EN DE CN BR ES RU
Image
Icon

New Hearthstone Expansion, Game Mode & System Update Announced!

If you’re a regular Hearthstone player, there’s a big reason to celebrate: Blizzard has just announced a brand-new expansion,... | 22. October 2020

If you’re a regular Hearthstone player, there’s a big reason to celebrate: Blizzard has just announced a brand-new expansion, game mode, along with numerous system updates! Overall, there’s quite a lot of ground to cover, so let’s dive right in!

New Hearthstone Expansion — Madness at the Darkmoon Faire

Blizzard’s final expansion for 2020 will ship to live servers on November 17th. The Old Gods will once again return, this time to the Darkmoon Faire. The last we’ve seen of these idiosyncratic (and insanely powerful) beings was all the way back in 2016! Quite a nice throwback for older players. The expansion will mark the release of 135 brand-new cards, so make sure to prepare for a bit of reading!

We’re also getting a brand-new keyword: Corrupt. Cards that have this keyword will become a lot stronger if — while holding them in hand — you summon a unit that costs more mana than they do.

That’s basically the gist of it. For example, “Fleethoof Pearltusk” is a 5 mana unit with 4 | 4. If, however, you activate its Corrupt effect, it’ll gain +4 | +4. “Dunk Tank,” on the other hand, is a 4 mana spell that’ll deal 4 damage. If you activate its Corrupt effect, it’ll deal 2 damage to all enemy minions. As you can imagine, these cards pack quite a lot of power when utilized correctly.

A Brand-New Game Mode: Duels

Duels is a competitive game mode that’ll change with each new season! In Duels, you’ll choose the following: Hero, Hero Power, and Treasure. Afterwards, you’ll build a 15-card deck from your collection before clashing against a series of human opponents. You’ll also be able to revise and enhance your deck after each match, therefore increasing your odds of finding success!

Duels will use the same ratings system as Battlegrounds, and your run will end after you lose three times or, conversely, score 12 wins! The heroes you can play and the cards you can use will change from season to season. The first, inaugural one will feature cards from Scholomance Academy, One Night in Karazhan, Curse of Naxxramas, along with existing Classic and Basic sets. Players will be able to test Duels out starting on November 12th which is a couple of days ahead of its official launch. There will be two types of Duels: Casual and Heroic. The former will be free, whereas the latter will cost 150 gold or a $2 Tavern ticket. (formerly known as Arena tickets)

Progression System Update

November 12th is the date many players will now look forward to. Blizzard plans to completely overhaul Hearthstone’s progression system, with the updated one aiming to deliver regular rewards to players, regardless if they’re casuals or hardcore ones who spend hours on end crafting the latest and greatest decks. This will include a brand-new Achievements system that’ll track how well you perform and subsequently reward you based on your accomplishments. New achievements will be added on a regular basis.

You’ll also have the Reward Track that’ll allow you to earn card packs, cosmetics, and in-game gold. The catch is quite simple: the more you play the more rewards you’ll earn. You can also expect a revamped Quest system with more rewarding Weekly quests as well. Finally, each player will have a dedicated profile page that’ll showcase lifetime stats and accomplishments.

Hearthstone Expansion

You can also pre-purchase the expansion bundle and get early-access to Duels! (starting on October 22nd)

Closing Remarks

Overall, there’s a reason for optimism if you’re into Hearthstone. Blizzard definitely delivered on their promise coming into the last quarter of 2020. Whether these upcoming changes end up improving the game still remains to be seen, but the potential is certainly there. The systems change, in particular, is bound to make the game endlessly more entertaining for those who don’t want to invest a ton of money to get the latest and greatest cards. It’s an incentive, basically, to return on a daily basis and grind, at least for a bit. It’s more akin to the model Legends of Runeterra has, which is definitely a plus.

As always, we’ll bring you more coverage as we inch closer to the expansion’s release. Finally, if you want to watch the full reveal yourself, you can do so on Blizzard’s Twitch channel.