The Year of the Phoenix is ​​coming to Hearthstone! Major changes to Hearthstone in spring! When the adventure black mountain is removed

Recent news about upcoming changes about separation gameplay into two modes (Standard and Free) made a lot of noise among the players. Appeared great amount discussions and comments discussing the positive and negative aspects of the innovations.

Question: " Why is Blizzard removing the ability to buy old adventures and map packs?"- became one of the most hotly discussed. Since such a decision by the developers entails several serious problems:

• There is very little PvE content in the game, and here they are going to cut it off.
• Players will no longer be able to get a special card back for completing a Heroic adventure
• It will become very expensive to assemble complete collection cards that you may need for the Free mode of the game

Curse of Naxamas - Adventure Out of Play

This adventure will be phased out for the first season of Standard Mode. New players will no longer be able to enjoy the content of this expansion, but taunts Kel'Thuzada carried some charm.

Fortunately, those players who have time to buy at least one wing from the adventure will be able to buy the remaining ones later.

So why take the adventure out of the game for good? Why not make it free for everyone. Simply in this case, players would not receive cards as a reward for completing Naxxramas. It seems to us that this is a perfectly reasonable compromise.

Goblins and gnomes - Supplement removed from the game

Goblins and Gnomes were the first expansion in the game, bringing 120 new cards to the world of Hearthstone. For players who want to compete in Free Mode and do not have this add-on, they predict huge costs (in particular financial)

It takes 40 dust to create one normal card. This is practically the same as spraying a whole set. To create only regular cards in duplicate, we need 3120 dust, which is equivalent to spraying 4 legendary cards. And that's not to mention the 21 legendary cards from this expansion.

Most likely, the Free format will be inferior in importance to the Standard one, and this brings us to the question: “ Why don't the developers just change the price of crafting / spraying old cards?". Players would be able to collect the Goblins and Dwarfs expansion pack fairly cheaply and not buy the rest of the card sets just for the sake of disenchanting.

Developer Answers to Some Community Questions

Let's briefly describe the content of the blupost, which you can see below.

• Both formats (Free and Standard) will not go unnoticed by the developers. The balance will be maintained in each of them.

• It took a lot of time to discuss the further course of the game's development.

• Card creation is primarily focused on the Free mode, since it is in this that players only need a few cards to complement their deck

• The Grand Tournament, Blackrock Mountain, and the Explorers' League will be closed after the release of the new expansion in 2017.

• To the hype around buying Curse of Naxxramas in order to get everything required maps Blizzard responded as follows:
  • « If your friend wants to be competitive, then Standard Mode is for him. You don't need old cards to build a strong deck».

Blizzard Official Quote

Q: Will there be any balance changes in the Free format? After all, he is Free

Answer: We will support both formats of the game. We want players to have fun in any game mode they choose. ()

Question: Why are you just now informing us about the changes? After all, all these improvements take a lot of time, which means that you have had the idea of ​​separating formats for a long time.

Answer: Of course, the developers have been planning this vital update for a long time. But at the same time, it took us a lot of time to think and discuss the further path of the game's development.

Until now, we have not yet developed a final picture of all the innovations. And from our own experience, we know that it is very dangerous to talk about what else may change in the future. If you promise the players some kind of change, but still have no idea how to implement it, then you can very disappoint everyone.

Nevertheless, we value your opinion and will try to take it into account. There is still a lot of time before the introduction of formats, but at this stage we already clearly imagine how it will look. And believe me, not everything is as dramatic as it seems. ()

Question: To balance the standard format, you will have to modify some basemaps and maps from the standard set. Will this not lead to the fact that they will become so weak that they will no longer meet in the game.

Answer: This is actually a very serious problem. But we try to change the maps themselves as little as possible. In addition, there will be new maps coming out that can fill in some of the gaps. ()

Question: I want to play Free Mode, but I cannot get some of the cards. How can I compete with those who have these cards?

Answer: The answer is obvious - you have to create them. But at the same time, you will not need to create the entire collection, but only those cards that are really needed.

In addition, with the release of new additions, the need for old maps will decrease. And it may happen that playing Freemode will actually become Standard decks. ()

Q: But retaining the ability to purchase old add-ons will also bring you additional profit.

Just enchanting changes await the game in the coming months. All in detail in our article!

We highlight the main things in a thesis!

1. Once you click on the "Play" button in the main Hearthstone menu, you will be able to play in "Standard" or "Free" mode.
2. The rating tables of both modes are not connected in any way. Success in one mode does not provide any benefit in the other.
3. Players will have access to 18, not 9 deck slots.
4. The new addition will be released in the spring.

Now for the details!

What is Standard Mode?

In Standard Mode in 2016, players will only be able to access cards that are part of the following packs:

• Classical
• Black Mountain
• Big tournament
• Explorers' League
• New addition (Spring 2016)

Thus, cards from " Curse of Naxxramas" and " Goblins and gnomes»In standard mode will be unavailable.

Why these sets? In standard mode, only maps that were available in the release version of the game, as well as maps that were released in the previous and current year, will be used. As " Curse of Naxxramas" and " Goblins and gnomes»Came out in 2014, they were excluded from the list.

