{"id":745,"date":"2020-03-17T02:25:11","date_gmt":"2020-03-17T02:25:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gamemasters.com\/?p=745"},"modified":"2020-05-09T13:34:23","modified_gmt":"2020-05-09T13:34:23","slug":"hearthstone-heats-up-in-the-year-of-the-phoenix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gamemasters.com\/?p=745","title":{"rendered":"Hearthstone\u00ae Heats Up in the Year of the Phoenix"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n
\n
\n

The new <\/em>Hearthstone year kicks off with the debut of the Demon Hunter, the first entirely new class added since the game\u2019s launch<\/em>
\nAvailable for pre-purchase now with special bonuses, the upcoming <\/em>Ashes of Outland\u2122<\/sup> expansion explores one of Azeroth\u2019s most storied locales and introduces 135 fel-infused new cards<\/em>
\nThe Year of the Phoenix will bring monumental changes to <\/em>Hearthstone,<\/em> including a thorough overhaul of ranked play, updates for <\/em>Battlegrounds, and more<\/em><\/h2>\n
IRVINE, Calif.\u2014March 17, 2020\u2014<\/strong>The Year of the Phoenix <\/strong>will rise in Hearthstone\u00ae<\/sup><\/em> on April 7, <\/strong>bringing monumental changes to Blizzard\u2019s smash-hit digital card game. This fiery new era will commence with the introduction of the Demon Hunter<\/strong>, the first all-new class to be added to Hearthstone<\/em> since the game\u2019s launch. All players will get the Demon Hunter class and corresponding Illidan Stormrage Hero free, as well as 30 of the class\u2019s specially tailored cards\u2014and even be able to dive right into the action with a pre-built decklist using those cards. Coinciding with this grand debut is Ashes of Outland\u2122<\/sup><\/em><\/strong>, the first expansion in the Year of the Phoenix, which takes players beyond the Dark Portal and into the war-torn realm that was the setting for 2007\u2019s World of Warcraft\u00ae<\/sup>: The Burning Crusade\u00ae<\/sup><\/em>. Additionally, Hearthstone <\/em>will see a staggering array of features, updates, and in-game events\u2014including substantial additions to the Battlegrounds<\/em> game mode.\u201cWe\u2019re excited to kick off the Year of the Phoenix by introducing Hearthstone\u2019s<\/em> first all-new class together with the epic Ashes of Outland<\/em> expansion,\u201d said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. \u201cThe Demon Hunter is iconic to Warcraft\u00ae<\/sup><\/em>, and the class is a natural fit for Hearthstone<\/em>. When you look at everything coming to the game in April, and everything we have planned for 2020\u2014this is going to be the best year yet for Hearthstone<\/em> players.\u201d<\/p>\n

Introducing: The Demon Hunter<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The fearsome Demon Hunter, Hearthstone\u2019s <\/em>first ever all-new class, is coming free for all players <\/strong>who complete the free Demon Hunter Prologue <\/em>campaign, which retells the origin story of the iconic Warcraft<\/em> hero (and original Demon Hunter) Illidan Stormrage. All Hearthstone <\/em>players can embark on the prologue campaign starting April 2. By completing the prologue, players will also earn access to 30 Demon Hunter class cards, and a convenient pre-built starter Demon Hunter deck using those cards.<\/p>\n

The Demon Hunter and the new Demon Hunter class cards will enter Hearthstone<\/em> on April 7 alongside the launch of Ashes of Outland, <\/em>the first expansion of the year.<\/p>\n

For more information on the Demon Hunter, visit the official blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ashes of Outland<\/u><\/em><\/strong> Expansion Set<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

Ashes of Outland<\/em> takes Hearthstone <\/em>beyond the Dark Portal into the shattered, war-torn realm that was the setting for 2007\u2019s World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade<\/em>. Illidan Stormrage<\/strong>, the original Demon Hunter, has proclaimed himself Lord of Outland. Along with the Illidari\u2014Illidan\u2019s elite cabal of fellow Demon Hunters and their motley thralls and allies\u2014he serves as the last bastion of hope against the dreaded Rusted Legion<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Coming April 7<\/strong>, Ashes of Outland <\/em>introduces 135 collectible cards that aim to shake up Hearthstone<\/em> with novel mechanics. Starting March 17, players can pre-purchase the Ashes of Outland<\/em> Mega Bundle <\/strong>for $79.99. The Mega Bundle includes 90 Ashes of Outland <\/em>card packs, one random Ashes of Outland Golden <\/em>Legendary card, the Lady Vashj Shaman Hero, the Serpentine card back, four Arena tickets, and Descent of Dragons<\/em> bonuses for the Battlegrounds game mode, which upgrade to the Tavern Pass *<\/sup> at the launch of Ashes of Outland<\/em>. For $49.99, players can get the Pre-Purchase Bundle<\/strong>, which includes 55 Ashes of Outland <\/em>card packs, one random Ashes of Outland <\/em>Golden Legendary card, and the Serpentine card back. One of each bundle can be purchased per account.<\/p>\n

Visit the official blog<\/a> for more details on Ashes of Outland.<\/em><\/p>\n

Year of the Phoenix Updates<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n

The Year of the Phoenix will be an explosive one for Hearthstone<\/em>, with a vast roadmap of expansions, features, updates, and in-game events in the works. Here\u2019s a peek at what players can expect:<\/p>\n