When the black mountain is removed. The Year of the Phoenix is coming to Hearthstone! Goblins and Dwarves – Addition removed from the game
Along with today's patch notes, we've released a ton of information about the exciting changes coming to Hearthstone! In addition, you will find a detailed description of the new Demon Hunter class. 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 Rise of Shadows expansion, 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, together with the League of Explorers, went to the land of the sands to prevent the League of EVIL from unraveling the ancient secrets of Azeroth. In the final act, Descent of Dragons, we prevented the minions of EVIL from resurrecting the terrible progenitor of dragons, Galakrond. With the end of the Year of the Dragon, the expansions Rastakhan's Rumble, The Boomsday Project, and The Witchwood will leave the standard rotation and go to Wild mode.
We've announced the release of the new Hearthstone expansion, Ruins of Outland, which means it's time to venture into the hostile, fractured world where the Rusting Legion has invaded. Ruins of Outland kicks off the first phase of the new Hearthstone year - the Year of the Phoenix!
What awaits us? Add-ons, Battlegrounds updates, seasonal events, new brawls, adventure - and much more! Look how much content we have planned for this year!
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In the new year Hearthstone Big changes await from the very beginning. Follow us on Twitter, Twitch, YouTube, Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.
Card Set Changes
A few years ago, we changed how card packs were unlocked: if a pack included a legendary card, you would first receive the one you didn't already have. Starting March 26th, this rule begins to apply to cards of all rarity levels!
When this change takes effect, you will be limited to two copies of any common, rare, or epic card until you have two copies of all cards of that rarity in a set. Making a card and receiving a card (gold or regular) and then disenchanting it also counts. This means that if you get a card you don't need and throw it into dust, you won't get a new copy of that card until you collect all the cards of that rarity that are in the set. This change does not affect the overall rarity distribution of the cards in the set.
Free deck for beginners and those who decided to return to the game after a break
There's always something going on in Hearthstone, and if you've just started playing (or if you had to leave the tavern for a while but decided to return), we'd love to help you get into the flow. Starting March 26th, those who have mastered the new player rating levels will receive a free deck of the selected class, consisting of cards from the Year of the Dragon! This also applies to players who have not logged into the game for four months*. We hope this initiative will help players feel empowered to jump into the Hearthstone action right away!
*Only players who have not logged into Hearthstone within 4 months of March 17, 2020 can receive a free deck. No more than once for each account.
Rating System Changes
Last year we began exploring ways to improve the ranked match system. We mainly wanted to focus on making the matchmaking process fairer and increasing ranking rewards without breaking the core principles of the existing system.
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From April 2020, the existing ranked season system will be replaced by a ranked format with a new league system. Total in new system There will be five leagues, each consisting of 10 ranks. Each season, players will start at rank 10 "Bronze", move to the silver league after ascending 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, 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 the same as they do now.
Star Bonus
To move from one rank to another - say, from Gold 10 to Gold 9 - you will need to get three stars. For every victory you will receive one star, and for every defeat you will lose. At the start of each season, players will receive a star bonus based on their performance in the previous season. The Star Bonus serves as a coefficient that increases the number of stars received after each victory.
For example, if your star bonus is five and you win the match, you will receive five stars instead of one. If you win a match after a winning streak, you get twice as many stars - as many as ten! Upon reaching rank thresholds, your Star Bonus will decrease by 1. While the Star Bonus is active, the matchmaking system will match you with an opponent of your rating and skill level, meaning your matchmaking will be even more accurate!
Ranking Awards
As mentioned, we have reworked the rewards given to players at the end of the Ranked Season. Depending on the rank you achieve, your Treasure Chest will now contain sets of the latest expansion cards, as well as rare ones - and even epic ones! - cards. In addition, after five wins at any rank, you will also instantly receive a seasonal card back. No more waiting for the end of the season!
We've also updated the rewards for completing some missions for the first time, primarily to support new players. Immediately after reaching a certain rank threshold on an account for the first time, the player will receive a one-time reward in the form of classic packs, rare or epic cards. Upon reaching Legendary rating for the first time under the new system, a player will receive a random Legendary card from the Classic set!
| Rank Achieved | End of Season Reward | First Achievement Award |
|---|---|---|
| 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 Year of the Phoenix, we wanted to change the Priest class somewhat to align it with class identity. To achieve this, we decided to move six cards to the Hall of Fame and add six new Priest cards to the Basic and Classic sets. In addition, we will update seven existing maps priest, which will allow us to improve the basic and classic sets. The cards we are going to replace will go into the Hall of Fame, which means they will still be playable in Wild.
