The final big news from BlizzCon2014 was the reveal of Hearthstone’s first big expansion, due next month (far sooner than expected).
The final big news from BlizzCon2014 was the reveal of Hearthstone’s first big expansion, due next month (far sooner than expected).
Whilst Overwatch and Legacy of the Void were undoubtedly the most significant pieces of news to come out of this year’s BlizzCon event in Anaheim, Blizzard’s plucky casual/mobile-title-that-could Hearthstone: Heroes Of Warcraft weren’t to be outdone. Seeking to capitalise on the frankly shocking popularity of the title since its April release Blizzard’s Team 5 are forging ahead with their first major expansion: Goblins vs Gnomes.
Unlike the July ‘adventure’ Curse of Naxxramas, which featured only 30 new collectable cards (all of which were acquired by fighting AI scenarios), Goblins vs Gnomes incorporates over 120 new cards each with a distinctly mechanical theme. Major and minor NPCs from the Warcraft universe – from the Ulduar-era Mimiron through to the much lesser known Dr. Boom – make an appearance with their own powerful (and in many cases highly random) effects.
Judging by the impact only 30 cards had on the Constructed and Arena meta-game Goblins vs Gnomes could inject yet more change, freshening up gameplay just before Christmas hits. Cards are acquired from new five-card Expert Packs sold for the same price as the standard Expert Packs, and will be part of the common pool of Arena draft options from day one of release.
More information can be found on Blizzard’s Hearthstone micro-site. The expansion is due for release during the month of December, with new cards teased in the preceding weeks.