Every year, with the release of the first expansion, this list will be revised. Thus, in 2017, the additions “ Black Mountain«, « Big tournament«, « League of Explorers". Instead, all sets that will be released in 2016 will be added, as well as in 2017.

This will happen every year. By the way, 2016 is called “ Year of the Kraken» 🙂

What is Free Mode?

Free mode will not differ in any way from the current rating game mode... You will not have any restrictions on the cards, you can use absolutely any, regardless of the year of their issue.

Store changes!

Every year, adventures that are "obsolete" for the "standard" game mode will be removed from the store, all the necessary maps can be created with the help of dust. The purchase of Legacy Adventures with Gold will also be unavailable. However, there is a small exception - if you have already bought at least one wing from any adventure, you can buy the remaining wings at any time and complete the passage of the adventure.

Tournament changes!

All major official tournaments will be played in Standard mode. The developers believe that it will be perfectly balanced and offer players the most interesting gameplay.

Thus, you can set aside panic, for the absolute majority of players NOTHING will change, they will still be able to participate in their favorite rating mode, according to the usual, familiar rules. However, there will be variety, a different mode will appear in which there will be a TOTALLY different meta. Just imagine that in "standard" mode there will no longer be

Alongside today's patch notes, we've posted a ton of information about the exciting changes that will be affecting Hearthstone! In addition, you will find a detailed story about the new class "Demon Hunter". When you finish reading this article, take a look at what else we have prepared for you:

Where have we been and where will we go next

The Year of the Dragon began with the release of the Retribution of Shadows add-on, in which we met the League of Evil and the supervillain Rafaam, who set out to steal the magical floating city of Dalaran. Then it was the turn of the Saviors of Uldum, and we traveled with the League of Explorers to the sands to stop the League of EVIL from unraveling the ancient mysteries of Azeroth. In the final act, Descent of Dragons, we prevented EVIL's minions from resurrecting the dreaded Dragonfather Galakrond. With the end of the Year of the Dragon, Rastakhan's Rumbles, The Boomsday Project, and The Witch's Forest will be released from standard rotation and go to free mode.

We've announced the new Ruins of Outland expansion for Hearthstone, which means it's time to head into an unfriendly, shattered world invaded by the Rusting Legion. The Ruins of Outland kicks off the first phase of a new year in Hearthstone - the Year of the Phoenix!

What's in store for us? DLCs, Battlegrounds Updates, Seasonal Events, New Brawls, Adventure - and much more! See how much content we have planned for this year!

Click to enlarge.

In the new year, Hearthstone is about to make a big difference from the start. Follow us on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.

Map Bundle Changes

Several years ago we changed the principle of opening card sets: if the set included a legendary card, then first you received the one that you did not have yet. Starting March 26th, this rule begins to apply to cards of all rarity levels!

When this change takes effect, you will be able to obtain a maximum of two copies of any common, rare, or epic card until you have collected two copies of each of the cards of that rarity in the set. The production of a card and the receipt of a card (gold or regular) with its subsequent dispersion are also counted. This means that if you get an unnecessary card and throw it into dust, then a new copy of this card will not come across to you until you collect all the cards of this rarity that are in the set. This change does not in any way affect the overall distribution of the rarity of the cards in the set.

Free deck for beginners and those who decide to return to the game after the break

There is always something going on in Hearthstone, and if you just started playing (or you had to leave the tavern for a while, but you decided to return), we will be happy to help you join the stream. Starting March 26, those who have mastered the rating levels for new players will receive a free deck of the selected class, consisting of cards of the Year of the Dragon! This also applies to players who have not logged in in four months *. We hope this initiative will help players feel empowered to jump right into the Hearthstone maelstrom!

* Only players who have not signed in to Hearthstone within 4 months of March 17, 2020 can receive a free deck. No more than one time for each account.

Rating system changes

Last year, we began exploring ways to improve the ranked match system. Basically, we wanted to focus on making the matchmaking process fairer and increasing the ranking rewards without violating the core principles of the existing system.

Click to enlarge.

From April 2020, the existing rating seasons system will be replaced by a rating format with a new league system. Total in new system there will be five leagues, each of which will consist of 10 ranks. Each season, players will start at Rank 10 Bronze, advance to the Silver League after climbing to Rank 1 Bronze, and so on to Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Legend. The 10th and 5th ranks of each league will be considered a threshold, upon reaching which you will not lose ranks after losing. The rating levels for new players will also have their own league, consisting of forty ranks. Legendary ranks will work as they do now.

Star bonus

To move from one rank to another - say, from "Gold 10" to "Gold 9" - you need to get three stars. For each victory you will receive one star, and for each defeat you will lose. At the start of each season, players will receive a Star Bonus based on their performance from the previous season. The Star Bonus serves as a multiplier that increases the number of stars earned after each victory.

For example, if your Star Bonus is five and you win the match, you get five stars instead of one. If you win a match after winning streak, you get twice as many stars - ten! Upon reaching the rank thresholds, your star bonus will decrease by 1. While the star bonus is in effect, the matchmaking system will look for an opponent with your rating and skill level for you, which means that the matchmaking will become even more accurate!

