Open alpha testing of the 5.0 HD mod (online lobby).

By the way, I've been saying for a long time that a unique playable template format for Hota would be interesting, exceeding the XL size.

Perhaps, something like that will appear in 1.5.0. It's not a given that the first attempt will result in something perfectly suitable for competitive online play, but over time, we can try to find a use for the H size. And I'll remind you that in 1.5, the Hota template editor will become available to everyone. Those interested in the topic will be able to experiment and do it themselves.

The creators of Hota have the opposite approach.

Don't equate Vik's activity on HW with the team's position on online development. Vik's tournaments are his personal initiative and his understanding of things. The other active members of the team are currently acting more as observers.