Patch 24.6 is coming next week, and it looks to be a hefty one. Blizzard isn’t doing it often, but they just dropped a preview, teasing some of the upcoming stuff. Here’s a quick summary:
New Expansion Announcement – New set will get announced on November 1 (Tuesday) at 10 AM PT / 19:00 CET. Get one Castle Nathria pack for watching.
Hallow’s End – The event is coming, but no details were shared yet (given yesterday’s teaser I assume that we’ll learn more on November 2).
Battlegrounds Bash – A new way to get Battlegrounds cosmetics. You can pay 1000 Runestones ($10) to get one “bash” of a hammer for every Top 4 finish you get during the event. Each bash unlocks a Battlegrounds cosmetic. There are 10 prizes in total, and players who don’t pay still get one bash (you know, they need to get you hooked).
Mercenaries Rework – Task system gets reworked – all tasks will be available at the same time, but you will only progress the ones for your current party members. Some generic tasks will also be available daily. Players will also be able to exchange excess Coins to “renown” points and each day the campfire will show offers to buy Coins for non-maxed Mercs with renown.
Loaner Decks For New & Returning Players – Instead of having to pick one deck right away, new & returning players will be able to test six loaner decks for one week before having to select one of them. It will help them make more informed decisions and get more ladder experience before having to choose.
You can check out the full preview below:
Patch 24.6 is nearly upon us, and it’s a big one! To cram it all in, we’re giving a sneak peek at some of the new features and more to look out for, coming soon.
Twitch Drop for Announcement Stream!
It all kicks off on November 1 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time on our Announcement Stream, where we’ll reveal Hearthstone’s next expansion and more! Tune in to Twitch.tv/playhearthstone for just 15 minutes of the roughly 30-minute Announcement to earn a free Murder at Castle Nathria pack, but make sure you show up on time because you’ll want to catch the whole show! If you haven’t done so already, be sure to link your Battle Net and Twitch account to be eligible for Drops.
Hallow’s End is Nearly Upon Us
Hallow’s End is coming with Patch 24.6. We go big this year with some fun new things and the return of some old fan favorites. Details will be shared soon!
New Battlegrounds Battle Bash
With Patch 24.6, we’re introducing a fun new way to get Battlegrounds cosmetic items: Battle Bash. Each Battle Bash has a curated, limited time collection of Battlegrounds cosmetics,* including at least one Legendary item! Purchasing access to the Battle Bash means you earn one “Hammer” with each Top 4 finish during the Battle Bash period. Each Hammer is then be used to Bash for a random prize from that Battle Bash collection!
This first Battle Bash is the Hallows End Collection, featuring 10 items, including two Legendary items (one Legendary Board and one Legendary Strike) and more. Entry to this Battle Bash can be purchased for money or 1000 Runestones, and players will immediately get two Bashes with purchase.
On top of that, all players get one random Bash for free! That means everybody gets a holiday treat, whether they want to participate or not, and that those who do buy entry need seven Top 4 finishes to get all 10 prizes.
* Each Battle Bash collection as a whole is only available for a limited time. Individual items within each Battle Bash may be offered again at a later time.
Mercenaries Task Rework and Renown System
Starting in Patch 24.6, we’ll be updating our Tasks system. Tasks have been an important part of Mercenaries since the mode first launched. We like that Tasks are a way for players to get free Coins, Packs, and more to help grow their collection and strengthen their Mercs as they play. We’ve improved the Task system a couple times since launch, making it much easier for players to get new Tasks and keep the Task chain rolling. Starting in Patch 24.6, we’re opening them up even more: all Task Chains will available at all times!
Task progress will be determined by the Mercs actively in your Party at that time. That means you can choose exactly which Task chains you want to work on, and when, and progress up to six Tasks chains at once!
In Patch 24.6, we’re also introducing a new Renown system that will let players exchange excess coins for coins of Mercs they own, but haven’t yet Maxed. Your excess coins can be converted to Renown at any time, then exchanged at the Campfire. With Tasks now being available at all times, the Campfire daily reset will instead feature offers to exchange Renown for coins for Mercs they haven’t Maxed. The daily reset will also include some miscellaneous general Mercs Tasks, not tied to any current Task Chain, mixed in with those Renown exchange offerings.
Keep an eye out for the 24.6 Patch Notes, coming soon, for more information about Renown and the new Task updates!
Loaner Decks for New and Returning Players
Starting with Patch 24.6, new and returning players* will have an upgraded free deck experience. Instead of being immediately asked to choose a free deck to rejoin the ladder with, they will be able to test six loaner decks for one week before selecting one to permanently add to their collection for free! We’re excited that this will give new and returning players a variety of options to immediately jump onto the ladder with, and help them make a more informed decision about how they want to reignite their collections.
* Includes players who didn’t play the Murder at Castle Nathria expansion.See the official post for decklists and eligibility details.
That’s all we have to share right now. Make sure you tune in to the Announcement Stream on November 1, at 10 a.m. Pacific for the rest of the big news. We’ll see you there!
A Hearthstone player and writer from Poland, Stonekeep has been in a love-hate relationship with Hearthstone since Closed Beta. Over that time, he has achieved many high Legend climbs and infinite Arena runs. He's the current admin of Hearthstone Top Decks.
The article says that the pack dropping stream “kicks off on November 1 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time” – can someone tell me what time it will be in CEST?