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Blizzard announces Infernal Shrines map for Heroes of the Storm

New Heroes Rexxar and Artanis are on their way too.

Blizzard has announced a new Heroes of the Storm battleground during its media briefing at Gamescom this morning.

As the name suggests, Infernal Shrines features a trio of shrines which summon skeletons over time. The first team that manages to kill 30 of these crusty old creatures will enjoy the benefits of a summoned character called a Punisher. The Punisher comes in a handful of flavours, and has a taste for stunning, then obliterating enemy Heroes.

Cover image for YouTube videoIn Development: New Battleground – Infernal Shrines

On the subject of Heroes, two new playable characters were revealed for the game as well. Rexxar, Warcraft's Hunter extraordinaire, is a ranged Warrior who brings the benefit of a beast into battle. His pet Misha doesn't require any micro-management on the player's part, and will generally attack whatever they happen to be getting stuck into.

Rexxar's abilities include Spirit Swoop, which sends a hawk out to cut through enemy lines, a charge ability for Misha which stuns opponents, and a healing ability to keep Rexxar's faithful friend alive. The first of Rexxar's Heroic abilities is called Unleash the Boars, and sends a pack of beasts out to slow down enemies and highlight them for the team. Bestial Wrath, on the other hand, provides a massive boost to Misha's damage output.

There was less hard information on the game's second new upcoming Hero Artanis, a warrior who hails from the StarCraft universe. He's still under development, but packs a pair of blades for battle and can dish out a lot of damage for his class, albeit at the expense of mobility.

Diablo 3's Kharazim, the Monk Hero announced at the PC Games Show during E3 back in June, has a new video which you can view below.

Cover image for YouTube videoHeroes of the Storm – Kharazim Trailer