Hogg Wild (E) and Loot Hoard (Trait D) were the foundation of the character and they were immediately fun, so the rest of the kit formed around them. Other than fiddling with numbers, they’ve remained mostly the same through Hogger’s development. Staggering Blow (Q) went through many different iterations before it settled on the arc that it is now. At first, it was channeled to unleash three strikes forward in quick succession, with the 3rd hit stunning and dealing bonus damage. We also tried having the stun only occur on the outer edge of the AoE, but ultimately, we enjoyed the ability more when it meshed well with his Loot Hoard. EZ-Thro Dynamite was also mostly unchanged since its first implementation, but for a long time it was usable during Hogg Wild (E). There was an early talent that drastically reduced its cooldown when used this way which made for some insane chaotic moments. Early on, Hogger used an energy resource system to fuel his abilities, but that didn’t quite capture his brutal chaotic vibe, so we switched to the Rage resource. It felt appropriate that the longer Hogger is able to beat on his enemies, the more beatings he can administer.

Early on we did discuss whether to push him into an Assassin role since he was burst-y and didn’t have the survivability tools that most Bruisers had, but once talents solidified a bit we knew Bruiser was going to be right for him. Hogger is a big burly bully, it didn’t make sense for him to be a fragile “all-in” character.

I think the Bruiser meta is the healthiest it has ever been and Hogger can go toe-to-toe with the best of them! He’s going to teach players to stay away from walls and to avoid tight chokepoints.

I think everyone who rolled a Human character back in the day has that fateful moment when they realize this unassuming elite mob is way too strong for them to handle alone. By the time you realize you’re no match, Hogger is thinking how best to eat you. We want Hogger players to isolate and prey on exposed heroes and he’s got plenty of tools to do exactly that. Staggering Blow (Q) is fast and punishes enemies near terrain, but can also be used to constantly keep beefy frontliners at an arm’s length. Ez-Thro Dynamite’s low cooldown helps Hogger stick to a target and batter them with his chains. Hogg Wild (E) helps him quickly navigate the battlefield and easily flank enemy teams. Loot Hoard can be used to block escape routes or pin a hero to a wall for easy Q’ing. All of these combined make Hogger feel like an oppressive bully, just like his WoW counterpart.

Hogger think it time Nexus learn why Hogger is king! *manic cackling*