Hearthstone changes drastically which cards can be played in the future. But what do the professionals think about it? What do the fans say?
What do the professionals say about the new format?
With the next expansion of Hearthstone, which is expected in spring 2016, the regular “Play” mode will be significantly revamped. Just like with physical card games such as Magic: The Gathering or the Warcraft TCG, so-called “formats” will be introduced. These are special rules that determine which cards can still be used.
As a guideline, it has been considered to allow the use of all basic and classic cards, plus all cards from expansions from the last two years. This means that “Goblins vs Gnomes” and “Naxxramas” will be removed with the introduction of the patch – at least in the new “Play” mode “Standard”. This will also be the basis for official tournaments.
All this does not count for the “Wild” game mode. Here, players can also climb the ladder, complete quests, and collect gold without having to sacrifice a single card. So those who do not want to deal with the restrictive rules can simply continue as before.
Overwhelming Approval
If you look at the various video comments from the most successful Hearthstone players, you will notice an overwhelming approval. The advantages of the system are clearly evident to the professionals: the meta is shaken up by new expansions, and one must continually rethink to get the most out of the available cards.
At the same time, there are great advantages for new players, as they can see directly which cards are still relevant and what items they should acquire in the shop, without being overwhelmed by a flood of possibilities.
Finally, this is seen as the only way to keep Hearthstone alive in the long term. Although there are currently no complaints about a lack of players, frustration grows day by day as the same decks become stronger and the meta remains stagnant even with new expansions.
Minor Concerns: Longer Wait Times? “Duplicate” Cards?
However, changes never come without criticism or concerns. If all players are divided into the game modes “Wild” or “Standard”, then logically the pool of players for each mode is halved. There are concerns that this could lead to longer wait times. This is already contradicted in the FAQ by Blizzard, but only time will tell if this will actually be the case.
Another point of criticism is that Blizzard might be tempted to develop new “old” cards. Since certain cards will fall out of the Standard mode, it might be worthwhile to simply design a new card exactly like one of the old ones – a practice that was often the case in physical card games.
Lastly, the changes are seen as a clever method for Blizzard to generate even more money. Critics argue: If only certain expansions are valid, one has to buy new cards more often to keep up. Opponents disagree – as anyone wanting to stay current would have to do that already.
In summary, the expectations and excitement about the changes clearly outweigh the concerns, and the fears are the “typical” worries that one essentially has with every change – whether they will come true remains to be seen.
You can read what exactly Blizzard is changing here in this article:
