HOTS Tier List (May 2025) Heroes of the Storm Characters

Welcome to our updated Heroes of the Storm (HOTS) tier list for 2025! In this list, we'll be ranking the best heroes from all roles, making your journey to the Nexus smoother and more enjoyable. Whether you're a casual player looking for some guidance or a seasoned veteran seeking to stay up-to-date, this HOTS tier list has got you covered. We’ve meticulously analyzed multiple factors, such as the hero's win rates, pick rates, and overall team synergy to craft a comprehensive ranking that is sure to help you dominate your opponents. 

The Tier List is broken down into a series of categories, ranging from the almighty S-Tier, with the most powerful and game-changing heroes, all the way down to the LOL-Tier, featuring heroes with a rather niche playstyle or less impact in the current meta. Remember, although tier lists are useful tools, playing heroes that you’re comfortable and skilled with can be just as important to secure victories in HOTS. So without further ado, let’s dive into the best heroes that the Nexus has to offer for 2025!

Also Useful: LoL ARAM Tier List (2025)

What To Look For While Choosing The Right Heroes in HOTS?

Choosing the right heroes in Heroes of the Storm (HOTS) can have a significant impact on your overall gaming experience and your ability to achieve success in matches. To make well-informed choices, take the following factors into consideration:

• Meta Relevance: Pay close attention to the current meta, which refers to the heroes and strategies that are most effective in the game at a particular time. Heroes popular in the meta are often powerful or have game-changing abilities, making them great picks for winning matches.
• Team Composition: Analyze your team's composition and balance it by choosing heroes that can fulfill different roles such as tank, healer, ranged assassin, or bruiser. A well-rounded team composition ensures that your team is able to counter various enemy strategies effectively.
• Map and Objective: Consider the map and its objectives when selecting heroes, as certain characters excel on specific maps or in certain scenarios. For example, some heroes might be great at siege damage, so they can be more effective on maps with a strong siege objective.
• Combo/Synergy Potential: Consider how the heroes you pick work together and interact with other heroes on your team. Hero combinations with good synergy can enhance each other's abilities, giving your team a significant advantage in team fights and overall match control.
• Personal Skill Level: Choose heroes that you feel comfortable playing and are skilled with. Gaining expertise on a small pool of heroes can be more beneficial than trying to master every hero in the game. Over time, you can expand your hero pool as you grow more confident in your abilities.
• Counter-Picking: Evaluate the enemy team's composition and select heroes that can effectively counter their strategy. This can result in shutting down your opponents' top priorities, giving your team a much-needed edge in winning fights.
• Adaptability and Flexibility: Be prepared to switch gears and adjust your hero choices if your current strategies aren't working. Having a diverse hero pool allows you to adapt to a variety of situations and keep up with the ever-changing dynamics of HOTS gameplay.

By considering these factors, you can maximize your chances of success in the Nexus, improve your overall gameplay experience, and have fun while playing Heroes of the Storm.

Also Related: Dota 2 Tier List (2025)

HOTS Tier List (May 2025)

The May 2025 tier list for Heroes of the Storm (HOTS) presents an intriguing reshuffle of characters, driven by the latest patches and emerging meta. It offers players a guide to understanding the strength and viability of different heroes, helping them optimize their strategies for competitive play.

HOTS S Tier List 2025: The Unstoppable Forces

The S-Tier heroes are the cream of the crop in the Nexus, excelling in their respective roles and shining in virtually any situation. With high win rates and a considerable impact on matches, these heroes have undoubtedly earned their place at the top. 

• Diablo
• Mephisto
• Johanna
• E.T.C.
• Cassia

HOTS A Tier List 2025: Top Contenders

Not quite reaching the heights of the S-Tier, A-Tier heroes still pack a punch and perform exceptionally in most matches. These heroes are versatile, powerful, and can often turn the tides of battle. 

• Tracer
• Tassadar
• Sylvanas
• Thrall
• Lúcio
• Abathur
• Blaze
• Jaina
• Deckard
• Mei
• Falstad
• Mal’Ganis
• Xul
• Greymane
• Stukov
• Yrel
• Ragnaros
• Garrosh
• Orphea
• Samuro
• Kael’thas

HOTS B Tier List 2025: The Solid, Reliable Picks

B-Tier heroes are well-rounded and dependable, providing a consistently good performance in matches. Although they might not be as game-changing as higher-tier heroes, they still contribute significantly to their team's success.

• Alexstrasza
• Zul’jin
• Hanzo
• Lt. Morales
• Tychus
• Artanis
• Alarak
• Zeratul
• Lunara
• Nazeebo
• Raynor
• Auriel
• Ana
• Anduin
• Sgt. Hammer
• Junkrat
• Gazlowe
• Varian
• Anub’arak
• Zarya

HOTS C Tier List 2025: Situational and Niche Picks

C-Tier heroes excel in specific circumstances but may struggle to be effective without the right team composition or map. They require knowledge and practice to be utilized optimally; however, in the right hands, they can prove to be surprisingly potent. 

• Kerrigan
• Deathwing
• Li Li
• Brightwing
• Maiev
• Muradin
• Valla
• Arthas
• Chromie
• Sonya
• Malfurion
• Rehgar
• Tyrande
• Leoric
• Dehaka
• Varian
• Zagara
• Whitemane
• Cain

HOTS D Tier List 2025: The Underdogs

The D-Tier heroes typically require more effort and skill to be effective on the battlefield. They may have niche roles or be overshadowed by heroes from higher tiers. Nonetheless, in the hands of a skilled player, these underdogs may still surprise you.

• Malthael
• Rehgar
• Leoric
• Gul'dan
• Whitemane
• Chromie
• Maiev
• Cain
• Sonya
• Qhira

HOTS LOL Tier List 2025: The Oddballs and Specialists

Finally, the LOL-Tier heroes are the unconventional picks you'll rarely see dominate in the current meta. These heroes often have a highly specific playstyle, and while they offer unique abilities and strategies, they generally fall short compared to the higher-tier picks. 

• Li-Ming
• Chen
• Kel'Thuzad
• Uther
• Azmodan
• Imperius

HOTS Ranged Assassin List 2025- Carrying Your Team from Afar

Heroes in the Ranged Assassin class excel at dealing damage from a distance, making them crucial to any team composition. With their powerful abilities, they can burst down enemies and control the battlefield. 

• Cassia and Mephisto (S-Tier)
• Falstad, Tassadar, Fenix, Sylvanas, Tracer, Jaina, Greymane, and Orphea (A-Tier). 

HOTS Tank List 2025- Be the Immovable Fortress

Tanks are the frontline warriors of any team, using their high health pools and crowd control abilities to create space and protect their allies. Commanding presence and resilience are what make these heroes invaluable. 

• Diablo, Johanna, and E.T.C (S-Tier)
• Garrosh, Mal’Ganis, Mei, and Blaze (A-Tier).

HOTS Healer List 2025- Your Allies' Guardian Angel

Healers focus on keeping their team alive through powerful healing and supporting abilities. They often have utility skills that can change the tide of battles, such as crowd control or disrupting the enemy team. Lúcio and Deckard (A-Tier) 

• Lt. Morales, Auriel, Alexstrasza, Anduin, Ana, and Malfurion (B-Tier and C-Tier).

HOTS Bruizer List 2025- The Versatile Front-line Brawlers

Bruizers offer a mix of damage and survivability, making them a great option for solo laning and skirmishes. With a penchant for dishing out punishment, they provide a reliable presence on the battlefield. 

• Ragnaros, Xul, and Yrel(A-Tier
• Artanis, Thrall, and Varian(B-Tier) 
• Dehaka, Leoric, and Sonya(C-Tier).

HOTS Support List 2025- Empower Your Team

Support heroes offer a range of utility options that can assist their team with additional protection, buffs, or even summoning minions. Being incredibly adaptive, they can fill in the gaps left by other roles.

• Zarya(B-Tier).

HOTS Melee Assassin List 2025- Deadly Close-combat Specialists

Melee Assassins are fearsome damage dealers, capable of swiftly eliminating high-priority targets. With their burst potential and strong mobility, they can wreak havoc on enemy backlines. 

• Samuro(A-Tier)
• Alarak, Zeratul, Gazlowe, Qhira, and Maiev(B, C, and D-Tier)

HOTS Heroes Explained

In this section, we delve into the individual strengths and weaknesses of each character. This analysis will assist players in honing their gameplay, by providing insights into optimal use cases for every hero and highlighting potential pitfalls to avoid.

