Hearthstone's upcoming mini-set is a StarCraft crossover, reimagining Blizzard's iconic sci-fi RTS units as cards. Alongside this, Blizzard unveiled a year's worth of Hearthstone expansions and a significant overhaul to the Arena mode, providing a comprehensive outlook for 2025. The StarCraft crossover was announced during the Warcraft 30th anniversary direct, which also marked Hearthstone's 10th anniversary. This mini-set, the largest in Hearthstone's history, features 49 cards.
GameSpot spoke with Hearthstone senior game designer Cora Georgiou and game designer Leo Robles Gonzalez before the direct to discuss the challenges of adapting StarCraft into a card game, the upcoming Arena changes, and the year's expansions. Gonzalez noted the team's intention to be more adventurous, given the game's decade-long history and players' eagerness for new content.
Different classes will utilize specific StarCraft heroes, with each faction having its own card sets. For instance, Warriors, Paladins, and Shamans can use Jim Raynor and Terran cards, while Death Knights, Hunters, Warlocks, and Demon Hunters can wield Kerrigan and Zerg cards. Mages, Priests, Rogues, and Druids can harness Artanis and Protoss cards.
Adapting StarCraft was similar to adapting Warcraft, but the focus shifted from characters to iconic units. Capturing the essence of StarCraft's gameplay, with its micro and macro strategies, was crucial. The Heroes of StarCraft mini-set is set for a January 2025 release.
Beyond the StarCraft crossover, Blizzard revealed a 2025 roadmap featuring three expansions and a major Arena mode revamp. Arena, unchanged since 2014, will introduce two versions in 2025: Normal Arena with faster runs and Underground Arena with longer runs and a 're-draft on loss' feature. This split aims to make Arena more accessible to new players while challenging veterans.
The first expansion, Into the Emerald Dream, transports players to an idealized Azeroth, battling Old Gods. The second expansion, The Shrouded City, is a sequel to 2017's Journey to Un'Goro, exploring the Tortollan race. The third expansion, Heroes of Time, delves into alternate versions of Azeroth's past, culminating in a battle with Murozond.
In other Warcraft news, Blizzard announced remastered versions of Warcraft 1 and 2, along with a major update for Warcraft 3: Reforged.
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