Introduction
Hearthstone Updates: Keeping the Meta Fresh
In the ever-evolving world of Hearthstone, the developers have once again graced us with a set of patch notes to keep the game exciting and balanced. In the Standard Card Update, the team has made a crucial adjustment to address the biggest sentiment outlier in the format: Death Blossom Whomper. Previously costing 5 mana, this powerful card now requires 6 mana to play. While other cards were considered for adjustments, the developers have decided to let the meta play out for a while, ensuring a diverse and competitive landscape for players to explore.
But that’s not all! In the Twist Card Updates, the developers are taking a unique approach to the mode’s design objectives. While balance changes may not be as necessary due to the quickly updating formats, the team has decided to ban three cards that were causing a bit too much chaos: Glide, Crypt Keeper, and Refreshing Spring Water. These changes aim to improve the overall format experience, and the developers will closely monitor player feedback to determine if further actions are needed in the future. So, get ready to adapt and strategize as you dive into the Twist mode, knowing that the developers are committed to keeping things fresh and exciting.
Hearthstone Updates
Standard Card Update
Dev Comment: The Standard meta is in a good spot right now, with a lot of competitive options across most classes. We’re making this adjustment because Whomper is the biggest sentiment outlier in the format. We considered a handful of other cards that could have gotten small adjustments, but decided that it would be better to let this meta play out for a while.
Death Blossom Whomper
- Old: [5 Mana]
- New: [6 Mana]
Twist Card Updates
Dev Comment: Part of the Twist Beta is exploring our own design objectives when it comes to the mode. The whole premise of the mode is that there are quickly updating formats already built into it, so balance changes might not be as necessary to keep things fresh. However, we are still able to make card bans when we think they make the format better. Here, we’re taking a lighter approach to the big three outliers in the current format. We’ll see how these changes impact players and might take further or different actions in the future, including next time we bring back the New Age format.
- Glide, Crypt Keeper, and Refreshing Spring Water are now banned in Twist.
The four cards mentioned above (Standard and Twist) will be eligible for a full dust refund for two weeks following Patch 26.6.2.
Battlegrounds Updates
Hero Power Updates
Cariel Roame
- Old: Give 2 friendly minions +1/+1. (After you upgrade the Tavern, choose an improvement!)
- Offensive Stance: For the rest of the game, ‘Conviction’ gives an additional +2 Attack.
- Defensive Stance: For the rest of the game, ‘Conviction’ gives an additional +2 Health.
- New: Give 3 friendly minions +1/+1. (After you upgrade the Tavern, choose an improvement!)
- Offensive Stance: For the rest of the game, ‘Conviction’ gives an additional +1 Attack.
- Defensive Stance: For the rest of the game, ‘Conviction’ gives an additional +1 Health.
King Mukla
- No text update.
- Old: King Mukla has 50% chance to get a Big Banana, all other players have 0% chance.
- New: All bananas have a 33% chance of being a Big Banana, regardless of who receives them.
Aranna Starseeker
- Old: After 16 friendly minions attack, the first minion you buy each turn is free.
- New: After 14 friendly minions attack, the first minion you buy each turn is free.
The Curator
- Old: [Passive] Start the game with a 1/1 Amalgam with Venomous and all minion types.
- New: [Passive] Start the game with a 2/2 Amalgam with Venomous and all minion types.
Armor Updates
The following heroes now have more armor:
- King Mukla now has 10 Armor.
- Cariel Roame now has 12 Armor at higher ranked lobbies and 10 Armor at lower ranked lobbies.
- Aranna Starseeker and The Curator now have 15 Armor.
Minion Updates
Cogwork Copter
- Old: 2 Attack, 1 Health
- New: 1 Attack, 1 Health
Scrap Scraper
- Old: 3 Attack, 7 Health. At the end of your turn, get a random Magnetic Mech.
- New: 4 Attack, 7 Health. At the end of every 2 turns, get a random Magnetic Mech.
Cyborg Drake
- Old: 2 Attack, 10 Health. Divine Shield. Your minions with Divine Shield have +8 Attack.
- New: 3 Attack, 10 Health. Divine Shield. Your minions with Divine Shield have +6 Attack.
Prickly Piper
- Old: 5 Attack, 2 Health
- New: 3 Attack, 1 Health
Bongo Bopper
- Old: 6 Attack, 5 Health.
- New: 4 Attack, 3 Health.
Hungry Snapjaw
- Old: 4 Attack, 2 Health.
- New: 5 Attack, 2 Health.
Recycling Wraith
- Old: [Tier 4] 5 Attack, 4 Health
- New: [Tier 3] 4 Attack, 2 Health
Bream Counter
- Old: 4 Attack, 4 Health. While this is in your hand, after you play a Murloc, gain +3/+2.
- New: 5 Attack, 5 Health. While this is in your hand, after you play a Murloc, gain +3/+3.
Eventide Brute
- Old: 3 Attack, 2 Health
- New: 4 Attack, 3 Health
Tidemistress Athissa
- Old: 7 Attack, 8 Health. After you cast a spell, give three friendly Naga +1/+1.
- New: 6 Attack, 8 Health. After you cast a spell, give four friendly Naga +1/+1.
Soulsplitter
- Old: [Tier 5] 5 Attack, 2 Health.
- New: [Tier 4] 4 Attack, 2 Health.
Minion Pool Changes
- Bannerboar has been removed from the minion pool.
- Patient Scout has been returned to the minion pool.
Duels Updates
Signature Treasure Updates
Carrot on a Stick
- Old: [2 Mana]
- New: [3 Mana]
Men-at-Arms
- Old: [4 Mana]
- New: [5 Mana]
Passive Treasure Updates
Starving
- Old: After the first time a friendly Beast dies in a turn, draw a minion from your deck and give it +1 Attack.
- New: After the first time a friendly Beast dies in your turn, draw a minion from your deck and give it +1 Attack.
Corrupted Felstone
- Old: After you cast your first Fel spell in a turn, give the left- and right-most minions in your hand +1 Attack.
- New: After you cast a Fel spell, give the left- and right-most minions in your hand +1 Attack.
Card Pool Updates
- Lightning Bloom and Kayne Sunfury have been banned from deckbuilding and all card pools.
- Rattlegore has been temporarily banned from deckbuilding and all card pools until Diablo leaves the hero pool.
Bug Fixes and Game Improvements
- [Shop/Twist] Updated the Druid Battle-Ready Deck to now include Umbral Owl instead of Jerry-Rig Carpenter.
- [Battlegrounds] Corrected the text on Tavish’s “Aim Right” hero power option; no functional change.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where certain hero powers didn’t show their costs on the hero select screen.
- [Duels] Corrected the text of Sai Shadestorm’s Signature Treasure, Glaciaxe; no functional change.
- [Duels] Fixed a bug with Sai Shadestorm’s hero power, Gathering Storm, where it couldn’t be used when you had a full board.