Once again, Blizzard has begun to tease us with a cryptic tweet about a possible new hero for their popular MOBA, Heroes of the Storm. The tweet, which was an art image of minions being thrown back by a force that used green energy, quickly circulated around the web, causing many to throw out guesses as to who the new hero would be. Well, Blizzard has put all of them to rest, as they have officially announced that Mal’Ganis, the Dreadlord of Warcraft III, will be the newest hero to join the Nexus.

At long last, the manipulative dreadlord Mal’Ganis, deceiver of Arthas, is ready to put into motion his plans for the ripe, unsuspecting Nexus. pic.twitter.com/2LmwJBh922

— Heroes of the Storm (@BlizzHeroes) October 8, 2018

Fans of the Warcraft Universe will instantly recognize Mal’Ganis as the catalyst of one of the most famous/infamous events in Warcraft lore, bringing Arthas Menethil into the Lich Kings service, and in turn starting his path to becoming its greatest champion. This led to Arthas eventually finding the sword Frostmourne, beginning a reign of terror the likes of which Azeroth had never seen before. Mal’Ganis will be the newest Warrior to join Heroes of the Storm, which means he’ll be expected to be at the forefront of most battles, soaking up damage for the team as they set up attacks and heals. However, Mal’Ganis’s abilities make him unique among Warrior Heroes. Whereas most Warriors are required to “tank” for their team, Mal’Ganis looks like he’ll be able to solo-lane on his own for long periods of matches.

His Trait ability, Vampiric Touch, heals him as he attacks players and minions, meaning that he can regain health just on basic attacks alone without the aid of an ability. Speaking of abilities, Mal’Ganis’ appear to be truly frightening to opposing players. The most notable of these is Night Rush, where Mal’Ganis gains 50% movement speed for 2 seconds. While this is active, Mal’Ganis can hit enemy heroes, and if he does, they are put to sleep for 2.5 seconds. His Heroic abilities are no laughing matter either. The first one, Carrion Swarm, transforms Mal’Ganis into a swarm of bats, dealing damage to any enemy in the immediate area, while also healing Mal’Ganis for 100% of the damage done. The second one, Dark Conversion, is where he truly shines on the battlefield. Mal’Ganis targets an enemy hero then swaps health percentages with them over 3 seconds, meaning Mal’Ganis can trade his low health with an enemy player that has high health. An ability of this magnitude can change the outcome of a team/solo fight in an instant.

Blizzard did not state when Mal’Ganis would be available to play in Heroes of the Storm, but it’s more than likely that we will see him sometime after the Fall of the Kings Crest event. Mal’Ganis is available to play in the Public Test Region (PTR) for those who want to try him out before he goes live.

You can check out the Mal’Ganis reveal trailer here: