Heroes of the Storm Patch Adds Brawl Mode, an Assassin, and the Eye Pad

A big patch is now available for Heroes of the Storm, introducing a new character and game mode, among other things.

Today's update adds Samuro, an Assassin who gains movement speed when he attacks. He has the ability to stealth and create mirror images of himself, which can serve as distractions and deal damage. His Heroic abilities allow him to either turn into a whirlwind or gain some additional functionality for his clones.

The more substantial addition is Brawl mode. Like those in Overwatch and Hearthstone, this is a regularly rotating mode that has new rules every week. There will be those with restrictions on what characters can be played, maps that provide different or modified objectives, and mutators that mix things up in other ways.

Some of the examples Blizzard has cited include one where everyone is Sgt. Hammer with her thrusters permanently engaged and the goal is to capture towers, and another where teams race to earn by killing enemies and punishers.

The latter, Punisher Arena, is the first Brawl. By playing in three Brawl matches per week, you'll receive 1,000 gold and a special portrait (Deputy Valla for this first one).

New Halloween content is added with this patch but won't go live until the Hallow's End 2016 event, which runs from October 25 to November 8. The Deputy Valla and Scarecrow Xul skins will go live then, alongside two different Hallow's End bundles. Buying either of the bundles allows you to get the Eye Pad, a new mount that is basically a creepy, floating zerg-looking eye surrounded by spikes.

Two characters have had their prices dropped. Greymane now costs $8.49 or 7,000 gold, while Rexxar is now $6.49 or 4,000 gold.

Finally, there are some new bonuses you're eligible to earn. You'll now get a 25 percent XP bonus when playing with a friend, while playing in a party with other people also nets you bonus XP of up to 50 percent depending on the number of players. (If you play with one friend in a party, you'll still end up getting the same 50 percent bonus as before.) Hero League awards 25 percent bonus XP, while Team League provides 50 percent. Additionally, the first match you win each day will provide an extra 50 percent XP and gold, though matches in Brawl, Custom Games, and Training modes don't count.

Check out the full patch notes on Heroes of the Storm's website.