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Heroes of Newerth (HoN) 2.5 Launches Today

Massive Update Debuts Highly Anticipated Mentoring and Spectating Systems

(Kalamazoo, MI) - December 9, 2011 - Independent game developer S2 Games just revealed HoN 2.5 - a highly anticipated massive update to their session-based, multiplayer, action-RPG Heroes of Newerth (HoN). The HoN 2.5 update brings a myriad of features and improvements to the HoN experience, most notably by providing players with the tools necessary to take social interaction and community participation to the next level. With the new fully featured Mentoring and Spectating Systems making their debut, the future of HoN is here.

The Mentoring System has been designed from the ground up to give both new players and experienced players the perfect platform to hone their skills and share their first-hand knowledge of the game with friends. Using the system is like having your very own coaching platform where a mentor can sit down with a pupil 1-on-1 and teach them how to play HoN the way it was always supposed to be played. All the action from the experience is in the hands of the pupil, while the mentor can take advantage of private chat (voice and text) as well as a cursor ping system to guide their pupil to victory. The Mentoring System lowers the barrier to entry for newcomers and creates a launch pad for community-wide training initiatives such as Project Epoch (http://projectepoch.com/forums/), HoN's first-ever mentoring clan, where new players can learn how to play HoN faster than ever.

The Spectating System reinforces the social experience of HoN by allowing players to take advantage of the down time between their HoN matches and jump into their friend's live games as if they're watching a live stream. Gone will be the days of waiting around for friends to finish their matches or abandoning them to start another game. With the Spectating System, players can instantly watch their friend's games in real time and enjoy all the action just like they would from their favorite professional gaming personalities.

In addition to Mentoring and Spectating, players can also expect to see these newly added features and game enhancements in HoN 2.5:

  • Matchmaking Redesign: Enjoy shorter queue times, better matchups, and an overall improved matchmaking experience.
  • New Hero - Shadowblade: A hero with a thousand faces, Shadowblade will challenge even the most skilled players by assuming the roles of and mastering this strength/agility/intelligence jack-of-all-trades.
  • New Alt Avatars: Shadowblade, Female Martyr, and Professor Repulsor all make their alt avatar debut in HoN 2.5.
  • Refer-A-Friend Promotion: Refer a friend and show them the ropes using the new mentoring system to receive the Professor Repulsor Alt Avatar.
  • Aesthetic Enhancement: Experience the battlefield like never before as new trees, creeps, and an overhaul of ambient sounds breathe new life into the HoN experience.

"When we set out to make this update we wanted to revolutionize the way new and experienced players approach the game and remind everyone that HoN is a social experience," said Brad Bowers, Director of Operations of S2 Games. "With Mentoring and Spectating, bringing your friends along with you into battle has never been easier and we are very excited to show off all the new content we've added to the game."

Since its launch in May 2010, HoN has garnered a dedicated following that saw significant growth when the game went Free-to-Play this past August. With more than 2.5 million games played each and every month, there has never been a better time to sign-up and bring the battle to your PC. The team-oriented design of HoN allows for an incredibly deep tactical team-based experience unlike any other. With the HoN 2.5 update, the experience is in a class of its own as players new and old will be able to take advantage of features like Mentoring and Spectating that take the social aspects of the game to new heights.

HoN 2.5 is a free upgrade that will automatically update the next time current HoN players open the game client. New players can sign-up for a free account and take advantage of all the new features by downloading HoN 2.5 at www.heroesofnewerth.com.

About S2 Games

S2 Games is an independent game publisher and developer with a mission to identify, develop, evolve and unleash the future of online multiplayer games. Since its inception in 2003, S2 has been focused on driving innovation into the global online game space, through identifying and solving industry issues, listening closely to its passionate gamer base and incorporating features that gamers truly want.

Active in sponsoring and helping drive many global tournaments, S2 is focused on providing the best online and multiplayer gaming experience, and opportunities for its fans to shine. For more information about S2, please visit http://www.s2games.com.