Hearthstone fans are celebrating the announcement of a new Classic Format game mode that mimics what the game was like at launch.
Classic Format uses only the original 240 cards that Hearthstone launched with. Any changes made to these cards since launch are rolled back. Warsong Commander will once again grant all your minions Charge. Leeroy Jenkins will once again be a four-mana cost card instead of five. You get the idea.
Blizzard appears to have borrowed the idea from its own World of Warcraft Classic, a version of the venerable MMO that allowed players to return to a simpler age in the game’s life. It has held onto a dedicated audience who love that version of the game and continue to play alongside the live retail version.
However, Classic Format is not the only change to Hearthstone Blizzard has announced. It will also be increasing the total number of slots available for saved decks from 18 to 27. As the next expansion looms, the game will also reset the proverbial board by introducing an entirely new set of Core Cards. This new Core Set will be free for every player.
The new Core Set includes 235 cards. Some are from earlier sets. Some have been reworked. 29 of them are completely new. Players can earn new cards can by levelling each of the game’s classes. All Basic and Classic cards outside of the Core Set will be moved to the no-holds-barred Wild Format. Wild Format itself will be renamed Legacy Set.
It’s expected that Blizzard will have more to say about these changes at BlizzCon 2021 (aka BlizzConline) which kicks off on February 20 at 9:00 AM AEDT.
