14 DAY TRIAL // With BlizzCon 2019 in full swing, we're getting info about Blizzard's plans for the coming months, and Hearthstone is certainly on of the company's most treasured games (and sources of income). A new Hearthstone expansion has been revealed earlier today, Descent of Dragons, and as the name suggests, it contains a lot of dragon cards.
The archvillain of the expansion is Galakrond, an ancient Proto-Dragon who manifests as 5 unique Hero Cards for the League of E.V.I.L. classes: Rogue, Warrior, Warlock, Shaman, and Priest. Galakrond can be upgraded by playing cards with the new Invoke keyword, no matter where the hero card is (hand or deck).
It's worth noting that Blizzard will give players who log into Hearthstone any time within the first 90 days after the launch of Descent of Dragons all five Galakrond cards for free. Also, owners of this year's BlizzCon Virtual Ticket can claim Sathrovarr, a neutral Legendary Demon.
Besides the new Hero Cards and Invoke keyword, the new expansion introduces sidequests, new cards that offer powerful rewards, but are easier to complete than standard Quest cards. Different versions of dragons that have been introduced in other expansions will make their debut in Descent of Dragons. Also, Dragon Breath cards are part of the expansion as well, spells that give players powerful bonuses if they're holding a dragon in their hand.
Hearthstone: Descent of Dragons is now available for pre-order for $50 / €50 and will be released on December 10. Blizzard also confirmed that a new solo adventure will be coming in January 2020.
Along with the new expansion, Hearthstone players will also be getting a new Battlegrounds mode, which is basically auto chess with cards. Battlegrounds is an 8-player experience where you'll take the role of a hero, craft powerful board of recruited Minions, and battle other players.
Hearthstone Battlegrounds will launch with 24 different Heroes, each with their own unique power that changes the way players recruit, battle, and strategize against their opponents.
Just like in other auto chess games like Teamfight Tactics and Dota Underlords, you'll be able to recruit minions, refresh the current line-up, sell a minion, lock the board, upgrade your tavern level to get more powerful heroes, and upgrade your minions to the next tier when you have recruited three of the same.
The new Battlegrounds mode will go live at 10 am PDT on November 5 for a week of Early Access where only players who have bought the Descent of Dragons expansion, BlizzCon Attendees, or BlizzCon Virtual Ticket holders will be able to play it. After the early access phase that will end at 10 am on November 12, Hearthstone Battlegrounds will enter Open Beta so that everyone can enjoy the new mode.