Getting that new Hero Academy team, a guide for dummies

You’re probably well aware that the iOS multiplayer strategy game Hero Academy is now on Steam. I mean, when gamers aren’t discussing the latest sexist nonsense that falls unbidden from some dev’s mouth, Hero Academy is pretty much all we talk about.

SO. The ugly reality about Hero Academy on Steam is that it is just for PC. When the Steam release was first announced, a lot of us assumed the title would be one of those PC+Mac dealies, because hey iOS, but that is not the case. For those of you out there who have been loving Hero Academy on your iPhone and iPad and want to start playing with the all-new Team Fortress 2 army pieces, but not sure what to do about this here Steam edition, this post is for you.

Obviously, if you have a PC, bob’s your uncle. Assuming you have a Steam account, just buy Hero Academy for $4.99 and once the game boots, log in with your Hero Academy account and everything in the world will sync up for you. The new Team Fortress team will be waiting for you on your iOS device, and whatever teams you own on iOS will be made available in your Steam version. Basically, you’re paying $4.99 for the Team Fortress team and the ability to play all of your usual Hero Academy matches on your PC.

ALSO: You receive a bunch of avatar packs, two for Council and two for Team Fortress. So there’s that.

But you’re probably here because you don’t have a PC. You’re a huge Hero Academy fan who has only ever played the game on your iPhone. Your first step, sirrah, is to get a Steam account. Look, it’s free. And if you do have a Mac, you’ll find a wonderful new source of games at your disposal. If you don’t, it’s still free. So go to steampowered.com and sign up.

There’s a Steam app available on iPhone that, while you can’t play games with it, will let you buy absolutely anything you want. So either buy the $4.99 Hero Academy game on the Steam website, the Mac Steam client or the Steam iPhone app.

Now for the bad news. Yes, you absolutely need to find a PC now.

You need somebody who either already has Steam, or will let you install it. Once you do that, log in to the PC Steam client with your own Steam account info. Maybe you want to NOT have it save your account login, just so you don’t accidentally leave your personal Steam credentials on somebody else’s PC. This is why I suggest buying the game on your machine (either your Mac or your iOS device), so your credit card does not get trapped on some slightly-unfamiliar PC.

Under your Steam account, you’ll see Hero Academy now listed in your personal catalog of games. Booting it will install the game to whatever PC you’re using, but it’s small and it’s fast so maybe your friend won’t notice. Then once you’re in, log in with your existing Hero Academy account. (You can have a password reset email sent if you can’t remember.) That lovely “syncing” message will appear.

Politely quit out of Hero Academy and Steam and surrender your borrowed PC back to its owner. You now have the super-hot Team Fortess 2 team available on your iPhone or iPad!

And maybe, just maybe, Robot Entertainment will release a Mac version over Steam. And maybe, just maybe, it will fold right in with the $4.99 you already spent. And then you can play your Hero Academy matches on your iPhone, your iPad AND your Mac.

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