Hearthstone Forged in the Barrens: Release Date, Year of the Gryphon, Theme, New Game mode and More

We're getting closer and closer to the next expansion of Hearthstone! 

What does Blizzard have in store for the start of the Year of the Gryphon, and what are you excited for most?

Year of the Gryphon

With the release of the new expansion, comes a new year in Hearthstone! 

This update will add a new Core and Classic set with 235 new cards. As well as this, we'll also be getting the return of some old cards that were previously removed from the game.

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New card art will also be coming! This should help the game feel new and fresh for both new and returning players.

Theme

From what we've seen so far there is clearly a large focus on the Horde and Quilboar (both known from Wolrd of Warcraft).

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The next expansions seem to carry some sort of storyline which will take place over the year and the next three expansions. 

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We can't wait to see where Blizzard takes the Hearthstone storyline, and whether we'll get to see a war between the Alliance and the Horde.

New Keyword

Frenzy is the new keyword coming with the next expansion.

Effectively, If your minion attacks and survives, this buff activates and deals damage to all enemy targets.

Do you think this new keyword sounds too powerful? We're excited to see how the developers balance this new 

New Mechanic - Spell Schools

Spell Schools are releasing with the next expansion of Hearthstone and will be a permanent addition to the game

This new feature will be applied retroactively, meaning it will affect all the previous spells released in the game 

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This addition is set to change up the synergy of your collection and add a new layer of depth when it comes to your strategy!

New Game Mode

Mercenaries is the new game mode coming to Hearthstone!

This takes a "Slay the Spire" style game and applies it to Hearthstone's mechanics. This is a much-loved game that is currently available on Steam.

We hope Blizzard can take the blueprint of Slay the Spire and create a new, improved version for us to dig our teeth into.

Release Date 

There is currently no exact release date for Forged in the Barrens, but we can expect the expansion to release around March/April 2021.

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Check back here for all the latest info and news on Forged in the Barrens!