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!

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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.

New Venomous minions
New Venomous minions

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."

Devs about the Mega-Windfury removal

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.

And this crew has everything you need to harmonize with your chosen minion types and make your warband really sing.
Mechs are more Magnetic than ever before, with extra bonuses that stack up as you play. Magnets, they’re so metal.
Quilboar are picking up even more Blood Gems and Blood Gem synergies than before.
Demons have even more ways to reward you with power, if you’re willing to pay the price.
Pirates have a new crew that’s even more obsessed with getting and spending Gold than ever before.
The shambling Undead are back with a few more options, keeping with the themes of minions dying and being summoned in combat.
Naga are deep in the blues, and drowning in even more spell and Spellcraft synergies than before.
Elementals are rocking, frosting, and gusting onto the scene with lots more ways to buff your shop, buff your warband, and promote lots of buying and selling elementals.
Dragons are back with lots of new instruments, emphasizing Battlecries and in-combat buffs.
Murlocs are seeing a few shifting tides. They are subbing out Poisonous for the new Venomous keyword, and are getting some new handbuff synergies—allowing them to swarm their enemies from even beyond the board.
Beasts are switching up their pack with new ways to summon Beasts in combat and give combat buffs, plus, Azeroth’s best wrapper alive.

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.

Battlegrounds Season 4 Preview
Battlegrounds Season 4 Preview

LATAM Group

May 4, 1 p.m. - 6 p.m. (PT)

APAC Group

May 5, 3 a.m. - 6 a.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.

Battlegrounds Track
Battlegrounds Track

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!

<em>The Brann Bronzegill Hero Skin may become available for purchase in the in-game shop in a later patch.</em>
The Brann Bronzegill Hero Skin may become available for purchase in the in-game shop in a later patch.

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.