These changes will go into effect on March 26th and all players will automatically receive a corresponding amount of Arcane Dust refunded.
Priest cards that will go to the “Hall of Fame”
We're moving these cards into the Hall of Fame to restore Priest's class identity and help all fans of the class explore new archetypes. Players who own the following classic cards will receive a full refund of their Arcane Dust value. If a player does not have access to the Wild format, two base maps will be removed from his collection and he will receive a full refund of their Arcane Dust value.
- Classic Set - [["Aukenai Priestess"]]
- Classic Set - [["Holy Fire"]]
- Classic Set - [["Shade of Darkness"]]
- Classic Set - [[“Prophet Velen”]]
- Basic Set - [[Divine Spirit]]
- Core Set - [["Northshire Cleric"]]
Balance changes for the Priest class
- "Power Word: Shield"
- Before changes: [Cost: 1] Target creature gets +2 health. You take a card.
- After: [Cost: 0] Target creature gains +2 health.
- "Shadow Word: Death!"
- Before: [Costs 3] Destroys a creature with 5 or more attack.
- After: Destroys a creature with 5 or more attack.
- "God's punishment"
- Before changes: [Costs 1] Deals 2 damage. damage
- After: [Costs 1] Deals 3 damage. damage to the selected creature.
- "Ring of Light"
- Before changes: [Costs 5] Deals 2 damage. damage to all enemies. Restores 2 units. health to all your characters.
- After: [Costs 4] Deals 2 damage. damage to all enemy creatures. Restores 2 units. health to all your characters.
- "Dark Madness"
- Before: [Cost 4] Gain control of an enemy minion with 3 or less Attack until end of turn.
- After: [Cost 3] You gain control of an enemy creature with 3 or less Attack until end of turn.
- "Temple Fighter"
- Before changes: [Cost 6] 6/6. Your chosen creature gains +3 health.
- After: [Worth 5] 5/6. Your chosen creature gains +3 health.
- "Stolen Thoughts"
- Before: [Costs 3] You copy 2 cards from your opponent's deck and add them to your hand.
- After: [Costs 2] You copy 2 cards from your opponent's deck and add them to your hand.
New Priest Cards
Players will automatically receive two new Basic 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 minion gets -2 Attack until your next turn.
- Classic card. "Shadow Word: Doom."
- [Cost 4]
- Destroys all creatures with 5 or more attack.
- Classic card. "Nathalie Celine."
- [Costs 8] 8 units. attacks, 1 unit. health.
- Battlecry: Destroy a target minion and gain its health.
Neutral cards that will go to the “Hall of Fame”
At the beginning of each Hearthstone year, we re-evaluate cards from the Core and Classic sets. As the game progresses, the distinct features of each class have already been established, and some cards from these sets sometimes conflict with the overall concept.
On March 26th, five will go to the Hall of Fame neutral cards. You will be able to keep the cards you add to the Hall of Fame and also receive Arcane Dust equal to their full value (up to the maximum number of cards of the same type in the deck). You will receive Arcane Dust automatically when logging into the game after March 26th.
- [["Servant of Pain"]]
- [["Spellbreaker"]]
- [["Mental Technician"]]
- [["Mountain Giant"]]
- [["Leeroy Jenkins"]]
Simply enchanting changes await the game in the coming months. Everything is in detail in our article!
Let's briefly highlight the main things!
- Once you click the Play button on the Hearthstone main menu, you will be able to play in Standard or Wild mode.
- The rating tables of both modes are in no way connected. Success in one mode does not provide any advantages in another.
- Players will have 18, rather than 9, deck slots available to them.
- The new addition will be released in the spring.
Now to the details!
What's happened " Standard mode»?
In Standard mode in 2016, only those cards that are part of the following sets will be available to players:
- Classical
- Black Mountain
- Big tournament
- League of Explorers
- New Addition (Spring 2016)
Thus, the cards from " Curse of Naxxramas" And " Goblins and gnomes» will not be available in standard mode.
Why these sets? In standard mode, only maps that were available in the release version of the game will be used, as well as maps that were released in the previous and current year. Because " Curse of Naxxramas" And " Goblins and gnomes” came out in 2014, they were excluded from the list.
Each year, with the release of the first addition, this list will be revised. Thus, in 2017, add-ons will disappear from the list for the standard mode " Black Mountain«, « Big tournament«, « League of Explorers". Instead, all sets that will be released in 2016, as well as in 2017, will be added.
