“Draenei are a permanent addition to Hearthstone, so older cards featuring these characters will be updated with this new minion type, too.”
Blizzard has announced a brand-new Hearthstone expansion. This time, it's called "The Great Dark Beyond." Read on for the new Hearthstone expansion's release date, a preview of the Starship keyword, details about Draenei minions, and more!
Hearthstone The Great Dark Beyond release date
The new Hearthstone expansion launches on Nov. 5. The Great Dark Beyond includes 145 new cards, Draenei as a new minion type, the Starship keyword, plus the return of the Spellburst mechanic. There's also a pre-release Tavern Brawl for players who would like to open up card packs and duke it out against others.
Hearthstone gets Starship keyword
Examples of Starships minions include Arkonite Defense Crystal, Starlight Reactor, and Exarch Othaar. When minions with the Starship keyword die, their stats and effects get added to the construction of a Starship. The player can then launch that Starship onto the board. Doing this requires 5 mana.
"You can stack as many pieces as you want before you launch — the sky’s the limit!" Blizzard added.
Additionally, only six Hearthstone classes have dedicated cards featuring this keyword. These classes are Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Druid, Hunter, Rogue, and Warlock.
The return of Spellburst
Meanwhile, Spellburst is another keyword to note in The Great Dark Beyond. "Cards with the returning Spellburst keyword have an effect that triggers the first time you play a spell. Combine your cards for a well-timed surge in power," Blizzard explained. Arkwing Pilot is an example of a minion that features this mechanic.
Related articles
Draenei and the Burning Legion enter Hearthstone
Draenei aren't new to the game, but they are a new minion type in the upcoming expansion. Examples of Draenei minions include Ingenious Artificer and Velen, Leader of the Exiled.
Of course, there are also some minions from the Burning Legion. Archimonde is a given because of his history with Velen in the World of Warcraft universe. Other Hearthstone cards themed after the Burning Legion include Foreboding Flame and Relentless Wrathguard.
"Draenei are a permanent addition to Hearthstone, so older cards featuring these characters will be updated with this new minion type, too," added Hearthstone senior game designer Edward Goodwin in a video.
Free legendary Hearthstone card: Nexus-Prince Shaffar
In celebration of the upcoming expansion, Hearthstone players who log in now can get the Nexus-Prince Shaffar legendary minion for free. This is a neutral minion, which means any Hearthstone class can use it.
The Great Dark Beyond Tavern Brawl
From Oct. 29 to Nov. 5, players can open up their card packs from the new expansion ahead of time. Everyone gets one free entry ticket for a chance to achieve six wins in the pre-release Tavern Brawl event as well. Three losses means the end of a run. After this free ticket, entry would require two Tavern Tickets, 300 in-game gold, or 400 Runestones.
"During this period, there will also be free The Great Dark Beyond community pack drops so that everyone will be able to play with the new cards!" Blizzard added.
That's all for now. Are you excited about the new Hearthstone expansion? Stick around on esports.gg for more news and updates!
