Deathwing, the big bad of World of Warcraft’s Cataclysm expansion, is coming to Blizzard’s crossover MOBA, Heroes of the Storm. He’s a big, tanky boy and will stand out from Heroes of the Storm’s existing heroes in some intriguing ways.
Deathwing will be larger than the game’s other dragon, Alexstrasza in her dragon form, according to Adam Jackson, live game designer on Heroes of the Storm, and Kyle Dates, hero designer. But unlike Alexstrasza, Deathwing will play in his dragon form exclusively. And he’ll be “permanently unstoppable,” meaning opponents won’t be able to slow his roll.
Allies won’t be able to affect Deathwing either. He cannot be healed by his teammates or cloned by Abathur, for example. Deathwing also can’t ride Heroes of the Storm’s standard mounts. Instead, he flies off the map — where he can heal himself and restore armor plates — and can land anywhere he has visibility. When he lands, players can choose one of two forms: Destroyer or World-breaker. Which form players choose will determine Deathwing’s abilities, which include a lunge, an incinerating breath of flame, and a lava pool that slows enemies.
Deathwing’s heroic ability, Cataclysm, evokes his attack on Azeroth from the World of Warcraft: Cataclysm cinematic. Deathwing will fly over the map, dropping a “flying lava wave” that burns enemies.
In Warcraft lore, Deathwing was the Aspect of Earth, a noble protector of Azeroth. But the whispers of the Old Gods corrupted him, turning him into Deathwing. He showed up in the Warcraft real-time strategy games but really came into focus during the expansion Cataclysm for World of Warcraft, where he served as the final boss. In WoW, he was so big that players had to climb on his back and fight his spine; in HotS he’s been sized down a little to match the map.
