Heroes of the Storm Gets The Butcher and a Brand New Map

Blizzard's Heroes of the Storm is seeing the release of its first ever expansion pack today. Titled The Eternal Conflict, the Diablo-themed update adds the Battlefield of Eternity two-lane map and a character from the Diablo series of games, The Butcher. 

Players must assume the roles of their chosen immortal characters to do battle across the map. 

To celebrate the release of the expansion, Blizzard has released a video showcasing the Butcher character, a formidable melee assassin whose main ability, Fresh Meat, allows him to consume the blood of any enemies he butchers to increase his attack power. 

Here's what else he has:

(Q) Hamstring – Deal damage and slow enemies in his area.

(W) Butcher's Brand – The Butcher's signature attack and one that anyone using this character must seek to master. The Butcher's Brand ability damages an enemy and leaves them with a demonic mark. When the Butcher attacks any marked target, he will leave damage, as well as heal for 75 percent of the damage inflicted. That amount is doubled against Heroes for a whopping 150 percent heal rate, which means the Butcher can go toe-to-toe with just about anybody and win nearly all one-on-one situations.

(E) Ruthless Onslaught – Taking a page from his Diablo days, the Butcher will slowly charge towards any enemy Hero, causing stun damage when he catches his target.

(R1) Lamb to the Slaughter – The Butcher will raise a pole at a targeted area, which will then latch itself to the nearest enemy Hero. The enemy will then be tethered to that pole, making it impossible to escape. Even Zeratul and Muradin's abilities cannot escape this Ultimate.

(R2) Furnace Blast – The Butcher will take three seconds to prepare a massive blast of fire. Any opposing team member caught over the newly-created furnace grate will get caught in a giant blast and suffer major damage.

He's kind of a big deal.