The next patch for digital card game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft will bring with it a fourth game mode. Joining the existing standard, solo, and arena modes will be the new “tavern brawl” option, which gives you new ways to compete against other players.
Hearthstone is getting an all-new game mode later this month
And then there were four
And then there were four
is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.
Essentially, it’s a one-on-one competitive mode, but one where you have to deal with a specific set of challenges involving special rules or custom decks. “Some brawls will provide you with a preset deck, while others may have you build a new deck based on certain surprising guidelines,” Blizzard explains. The feature is also designed with high-level players in mind; it doesn’t unlock until you have a level 20 hero character. New brawls will be added each week once the feature launches, and while you can play with strangers, there’s also an option to challenge friends.
The update will also bring with it a string of other, smaller features, including new hero characters to play as. These don’t actually change the game at all — they’re essentially character skins that add some visual variety, with new animations and emotes — and they’ll run you a hefty $9.99 each. The first to launch will be Magni Bronzebeard, with more set to follow soon after. Finally, patch 2.7 will also introduce customizable card backs, letting you assign specific looks to help differentiate all of your decks.
The new features are expected to go live some time around mid-June. The game is available as a free download on a huge range of platforms, including Windows, Mac, iPad, and, most recently, smartphones. Hearthstone currently has more than 30 million players.
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