1. Cassia (Ranged Assassin)

Cassia is well-suited for players with good positioning and can dish out damage consistently while surviving enemy attacks, thanks to her high survivability.

Pros: Great poke damage, strong AoE capabilities, high survivability

Cons: Short auto-attack range, vulnerable to crowd-control effects

Choose: If you need a consistent damage dealer

Avoid: If the enemy has heavy crowd-control

2. Diablo (Tank)

Diablo is perfect for players that enjoy an aggressive tank playstyle and a good initiator, but be mindful of %-based damage dealers.

Pros: Strong crowd-control abilities, high health pool, excellent initiator

Cons: Vulnerable to %-based damage, has to manage his trait stacks to be effective

Choose: If your team needs a reliable frontliner

Avoid: If the enemy has a Tychus or Malthael

3. Johanna (Tank)

Johanna is for players that want a well-rounded tank to hold the frontline, but she might not be the best choice for major engagements.

Pros: Great wave-clear, strong crowd-control, damage mitigation with her trait

Cons: Lacks initiation capabilities, less damage output than other tanks

Choose: If you need a tank that can hold its own

Avoid: If your team needs strong engagements

4. E.T.C. (Tank)

E.T.C. is ideal for players that prioritize coordination and team play. Be cautious about the enemy team's potential Mosh Pit interrupts.

Pros: Excellent crowd-control, versatile with different builds, a global presence with Stage Dive

Cons: Relatively low health pool, easily interrupted Mosh Pit

Choose: In a strong coordination-focused team

Avoid: If the enemy has plenty of interrupts

5. Mephisto (Ranged Assassin)

Mephisto is perfect for poking down the enemy team while kiting around them. Players should make sure to maintain good positioning and avoid unnecessary risks.

Pros: High AoE damage, excellent poke potential, self-sustain with trait

Cons: Reliant on positioning, easily punished if caught without teleport

Choose: If your team needs consistent magic damage

Avoid: If you have difficulty positioning correctly

6. Garrosh (Tank)

Garrosh is well-suited for players who want to control the battlefield with his displacement abilities. Remember to coordinate with your team to capitalize on displaced enemies.

Pros: Strong displacement abilities, excellent frontliner, high damage reduction with trait

Cons: Lacks mobility, vulnerable to ranged poke

Choose: When your team has good follow-up for displaced enemies

Avoid: If the enemy has strong ranged poke

7. Falstad (Ranged Assassin)

Falstad is for players who enjoy a high-skill cap ranged assassin with a global presence and the ability to make game-changing plays with well-timed skill shots.

Pros: Global presence, strong poke, good burst damage

Cons: Squishy, vulnerable to divers, high skill cap with skill shots

Choose: When your team needs a ranged assassin with a global presence

Avoid: If you can't land skill shots consistently

8. Tassadar (Ranged Assassin)

Tassadar is ideal for players that want a ranged assassin with versatile damage output capabilities. Good positioning is crucial to ensure you maximize your potential.

Pros: Excellent wave clear, burst and sustained damage, self-sustain with lifesteal

Cons: Dependent on good positioning, vulnerable to crowd control

Choose: If your team needs versatile damage output

Avoid: If you struggle with positioning and dodging enemy skill shots

9. Abathur (Support)

Abathur is perfect for strategic-minded players who wish to support their team indirectly, but remember to have good map awareness and avoid enemy ganks on your body.

Pros: Global presence through Symbiote, split push potential, flexible talent choices

Cons: Less direct combat presence, vulnerable to ganks, requires good map awareness

Choose: When your team can 4v5

Avoid: If your team lacks map awareness

10. Ragnaros (Bruiser)

Ragnaros is suited for players who want a potent solo-laner with a strong map presence. Mastering positioning and avoiding crowd control is key to your success.

Pros: Excellent wave-clear, strong duelist, a unique trait with Molten Core

Cons: Melee mage, requires good positioning, susceptible to crowd control

Choose: If you need a powerful split pusher, off-lane duelist

Avoid: If the enemy has strong crowd control

11. Lúcio (Healer)

Lúcio is perfect for players looking for a healer with high mobility support capabilities. Proper positioning to maximize your Aura's effectiveness is essential.

Pros: Outstanding mobility, consistent healing, strong utility with speed boosts

Cons: Lower healing output than other healers, requires good positioning

Choose: If your team benefits from mobility and consistent healing

Avoid: If your team needs burst healing or cleanse

12. Fenix (Ranged Assassin)

Fenix is for players that want a ranged assassin with high sustained damage output potential. Be cautious of enemy divers and crowd control effects.

Pros: Excellent sustained damage, strong wave-clear, good self-sustain

Cons: Limited burst damage, vulnerable to crowd-control

Choose: If your team needs consistent ranged damage

Avoid: If the enemy has heavy dive and crowd control

13. Xul (Bruiser)

Xul is suitable for players who prefer a versatile bruiser with powerful wave-clear capabilities. Focus on pushing lanes and selective engagements in team fights.

Pros: Great wave-clear, solid crowd-control, strong self-sustain

Cons: Melee range, susceptible to kiting, less impactful in team fights

Choose: If you need a strong split pusher and duelist

Avoid: If your team requires heavy front-line presence

14. Deckard (Healer)

Deckard is excellent for players focusing on strategic location-based healing and zoning control. Keeping an eye on your potion placement is important for effectiveness.

Pros: Strong area-of-effect healing, versatile crowd-control options, good zoning control

Cons: Reliant on teammates to utilize potions efficiently, vulnerable to dives

Choose: When your team can utilize potions effectively and benefits from zoning

Avoid: If you're constantly being dove by the enemy

15. Sylvanas (Ranged Assassin)

Sylvanas is suitable for players who want to push lanes and excel in macro play. Be cautious and position yourself well and avoid enemy divers.

Pros: Good siege potential, crowd-control capabilities, versatile talent choices

Cons: Needs good positioning, susceptible to crowd control and dive

Choose: If your team aims to prioritize macro play

Avoid: If the enemy team has heavy frontline pressure or dive potential

16. Tracer (Ranged Assassin)

Tracer is ideal for players who enjoy high-mobility assassins who can chase down targets. Maintain safe distance and avoid engaging when enemy CC is available.

Pros: Exceptional mobility, high burst damage, good single-target focus

Cons: Squishy, reliant on accurate skill shots, low wave-clear

Choose: When your team has good lockdown to secure kills

Avoid: If the enemy team has strong crowd-control or burst damage

17. Mal'Ganis (Tank)

Mal'Ganis is great for players who prefer aggressive tank playstyles with strong self-sustain. Be careful of enemies who can burst or kite you effectively.

Pros: Strong self-sustain, powerful crowd-control, good durability

Cons: Vulnerable to burst damage, easily kited, reliant on abilities for survivability

Choose: When your team excels in sustaining prolonged fights

Avoid: If enemies can burst you down quickly

18. Yrel (Bruiser)

Yrel is suited for players seeking a mobile bruiser capable of aggressive engagements. Be aware of enemy interrupts and manage your mana pool efficiently.

Pros: Powerful sustain, excellent mobility, strong peeling

Cons: Long ability wind-up, susceptible to interrupts, mana-intensive

Choose: When your team excels in aggressive engagements

Avoid: Facing enemies with consistent interrupts

19. Thrall (Bruiser)

Thrall is perfect for players who excel at skill shots and enjoy versatile bruisers with strong poke potential. Master your skill shots to maximize your healing.

Pros: Strong poke damage, self-sustain, good crowd-control with Feral Spirit

Cons: Reliant on landing abilities for healing, susceptible to kiting

Choose: If you need a versatile bruiser that can poke and frontline

Avoid: If you struggle with landing skill shots

20. Mei (Tank)

Mei is well-suited for players seeking a tank with powerful CC and disruption abilities. Focus on zoning and control in team fights.

Pros: Strong crowd-control, good survivability, disruptive in team fights

Cons: Lower damage compared to other tanks, limited initiation abilities

Choose: When your team needs strong crowd-control and zoning

Avoid: If your team lacks damage or initiation

21. Jaina (Ranged Assassin)

Jaina works for players who excel with burst-focused mages. Be mindful of your positioning and skill-shot accuracy to dish out maximum damage.

Pros: High burst damage, strong crowd control, good wave-clear

Cons: Poor mobility, reliant on landing skill shots, mana-intensive

Choose: For a capable burst damage dealer

Avoid: If the enemy team has strong dive potential or mobility

22. Greymane (Ranged Assassin)

Greymane fits players who prefer flexible assassins able to adapt to various situations. Keep an eye on your health and engage wisely.

Pros: High burst potential, versatile build paths, strong wave-clear

Cons: Low self-sustain, riskier gameplay due to melee/ranged hybrid

Choose: For a flexible damage dealer with strong finishing potential

Avoid: If your team requires more self-sustain or ranged poke

23. Orphea (Ranged Assassin)

Orphea works best for players wanting a high skill-cap mage with versatile damage output. Mastering combos and positioning is crucial for success.

Pros: Strong burst and sustained damage, self-sustain through trait, good mobility

Cons: Requires good positioning, higher skill cap, reliant on landing combos

Choose: When your team needs both burst and sustained damage output

Avoid: If you struggle with landing skill shots and positioning

24. Blaze (Tank)

Blaze suits players looking for tanky front-liners with powerful crowd-control and zoning capabilities. Be cautious of enemy %-based damage dealers.

Pros: Strong zoning and wave-clear, excellent self-sustain, good crowd-control

Cons: Slow initiation, vulnerable to %-based damage

Choose: When your team requires a tank with strong sustain and zoning

Avoid: If your team needs fast initiation

25. Samuro (Melee Assassin)

Samuro is ideal for players looking to create map pressure and eliminate isolated targets. Master the use of illusions and map awareness for maximum impact.

Pros: High single-target damage, excellent mobility with illusions, strong split-pushing

Cons: Low team fight presence, susceptible to reveal and AoE damage

Choose: For a high-pressure split pusher and single-target assassin

Avoid: When your team needs strong team fighting assassins

26. Stukov (Healer)

Stukov works best for players that enjoy a healer with a mix of heavy healing and crowd-control. Make sure to utilize your healing pathogen effectively.

Pros: Potent healing, strong crowd-control options, excellent zoning

Cons: Relies on effective healing pathogen spread, lacks burst healing

Choose: When your team needs strong area-of-effect healing and zoning

Avoid: If your team requires burst healing or cleanse

27. Kael'thas (Ranged Assassin)

Kael'thas suits players enjoying high burst mages with good crowd control. Be cautious of enemy dive and pay attention to your positioning.

Pros: High burst damage, strong crowd-control with Gravity Lapse, good zoning with Phoenix

Cons: Susceptible to dive, reliant on positioning, high skill cap

Choose: When your team needs a heavy burst damage dealer

Avoid: Against aggressive dive-based enemy compositions

28. Varian (Bruiser)

Varian is perfect for players seeking a flexible bruiser capable of adapting to different situations. Keep in mind Varian's power peaks mid-to-late game.

Pros: Versatile build paths, strong single-target lockdown, decent self-sustain

Cons: Mediocre wave-clear, lacking early game power

Choose: For a flexible bruiser to adapt to the enemy team composition

Avoid: When your team needs a strong early game presence

29. Nazeebo (Ranged Assassin)

Nazeebo is a great fit for players seeking a powerful late-game mage. Focus on stacking and positioning effectively during the early game.

Pros: Potent late-game damage, strong zone control, good wave-clear

Cons: Weak early game, lacks mobility, reliant on stacking

Choose: When your team aims to reach late-game power

Avoid: In compositions requiring early game aggression

30. Zarya (Support)

Zarya works best for players seeking a versatile support hero that can protect and enable teammates. Timely shield usage is the key to maximizing effectiveness.

Pros: Strong utility with shields, great sustained damage, versatile utility-focused talent choices

Cons: Low healing potential, reliant on precise shield timings, mana-dependent

Choose: When your team benefits from additional protection and utility

Avoid: If your team requires more healing power

How To Get Better at HOTS?

