Many a schoolyard fight has broken out over who would win in a fight if the forces of Starcraft were pitted against the spell slinging, axe wielding bunch from Warcraft. For a time, these fanboy arguments could only be solved via intense debate and perhaps physical violence, but the release of Blizzard’s acclaimed Multiplayer Online Battle Arena game Heroes of the Storm will finally allow fans to put these debates to rest.

After undergoing rigorous play testing during a highly successful closed beta, Blizzard has finally announced the Heroes of the Storm release date: June 2nd. While close to 9 million people signed up for the closed beta, this release will finally allow the masses to try the game fans have been raving about.

With Heroes of the Storm, Blizzard is seeking to make a game that can prove a good introduction to the often difficult to break into MOBA scene, while appeasing MOBA veterans with plenty of modes and gameplay tweaks. The game, which is to be free-to-play with optional micro-transactions, allows fans to either jump right into the action with the “quick match” mode, or form teams and fight for supremacy in the highly competitive ranked play mode. Blizzard has emphasized that Heroes of the Storm was designed to be accessible and fun, so the game will have plenty to offer no matter the skill set of the player.

Like any MOBA worth it’s salt, Heroes of the Storm is launching with plenty of characters, several battlegrounds, and plenty of skins for the hardcore fans. Heroes of the Storm will come out of the gate with 30 characters, including representatives from series such as Diablo, Warcraft, Starcraft, and even more obscure fan favorites such as SNES puzzle platformer stars The Lost Vikings.

To celebrate the launch of the title, Blizzard announced that a special live-stream event will be broadcast from London on June 1st, with details about this special event to be revealed later. For fans eager to see the game in action before it launches, Blizzard has been running a collegiate eSports competition titled Heroes of the Dorm, with the best college players duking it out for the title of best in the world. The tournament has proven so successful that the championship match will be broadcast on April 26th live on ESPN.

While terms like “easy-to-use” and “accessible” may make some veteran MOBA players nervous, Heroes of the Storm is shaping up to be a world class MOBA that allows players of all skill sets to enjoy it. But with the Heroes of the Storm release date right around the corner and competition in the form of the incredibly popular League of Legends and Dota 2, it stands to be seen if Heroes of the Storm will be able to hold it’s own.

Heroes of the Storm releases June 2, 2015 for PC.

Source: Heroes of the Storm