Hearthstone to pick up new game mode and customization options in upcoming patch

If you're a big fan of Blizzard's digital card game, Hearthstone, you'll be happy to know some big changes are coming. Perhaps the most notable of these changes is the addition of a new game mode called "Tavern Brawl," which is a repeating, temporary event that adds some unique flavor to matches. Here's how Blizzard describes it:

Each week, a different Tavern Brawl will pit you head to head versus another player using exciting and unique rules. One week might feature preset decks, while another week could have you crafting a brand new Tavern Brawl deck following specific guidelines, while others might offer buffs to specific minion types—who knows!

Tavern Brawls will be available to players that have at least one level 20 hero, and will run as temporary in-game events with different rule sets each time a new one starts.

Aside from the new game mode, Hearthstone is also set to pick up some new customization options that should be welcome from players. In an upcoming update, Blizzard is adding the first new hero since the game launched, the Dwarven warrior king, Magni Bronzebeard. Blizzard is quick to note that new heroes are for flavor only; meaning that it's a visual change only and hero powers will stay the same for each class. In addition, the company teased some upcoming heroes with silhouetted portraits for both the Hunter (Sylvanas? Alleria?) and Mage classes.

Finally, in the upcoming update, players will be able to assign custom card backs to specific decks, taking deck customization a bit further.

Blizzard says that these changes will come in patch 2.7, but the company didn't give a timeline for release. However, all things said, this looks to be a pretty awesome patch for us Hearthstone fans.

Source: Blizzard

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl

26 Comments
  • Sweet, can't wait to boot this up on my Windows Phone! Oh wait...
  • +1520 but seriously, makes me sad
  • Too soon! Lol!
  • Yea, Want this on WP too
  • Yup. They got SO many request but its probably to much to hope for :/
  • Why Blizzard, why...
  • Agreed, Windows Phone version please.
  • It'd be nice if they port their app to WP, maybe when mobile 10 is out, though I doubt it since it's not difficult to do already in Unity.
  • But no WP app :'(
  • Still no WP app.....c'mon Blizzard!
  • Why put this on here if there's no windows app?
  • Because it is a Windows game.
  • This website is mainly for windows computers. Its backbone is 'Mobile Central'.
    Next time I want useless information on a game that will update itself on my computer automaticly I'll just log in to my computer.  
  • Or you could filter the results or scroll past like an adult. It's not like that's faster than commenting or anything, lol.
  • Its called windows central for a reason you know Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • I picked up a 13 inch HP Stream and my only requirements were that it could play HD video, run multiple tabs while browsing the web, office, AND play Hearthstone. God I love this game. Maybe someday it will come to windows mobile, but it might be better to not have it in my pocket, because then I'd be playing it everywhere.
  • Didn't they announce an easy tool to port android/ios apps? If so, where the fluck is Hearthstone among others. Hearthstones a great game, hope it gets ported to WP soon.
  • Awesome
  • Never played WoW or any other Blizzard game, but just got into this a week ago after a friend showed it to me. Runs pretty well on my 8" Lenovo Yoga Tablet 2 (WIth Anypen). A mouthful of a name... Anyway. Even though it's a desktop app it has touch support that works fairly well. Cards can be a little hard to grab at times. Havn't tried any multiplayer yet. Only just barely got all the hero's unlocked.  Would also very much like to see this on Windows Phone. The mobile version looks very dumbed down though.  / K
  • The mobile version is exactly the same game, just made to fit a smaller screen. In which way does it seem "dumbed down" to you? 
  • So many comments from people who are waiting for WP release. As I can see - they just don't want to do this. They even can't (actually too busy, or have no money to afford WP developer) to create simple mobile Armory. What to say about complex game? How should it run on 512MB devices even when it lags on PC with 760 vcard or on iPhones?
    So I'm not waiting for HS on WP, because they just don't care.
  • @IllsuionMH you might want to calculate $15-$20*7 odd million*12. That's about 1.25 billion a year. And you think they can't afford a dev for windows?.
  • That was sarcasm. Of course they can afford good team, but they just don't care. I'm starting to think that they want to raise as much as possible money on their last "breath".
  • Can't be a fan as no install on windows phone..
  • Curious why they wouldn't support wp or windows tablets, buty crack theory is/was that blizz is just waiting it out until the platform matures enough. I mean they did release the authenticator fairly fast, but that was a necessity. I think they'll wait until ein 10 hits as it will be much easier to tool a cross-screen app for that ecosystem. This might be wishful thinking though. (and they should make it available on xbox one as well. Would love to play this with kinect)
  • Frankly I think the reskinned heroes aren't worth it. Sure the new art is nice and the emotes etc, if the were £2-3 it would be alright but they aren't. But of a rip imo