A new Battlegrounds Season is coming and with it changes that will shake up the game. Check out this esports.gg recap on the latest BG news.
Hearthstone revealed big news about Battlegrounds Season 4. The 26.2 patch will go live on May 9 and it will mean the end of a cycle. Buddies will leave Battlegrounds -once more-, but Season 4 comes with over 100 Minion changes, a new mechanic and reworked Keywords.
But that's only part of the show. Battlegrounds fans will have much to enjoy during Season 4. For the anxious ones, there will be a Preview event. Moreover, the new update will arrive with Twitch Drops and a new Battlegrounds Track for season 4 full of cosmetics. If this sounds overwhelming, don't worry, the devs will explain you everything.
Battlegrounds Season 4
Hearthstone is presenting Battlegrounds Season 4 as E.T.C. World Tour, linking it to the last expansion. As you probably know, the main Battlegrounds update for every season comes one month after each expansion, and it is time for BG to rock!
Rockmaster Voone and Upbeat Minions
The main star of the Battlegrounds Season 4 event is Voone. With a passive Hero Power that grants you a copy of your leftmost card in your hand, you need to make sure your hand is synchronized with the beat.
Talking about beats, Upbeat Minions are invading Battlegrounds in Season 4. This new mechanic called "Upbeat" describes minions that will activate special effects every few turns that they are in play. It's up to you how long you want them on your (war)band, but the longer they stay, the more value you get!
Keyword Updates for Battlegrounds Season 4
The powerful and problematic Poisonous mechanic is leaving Battlegrounds as soon as Season 4 begins. To replace it, Bob will offer Venomous minions that work in a similar fashion but not exactly alike.
Venomous minions will destroy the first minion they damage. This significantly lowers the power of the Murloc tribe which will need to reinvent itself into a more stat-based composition.
The design team has also decided to remove Mega-Windfury from the game mode. Tripleing Windfury minions will no longer give them this unique ability.
"Windfury was the only Keyword that resulted in a “double-buff" when the minion is tripled, so we think taking that interaction out will make the game more consistent and open up space for us to explore in the future."
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Over 100 Minion changes for Battlegrounds Season 4
It's time to talk about the massive minion remix Battlegrounds will see in Season 4. Every tribe will have a massive overhaul that will create and encourage different strategies. Don't worry, we won't go over each minion one by one. But you can have a sneak peek using the following infographics.
If you feel confused, don't worry, you are not alone. Fortunately, PockyPlays has already published a thread with many clarifications on how minions work and some special interactions. Make sure you give them a follow!
Understanding that this change could be a bit overwhelming for the more casual Battlegrounds players, Season 4 content will come in waves or phases.
- May 9: Patch 26.2 goes live with minion phase one (Beasts, Murlocs, Dragons, Elementals, Naga, and Undead)
- May 11: Pirates are added to the minion pool
- May 15: Demons are added to the minion pool
- May 22: Quilboar and Mechs are added to the minion pool
Battlegrounds Playtest
Before that, Blizzard organized a Season 4 Battlegrounds preview event where content creators from all around the world will have exclusive access. On May 4 and 5, four groups of players from different regions will showcase the first wave of new content.
NA Group
May 4, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (PT)
EMEA Group
May 4, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. (PT)
As a bonus track, there will be a series of Dev talks that you can catch on Hearthstone's Youtube channel explaining the new content for Battlegrounds Season 4.
Battlegrounds Track and Twitch Drops
Last but not least, Battlegrounds fans will get a new Track to get cosmetics and other perks. The paid version will provide access to the +2 Hero options at the start of each game, alongside great cosmetic loot.
Talking about cosmetics, the new Brann Bronzegill Battlegrounds Hero Skin will be available via Twitch Drops as soon as Season 4 launches. Celebrate the new season watching any Hearthstone Twitch stream for 1 hour (From May 9 at 10 a.m. PT to May 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT) to earn the new RegisKillbin, I mean, Brann Bronzegill Hero Skin!
This is all for now, but stay tuned for more news. The 26.2 patch notes will be up next week and we will be covering all the new content!
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more Hearthstone Battlegrounds news and updates. See you next time in the Tavern.