This will happen every year. By the way, 2016 goes under the name “ Year of the Kraken» 🙂
What is "Free mode"?
Free mode will not differ in any way from the current ranked mode game mode. You will not have any restrictions on cards; you can use absolutely any, regardless of the year of their release.
Changes in the store!
Every year, adventures that are “obsolete” for the “standard” game mode will be removed from the store; all necessary maps can be created using dust. Purchasing legacy adventures with gold will also no longer be available. However, there is a small exception - if you have already purchased at least one wing from an adventure, you can purchase the remaining wings at any time and complete the adventure.
Changes in tournaments!
All major official tournaments will be held in “Standard” mode. The developers believe that it will be perfectly balanced and offer players the most interesting gameplay.
Thus, you can put aside panic, for the vast 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, diversity will appear, another mode will appear, in which there will be a COMPLETELY different meta. Just imagine that in the “standard” mode there will no longer be
Recent news about upcoming changes regarding separation gameplay for two modes (Standard and Free) made a lot of noise among the players. A huge number of discussions and comments have appeared discussing the positive and negative aspects of innovation.
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 developers entails several serious problems:
- There is already very little PvE content in the game, and now they are going to cut it off
- Players will no longer be able to receive a special card back for completing a Heroic adventure.
- It will become very expensive to collect a complete collection of cards that may be needed for the Wild mode of play
Curse of Naxamas - Adventure removed from the game
This adventure will be retired for the first season of Standard Mode. New players will no longer be able to enjoy the content of this expansion, and the ridicule Kel'Thuzad had a certain charm about them.
Fortunately, those players who manage to purchase at least one wing from the adventure will be able to subsequently purchase the remaining ones.
So why remove the adventure from the game completely? Why not make it free for everyone. It’s just that in this case, players would not receive cards as a reward for completing Naxxramas. It seems to us that this is a completely reasonable compromise.
Goblins and Dwarves – Addition removed from the game
Goblins and Gnomes were the first addition to the game, and brought 120 new cards to the world of Hearthstone. For players who want to compete in Free mode and do not have this add-on, huge costs are predicted (in particular financial)
It costs 40 dust to create one regular map. This is almost equivalent to spraying the whole set. To create only regular cards in duplicate we will need 3120 dust, which is equivalent to disenchanting 4 legendary cards. And this is not to mention 21 legendary map from this supplement.
Most likely, the Free format will be inferior in importance to the Standard format, and this brings us to the question: “ Why don't the developers simply change the price for creating/dispersing old maps?" Players would be able to assemble a collection of the Goblins and Dwarves expansion quite cheaply and not have to buy other sets of cards just for the sake of disenchantment.
Developer answers to some community questions
Let us briefly describe the contents of the bluepost, which you can see below.
- Both formats (Freestyle and Standard) will not go unnoticed by the developers. Balance will be maintained in each of them.
- It took a lot of time to discuss the future course of development of the game.
- Card creation is primarily geared towards Wild, as this is where players will only need a few cards to complete their deck.
- The Grand Tournament, Blackrock Mountain and the League of Explorers will be closed when the new expansion releases in 2017.
- Blizzard representatives responded to the hype around purchasing Curse of Naxxramas in order to get all the necessary cards:
- « If your friend wants to be competitive, then Standard mode is just for him. You Don't Need Old Cards to Build a Strong Deck».
Official Blizzard Quote
Question: Will there be balance changes in the Wild format? After all, he is Volny
Answer: We will support both game formats. We want players to have fun in any game mode they choose. ()
Question: Why are you only now telling us about the changes? After all, all these improvements take a lot of time, which means you had the idea of separating formats a long time ago.
Answer: Of course, the developers have planned this vital update for a long time. But at the same time, it took us a lot of time to think and discuss the future path of development of the game.
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 change, but still have no idea how to implement it, then you can greatly disappoint everyone.
However, we value your opinion and will try to take it into account. There is still quite a lot of time before the formats are introduced, but at this stage we already have a clear idea of what it will look like. And believe me, not everything is as dramatic as it seems. ()
Question: To balance Standard, you will need to change some base and Standard cards. Will this lead to them becoming so weak that they will no longer appear 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, new cards will be released that can fill some gaps. ()
Question: I want to play Wild mode, but I can’t get some of the cards. How can I compete with those who have these cards?
Answer: The answer is obvious - you will 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 necessary.
In addition, with the release of new additions, the need for old maps will decrease. And it may happen that decks from Standard will actually become playable in Wild mode. ()
Question: But maintaining the ability to purchase old add-ons will also bring you additional profit.
