You can download HoN free here. Here’s the full FAQ from the currently flaky forums, most likely from the already growing player base.

Q. How does Free-to-Play affect me?

All existing players will be marked as Legacy accounts. Legacy accounts will no longer be obtainable and will continue to enjoy free access to the general hero pool. You will be able to play in Verified Only games, but can play in Basic games if you choose. Legacy players will continue to receive newly released heroes for free after the hero leaves Early Access.

Q. What is Early Access?

Independent of Free-to-Play is a new feature called Early Access. Players will be able to purchase Early Access to new heroes to play them before they are released for free to the rest of the Legacy players.

While heroes are Early Access, they will not be playable in Tournament Play.

There are many reasons for the introduction of the Early Access system, for a detailed explanation see Maliken’s post here: http://forums.heroesofnewerth.com/sh…d.php?t=305655

Q. I already paid for HoN! Was my money wasted now that it’s Free-to-Play?

Not at all! Legacy accounts are now a rarity, part of our old business model – you’re getting additional new content (outside of any potential pay for content expansions) for free, which is a perk no longer available to new accounts whom have to unlock new content.

Q. Will Free-to-Play mean my games will be ruined by griefers and trolls?

By requiring players to either play a significant number of games or make a purchase before becoming Verified, players will have made an investment into their account. If a person griefs, they will lose this investment. We will be increasing our efforts to stop griefing through our Report a Player system so Verified players can be confident the matches they play will be good ones. Basic accounts will not have access to the Report A Player function.

Q. What about game modes that require my teammates to have access to the whole hero pool?

We’ve gone to great lengths to try to ensure that the HoN experience you’ve come to know and love will be as unchanged by Free-to-Play as possible. Game modes SD, BD, AR, and BP will require that non-legacy accounts have a Token or Game Pass in order to enter the match. The token allows them to play as any hero in the pool for that game – if they pick a hero they don’t own, the token is spent. This means that you can depend on any of your teammates having access to that crucial counter-pick in these modes, and not have to worry about team strategy being limited by what heroes your teammates have unlocked.

Q. Can I play with a friend I bring to HoN as a new Basic (free to play) account?

Yes you can, you simply will not be able to queue into a Verified Only pool.

Q. Where can I create an account and download the game?

You can create your account here. After making your account, you can download the game here.

Q. Will I need real money to play?

No. You will have access to a Rotating Hero Pool of 15 heroes and will be able to play without paying a cent.

Q. Who has a Basic account?

Anyone who has created an account since HoN went Free-to-Play and has not become Verified.

Q. What are the benefits of being Verified?

Verified players are able to queue into Verified Only Matchmaking, are able to use the Report a Player system, and are given 5 free tokens to use. Verified players can be assured that players they are playing with take their accounts as seriously as they do.

Q. How do I become Verified?
You can become verified by reaching level 5 or by purchasing Gold Goblin Coins. This is to ensure you are serious about your account.

Q. I signed up to play with my friend who is a long time HoN player, will we be able to queue in Match Making together?

Yes! Verified and Basic accounts can play together, but will be unable to queue into a Verified Only game until both players are Verified.

Q. If I only have access to 15 heroes, will I be at a disadvantage in game modes like Single Draft and Banning Pick?

Certain game modes in HoN were designed around having access to the full hero pool. For these modes, we’ve created Tokens and Passes. Single Draft, All Random, Banning Pick, and Banning Draft require either a Token or a Game Pass to play.

Game Passes let you play these modes for a certain amount of time, as much as you want, playing any hero you want. Tokens allow you to play, and will get spent if you choose a hero you do not normally own. This allows us to guarantee that, in these game modes, all of your teammates are capable of choosing that critical counter-pick hero, instead of having strategy be limited by a restricted hero pool.

You’ll get some Tokens for free when you become a Verified account. Aside from that, Tokens and Passes can be purchased via the in-game store.

Q. Can I still get a Legacy account?

No. These accounts are no longer available.

Q. Do I have to purchase heroes with real money if I want a hero not in the Hero Pool?

No. You can earn heroes by simply playing the game. However, if you would like to get a hero quicker, you can buy Gold Goblin Coins at http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/purchase.

Q. What are HoN’s system requirements?

You can find the system requirements at http://www.heroesofnewerth.com/specs_pop.html

If you would like to be part of the growing community of closed beta testers for Heroes of Newerth (DotA inspired), look no further. I am currently running a simple contest from September 28th through the 29th. All you need to do to enter is visit our heroes page and read a few bios. Once you’ve done that simply come up write a short story (can be very short if it works) and send it via our contact form. The top 15 that are interesting, funny, dramatic or epic (as in epic adventure) will be invited to the HoN beta. Just be sure to put “Hon Beta Contest” in the subject.  Don’t be intimidated by the task, as I am not sure how many people will actually take the time to do this. Happy writing!