Improving your skills in Heroes of the Storm (HOTS) requires a combination of practice, knowledge, and self-reflection. Here are some tips on how to get better at HOTS:

• Play regularly: Consistently playing HOTS is essential for refining your skills and familiarizing yourself with the game mechanics. Regular playtime helps develop muscle memory, map awareness, and overall game sense.
• Master multiple heroes: Becoming proficient with a diverse range of heroes improves your adaptability during the draft phase and ensures you can fill vital roles within your team's composition. Start with heroes from each role (Tank, Support, Healer, Bruiser, and Assassin) to gain a better understanding of each character's unique strengths and abilities.
• Learn from others: Watching and analyzing professional players or streamers is an excellent way to pick up on advanced tactics and strategies. Observe how they position themselves in teamfights, coordinate with teammates, and make decisions throughout a match.
• Communicate with your team: Communication is key in HOTS, as team coordination often determines victory or defeat. Communicate your intentions, share information about enemy positions, and collaborate on objectives. Using voice chat or in-game pings helps ensure your team is always on the same page.
• Map awareness: Develop your map awareness by consistently checking the minimap and tracking your teammates' locations and enemy movements. This heightened sense of awareness enables you to make well-informed decisions, such as when to engage in teamfights or when to retreat.
• Focus on objectives: HOTS is heavily objective-based and mastering these objectives can often lead to victory. Prioritize completing map objectives and coordinating with your team to maximize their effectiveness.
• Understand the meta: Familiarize yourself with the current meta, including which heroes are strong and which strategies are popular. Stay updated with patch notes and tier lists to get a sense of which heroes excel in-game.
• Review your gameplay: Analyzing your replays and identifying your mistakes is an essential part of improvement. Recognize patterns in your gameplay that lead to losses and work on correcting those weaknesses.
• Stay positive and learn from defeats: Maintaining a positive attitude and learning from your losses will help you grow as a player. Instead of blaming teammates, focus on areas where you can improve and apply those lessons in future games.
• Practice, practice, practice: Ultimately, the more time and effort you invest in HOTS, the better you'll become. Continuously challenge yourself and remain dedicated to refining your skills.

How To Unlock Heroes in HOTS?

Unlocking heroes in Heroes of the Storm (HOTS) is a straightforward process. There are multiple ways to add new characters to your collection, which we've outlined below:

• Gold: As you play games, complete daily quests, and level up both individual heroes and your player profile, you'll earn in-game gold. You can use gold to unlock heroes directly from the in-game store. Each hero has its own gold price, usually ranging from 2,000 to 15,000 gold. The price typically depends on how recently the hero was released or the level of complexity of the hero's playstyle.
• Gems: Gems are another form of in-game currency that can be earned through leveling up and participating in certain in-game events. You can also purchase gems with real money. Gems allow you to purchase heroes from the in-game store directly, much like gold. Additionally, gems can be used to buy hero bundles (which contain several heroes together at a discounted price), skins, and mounts, as well as various promotions and sales that are periodically offered.
• Hero Rotation: Every week, Blizzard selects a group of free-to-play heroes that you can play without needing to unlock them. This free Hero Rotation is an excellent opportunity for you to try out different heroes before deciding which ones you'd like to add permanently to your collection.
• Starter Packs & Bundles: Occasionally, Heroes of the Storm offers Starter Packs or specific bundles that include multiple heroes. These bundles can be purchased with gems and usually come at a discounted price compared to unlocking the heroes individually. Such bundles may include exclusive mounts or skins as a bonus.
• In-game Events & Promotions: Keep an eye out for in-game events, seasonal promotions, and special offers that may include hero giveaways or discounted prices. These offers are time-limited and provide an excellent opportunity to expand your hero collection.

By taking advantage of these methods, you'll gradually grow your roster of heroes and enhance your gameplay experience in Heroes of the Storm.

Also Check: Smite Tier List (2025)

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

In conclusion, our HOTS Tier List for 2025 is designed to help you make informed decisions on the best heroes to master, providing you with insight on each hero's performance and potential contribution to a successful match. Keep in mind that the ever-changing nature of the game, including balance updates and new hero releases, might influence the relevance of this list over time. As such, we'll continually update it to ensure you're always equipped for success in the Nexus.

Most importantly, it's essential to remember that while tier lists can provide valuable guidance, your personal enjoyment and comfort with specific heroes should not be overlooked. In the end, Heroes of the Storm is a game, and having fun while improving your skills with your preferred heroes is ultimately the best way to achieve victory. So go ahead – choose your favorite heroes from our Tier List or defy the meta, and conquer the Nexus with friends or solo. Good luck, and may your battles be epic and rewarding!