior to Open Beta will I still be able to taunt in game and have the golden shield and golden name?

    Yes, those account options will remain with your account (and all subsequently purchased sub accounts) for their lifetime.

    2.) What exactly are these incentives you are giving to pre purchase before the beginning of Open Beta?

    Your nickname will show up as a golden color in chat & game lobbies. You will also have a special golden shield next to your name. Finally, during a match, you may taunt a player (your hero says a funny statement to the enemy) and if you kill them within a short time period of taunting them a global sound and arcade text "SMACKDOWN" is announced game wide.

    3.) I want to pre purchase but the nickname I want is not available. Can I ever change my name?

    Yes, all pre purchased accounts will have 1 nickname change (all existing pre purchases will also be given 1 additional nickname change). 7 days prior to the end of Open Beta and the game going retail (requiring payment to play) we will allow all pre purchased accounts to take the nickname of non pre purchased accounts. In order to successfully secure your name we suggest you pre purchase now!

    4.) Will stats reset for Open Beta? Will there be a stats reset prior to the game going retail?

    We will not be resetting stats during Open Beta but when we end Open Beta and go to retail all stats will be deleted from the game.

    5.) Will I be able to rest my stats after retail launch of the game?

    Yes, we have a reset stats option available on the website and in the game client. This stats reset will cost $20. It is priced to be a deterrent from people intentionally griefing and then just paying to reset their "sins". We priced it $10 short of a new account so that someone can keep their current name but start with a fresh slate.

    6.) If I don't pre purchase the game prior to launch, what happens to my account?

    When Open Beta ends all accounts that did not pre purchase will be purged from the database, this includes your banlist and your friends lists. All pre purchased accounts will keep those lists intact when we go retail.

    7.) Do you feel that your system will be able to support the potential demand of the HoN Open Beta?

    In an effort to control concurrent players during Open Beta due to the tremendous excitement and demand for Heroes of Newerth, we *may* have to throttle new sign ups. In the event that this action is required, when we hit our daily limit, players will have the option to pre purchase the game to have guaranteed access to the Open Beta.

    8.) Will new heroes be added to the game during Open Beta?

    Yes, we have many new heroes (and other content) to add to the game. In fact, look forward to seeing a new hero shortly after the start of Open Beta and a consistent flow of new content thereafter.

    We hope you are as excited about this next step in HoN development as we are and I look forward to seeing you all online.

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From The Chatty
  • reply
    March 30, 2010 5:59 PM

    Too bad the community for this game is absolutely horrible.

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      March 30, 2010 6:18 PM

      Pretty much made me realize how I didn't like online play half as much as I thought...

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      March 30, 2010 10:29 PM

      I play these games all the time, and you'll have no argument from me. I will however note that you can use the /ignore or /mute commands (I forget which ones work in HoN) to stop receiving chat from specific players. You can also click on the chat bubble by player names in the sidebar to mute voice chat from specific players. However, you could still be kick-voted out of the game if your presence is not appreciated...

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      March 30, 2010 11:37 PM

      Makes it all the more rewarding to win a match.

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        March 31, 2010 12:39 AM

        yup, pretty much every other game has a shit talker, so rewarding winning!

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      March 31, 2010 4:35 AM

      ditto, played for a couple minutes a few months back, uninstalled instantly. they can keep this pile.

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      March 31, 2010 6:44 AM

      HoN has such an awesome community that unfortunately it gets a bad rep because of a few horrible players trash talk entry level games and occasionally troll the general section of the forums.

      Seriously take a look at the forums.... A proper look past the general chat rants. The amount of awesome community contributed content. in the way of Mods, Fan-sites, Leagues, Guides that exists for a game just coming out of closed beta is insane.

      There's too many hilarious memes and jokes to list too.

      Great community.

      • reply
        March 31, 2010 1:53 PM

        No, there are a lot of horrible players. I couldn't play a game without having 10 years bitch at me for learning.

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