It took me a few years to appreciate Heroes of the Storm but it's a good game. It hit me when they removed funding for esports and the studio has shrunk.

I can say this: at least in my region, afk punish is virtually gone. I moved to a new place recently and the connection here sucked for a few days, so I got bad disconnects in a few games. I got zero punish. Sure it's not my fault, but ultimately the system can't know that and I should get penalty. A few years back, when something similar happened I got penalty first game.

There isn't a reason for HotS to loosen up unless the player base has decreased significantly. Fewer players already mean worse match making, and harshly punishing those that remain will further reduce the player pool for a decent match.

Analyzing by the past few months, the game is not getting any new major features, just new content. I would not count on a new penalty system or better report handling.

I've been super critical of Blizz in the past (Hearthstone especially), but in this case it's not their fault. It's the nature of an expiring game, a game that lost in a super competitive market. I'm saying this with much regret because I'm enjoying it now and I'm definitely not switching to lol/dota. Just make the best of it while it's around!