Arriving as part of the update is a new game mode titled Hearthstone Duels and a completely revamped progression system overall.
New spells known as Old Gods Artifacts are inspired by legendary minions from Whispers of the Old Gods, and speaking of which, some such as C’Thun and Yogg-Saron will return with new forms. Certain cards will now also have a Corrupt modifier, allowing the transformation into stronger versions after a higher-cost card is played.
‘This is a huge moment for Hearthstone, with the Madness at the Darkmoon Faire expansion, as well as an all-new game mode in Duels, and a fundamental overhaul of the game’s progression system,’ said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. ‘As Hearthstone continues to evolve and grow, our focus is squarely on continuing to deliver a uniquely deep and fun game experience, and we think players are going to lose their minds over all of this new content.’
Hearthstone Duels will evolve with each new season.
The new game mode Hearthstone Duels aims to be a combination of player-vs-player excitement with the deck building found in Solo Adventures. Players fight against each other as they do in Arena mode but can now use custom-built decks and gain new cards and Treasures after each match.
Duels will evolve with each season, with the first theme being Wizard Duels, featuring characters and imagery from the previously released Scholomance Academy. Players who preorder one of the Darkmoon Faire bundle sets can preview this new mode from October 22 to November 11. A public beta will start November 12, and season one is intended to start on November 17.
Fireheart will be featured in the first season of Duels.
Progression mechanics have been completely revamped, and the changes will take effect on November 12th. Developers have added an Achievements System that tracks player stats and in-game accomplishments, and new achievements will be added with each subsequent update.
The Reward Track sounds like a version of the Battle Pass that has become so prevalent across the industry. Players will rise through 50 tiers of rewards collecting in-game gold, cosmetic items, and card packs. More rewards will be available to those that purchase a Tavern Pass. There will also now be Weekly Quests in addition to the Daily Quests, with Legendary Quest events already planned. So many quests!
The Rewards Track is a fancy, Hearthstone version of a Battle Pass.
Starting today, players can preorder the Madness at Darkmoon Faire Mega Bundle, which includes 85 new card packs, including five Golden Card Packs and one Golden Legendary. It also comes with N’Zoth Warlock Hero; the N’Zoth card back, perks for Hearthstone Battlegrounds that last until the next expansion; and as mentioned above, early access to Duels.
Also available will be the slightly more modest Madness at Darkmoon Faire Bundle (not mega), which comes with 45 card packs, one Legendary card, the N’Zoth card back, and early access to Hearthstone Duels. Both options are available to preorder for your regional pricing.
The Madness at Darkmoon Faire expansion comes to Hearthstone on November 17th.
