This project provides the bare minimum to keep playing HoN when it shuts down:

  • Patched binaries to allow multiplayer play with the included practice server
  • UI mod to bypass the login screen, set a username, allow picking heroes when not logged in, restore the old main UI

Download link

Server

To host a server, replace k2_x64.dll and game/game_x64.dll in your HoN install (or a copy of it). Run hon_x64.exe -dedicated to start the server (on Windows, you will need to start it with a high priority or the server will skip frames. you can make a shortcut and change the target to C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe /c start /high "something" "C:\Program Files\Heroes of Newerth x64\hon_x64.exe" -dedicated). Only the server needs these modified dlls.

On the client connect 127.0.0.1 in the console (assuming server is running locally), then start a game (startgame local_automatic game_name map:caldavar for example). Now other players can join by using connect yourip. For LAN players this should be your LAN IP, for online players this should be your public IP, the server uses UDP port 11235 by default (must be unblocked/forwarded as necessary).

The server still has some limitations/problems

  • No disconnect timeout
  • Unreliable reconnect
  • Should be restarted between games to avoid issues

No login UI mod

Copy the ui/ and stringtables/ to the game/ folder in your HoN install. Edit stringtables/client_messages_en.str (notepad works) and replace Maliken in the first line with your game name.