Ranking awards

As previously mentioned, we have reworked the rewards given to players at the end of the ranked season. Depending on the rank received, card sets will now appear in your treasure chest latest addition as well as rare - and even epic! - cards. Plus, after wins five times at any rank, you'll also instantly receive a Seasonal Card Back. No more waiting for the season to end!

We've also updated the rewards for completing some missions for the first time, primarily to support new players. Immediately after the first achievement of a certain rank threshold on the account, the player will receive a one-time reward in the form of Classic Packs, Rare Cards, or Epic Cards. For the first time reaching the legendary rating on the new system, the player will receive a random legendary card from the classic set!

Rank Achieved	End of Season Reward	First Achievement Reward
Legend		1 random classic legendary card
Diamond V	1 random standard epic card	1 classic set
Diamond X	1 set from the latest expansion
Platinum V		1 classic set
Platinum X	1 set from the latest expansion	1 random classic epic card
Gold V	2 random standard rare cards	1 classic set
Gold X	1 set from the latest expansion	4 random classic rare cards
Silver V	2 random standard rare cards	1 classic set
Silver X	1 set from the latest expansion	2 random classic rare cards
Bronze V	1 standard rare card	1 classic set

Priest update

For the Year of the Phoenix, we wanted to make some changes to the priest class to align it with class identity. To do this, we decided to move six cards to the Hall of Fame and add six new Priest cards to the base and classic sets. In addition, we will be updating the seven existing Priest Cards, which will allow us to improve the base and classic sets. The cards we're going to replace will go into the Hall of Fame, which means they can still be played in a free format.

These changes will take effect on March 26th, and all players will automatically be refunded the appropriate amount of Arcane Dust.

Priest Cards for the Hall of Fame

We're bringing these cards to the Hall of Fame to bring the priest back to his class identity, and to help all fans of this class explore new archetypes. Players who have the following classic cards will receive a full refund of their Arcane Dust cost. If the player does not have access to the free format, two base cards will be removed from his collection, and he will receive a full refund of their cost in Arcane Dust.

• Classic Set - [[Auchenai Priestess]]
• Classic Set - [[Sacred Fire]]
• Classic Pack - [[Darkform]]
• Classic Set - [[Prophet Velen]]
• Basic set - [["Divine Spirit"]]
• Core Set - [[Northshire Cleric]]

Priest Class Balance Changes

• Power Word: Shield
  • Old: [Cost: 1] Target creature gains +2 health. You draw a card.
  • After: [Cost: 0] Target creature gets +2 health.

• Dark Word: Death!
  • Old: [Cost 3] Destroys a creature with an attack of 5 or more.
  • After: Destroys a creature with an attack of 5 or more.

• "God's punishment"
  • Old: [Cost 1] Deals 2 damage. damage.
  • After: [Costs 1] Deals 3 damage. damage to the selected creature.

• "Ring of Light"
  • Old: [Cost 5] Deals 2 damage. damage to all opponents. Restores 2 pts. health to all your characters.
  • After: [Cost 4] Deals 2 damage. damage to all enemy creatures. Restores 2 pts. health to all your characters.

• "Dark Madness"
  • Old: [Cost 4] You gain control of an enemy creature with an attack of 3 or less until end of turn.
  • After: [Cost 3] You gain control of an enemy creature with an attack of 3 or less until end of turn.

• "Temple Fighter"
  • Old: [Cost 6] 6/6. Your chosen creature gains +3 health.
  • After: [Costs 5] 5/6. Your chosen creature gains +3 health.

• "Stolen Thoughts"
  • Old: [Cost 3] You copy 2 cards from your opponent's deck and put them into your hand.
  • After: [Costs 2] You copy 2 cards from the opponent's deck and put them into your hand.

New Priest Cards

Players will automatically receive two new base cards, while four new Classic cards can be crafted or obtained from Classic sets.

• Classic card. The Scarlet Conqueror.
  • [Costs 1] 2 units. attacks, 1 unit. health.
  • Battlecry: Target enemy creature gets -2 to attack until your next turn.

• Classic card. Shadow Word: Doom.
  • [Costs 4]
  • Destroys all creatures with an attack of 5 or more.

• Classic card. Natalie Celine.
  • [Costs 8] 8 units. attacks, 1 unit. health.
  • Battlecry: Destroys the targeted creature and gains its health.

Neutral cards that will go to the Hall of Fame

At the beginning of every year in Hearthstone, we re-evaluate the base and classic cards. As the game progresses, clear features of each class have already been defined, and some cards from these sets sometimes conflict with the general concept.

On March 26th, five neutral cards will go to the Hall of Fame. You will be able to save cards added to the Hall of Fame, as well as receive Arcane Dust in the amount of their full value (up to the maximum number of cards of the same type in a deck). You will receive Arcane Dust automatically when you log into the game after March 26th.

• [["Servant of Pain"]]
• [["The Spellbreaker"]]
• [["Mental Technician"]]
• [["Mountain Giant"]]
• [["Leeroy Jenkins"]]