When the other cards will be released is still unclear. There isn’t much time left for that.
Will you check out the new Hearthstone expansion? Or are you completely indifferent to the addon in light of the Blizzard scandal?
The big reveal stream of Hearthstone was cancelled. Does this threaten the release of the new expansion “United in Stormwind” to be cancelled?
Actually, it is a joyful time in Hearthstone right now, as the next expansion “United in Stormwind” is on the horizon. A big stream was supposed to showcase a whopping 65 cards from the new set. However, that fell through – Blizzard quietly cancelled the stream at the last moment.
What kind of stream was that? Just before the release of a new expansion, the developers of Hearthstone always hold a big “Card Reveal Stream.” In this stream, usually over 60 of the new cards are presented, allowing players to receive a lot of information at once and plan new decks in advance.
Thirty minutes before the stream was supposed to take place, Blizzard deleted the corresponding news without comment. The stream did not happen.
Why was the stream cancelled? Blizzard did not make any specific statements beforehand, but the reason is probably quite clear. Very little work is currently being done in the developer studio, as employees are dealing with a major sexism and discrimination scandal. The state of California had filed suit and had been investigating for two years.
What is the Hearthstone team doing right now? In response to this, Dean Ayala spoke on the game’s subreddit. The game designer explained that they are currently dealing with other things and now is not the time to celebrate – like in a stream. He says more specifically:
Our focus is currently on how we can help each other, and we are planning steps on how to make our workplace a better place for everyone. Something we have obviously failed at in the past.
Just celebrating something doesn’t feel quite right. I can assure you that the only reason we are hesitating to continue with things like streams and card releases is out of respect for our employees. This is an incredibly important time to reflect and ensure that we choose the best path forward. There is no directive to remain silent or a legal team telling us what we can and cannot say. Our focus is simply on [our colleagues].
Will the release still take place? Yes. According to Dean Ayala, the release date of the new expansion “United in Stormwind” will be maintained. He said:
[…] we still care about our work and passionately continue to aim to deliver a great game. That’s the whole reason why most of us are even here. We have no plans to postpone the launch or other developments further. We are just taking time to make sure we catch the right moment.
According to this, “United in Stormwind” will likely be released as scheduled on August 3, 2021 – so already next week on Tuesday evening.
When the other cards will be released is still unclear. There isn’t much time left for that.
Will you check out the new Hearthstone expansion? Or are you completely indifferent to the addon in light of the Blizzard scandal?
