Somehow, Heroes of Newerth returned: One of the first standalone MOBAs is back, but fans are mixed on its new look and bizarre launcher

The progenitor MOBAs—RTS mods like Aeon of Strife and Defense of the Ancients—had something sensational on their hands, but it took awhile for the whole thing to catch on. In 2010, before League of Legends and Dota 2 had become the esports institutions they are now, there was Heroes of Newerth. Before it shut down in 2022, it was a relic of a time when MOBAs hadn't really proved their staying power yet; and now, somehow, it's back.

First announced nine months ago, Heroes of Newerth: Reborn is a relaunch-slash-remaster of the defunct MOBA. A trailer dropped Wednesday announcing a free open beta starting on Nov. 11, and it certainly looks like HoN. While League of Legends was a fully original game with its own heroes and items, HoN was much closer to DotA (albeit with a trashier sense of humor). In May 2010, Dota was still just an old Warcraft 3 mod, so HoN had its niche among players who didn't like League's snappier, skill shot-oriented action.

All this makes the re-release sort of a headscratcher for any outside of Newerth's niche fanbase. If you long to play Dota, it's one of the biggest games on Steam—a platform Reborn is completely forgoing in favor of Juvio. If you're wondering what Juvio is, you're not alone.

I searched Google for Juvio, and the first result was Heroes of Newerth: Reborn, which isn't a great sign. But after scrolling a little further, I discovered it's a nascent storefront that promises "tools to discover, competition and trade." There's also an explainer graphic at the bottom of the page labeled "make money," which compelled me to take a closer look.

As explained on Juvio's create page, custom mapmakers are invited to use HoN: Reborn's engine to publish games on the platform and sell it (or content within the game) in exchange for a digital fixed-value currency called Jade. The Juvio website states Jade can be exchanged for "real currencies." As I understand it, it's essentially a custom games browser as a monetized marketplace a la Roblox.

And if that weren't enough, Heroes of Newerth fans don't seem thrilled with the revival. It's in closed testing right now, and recent Reddit threads are full of feedback ranging from the lukewarm to the inconsolable. Many commenters compared it negatively to Project Kongor, a fan-run version of classic Newerth.

"It's not better mechanically, it's negligibly better visually, and looks like a HoN version of LoL," commented Reddit user JadedProduct9068. "So, why invest the time into it? Because we have no choice come release time." Fellow commenter TeflonJon_ concurred: "I just wish they didn’t slow it down to feel like LoL or DOTA—the old move speed, turn speed, attack animations, etc., were all crisper and quicker and it felt far more intense."

Commenter Kaspar70 didn't mince words: "It's complete garbage compared to Project Kongor. I understand it's still in beta but the regression from PK is insane."

If you're keen to give Heroes of Newerth: Reborn a try, you can sign up for the closed test on its website until open beta starts Nov 11.