The next big content update for Hearthstone is set to arrive with Patch 23.2 on May 10, primarily focusing on the Battlegrounds game mode. While we've been given a fair number of teases ahead of time through various content creator reveals - including one rather unintended 'leak' - Blizzard has only just shared the full extensive list of everything that's scheduled for tomorrow. And there are some nifty surprises in store! 

The highlights include: 

  • New Battlegrounds Season and ratings reset, along with the new Naga tribe, Spellcraft keyword, other minion changes, and Queen Azshara hero. 
  • Battlegrounds Buddies also rotate out, Armor System remains with new adjustments.
  • The cost to upgrade to Tavern Tier 5 has been reverted to start at 9 Gold.
  • For the first two weeks of the patch, Naga will be guaranteed in every lobby. Afterwards, they will go into the normal rotation. The total number of minion types available in every game won’t change.
  • The third special event for Hearthstone Mercenaries arrives, brought to us by Old God N'zoth. Also new N'zoth Mercenary, Darkshore zone and its first bounty, plus mercenary reworks.
  • Great news: completing all Bounties in the Wintersping Zone will now unlock the first Bounty in each subsequent Zone. You will no longer be locked out of participating in special events if you are behind on the PvE side of things!
  • A new Fatigue system has been added to the Fighting Pit (Mercenaries PvP). Now, after 10 turns of combat, all characters will be in Fatigue and take double damage (which means 4x damage for Critical Hits).
  • Heroic Brawliseum returns on May 18! It's been a long while.
  • Three New Game Features: Upgrade to Golden, favorite multiple card backs, and sending deck codes to friends.
  • No extra balance changes for Standard & Wild at this point. 
  • Older Mini-Sets returning to the client, with separate all-Golden options for purchase. 
  • Various Bug Fixes & Improvements. 

Read on for full details:

Hearthstone 23.2 Patch Notes

Quote From Blizzard

Patch 23.2, launching on May 10, includes a fresh new Battlegrounds season, Mercenaries updates, new features, bug fixes, and more!

 

Battlegrounds Updates

GENERAL UPDATES

  • The inaugural Battlegrounds season, Rise of the Naga, begins with Patch 23.2!
  • Battlegrounds Ratings will be reset when the patch goes live.
  • Buddies will be leaving Battlegrounds with the patch.
  • The cost to upgrade to Tavern Tier 5 has been reverted to start at 9 Gold.
  • Heroes with transforming Hero Powers can now see the next stage of their Hero Power by hovering over it.
  • Cards and Hero Powers with the text “for the next combat” or “for the next combat only” have all been updated to read “until next turn” for text space, consistency, and accuracy. This is not a functional change.

 

NEW MINION TYPE AND KEYWORD

With the new season, Naga will be added to Bob’s Tavern. The spell-focused Naga will have their own unique new keyword, Spellcraft. Minions with the Spellcraft keyword grant a temporary spell each turn that tends to give a buff for the next combat. Learn more about Naga and Spellcraft in our Rise of the Naga preview blog!

For the first two weeks of the patch, Naga will be guaranteed in every lobby. Afterwards, they will go into the normal rotation of minion types in any given game. The total number of minion types available in every game won’t change with this patch—there will just be an extra minion type on the sidelines.

 

NEW HERO

Queen Azshara

  • Azshara’s Ambition
    • Passive. When your warband reaches 30 total Attack, begin your Naga Conquest.
    • When your Naga Conquest begins, Queen Azshara transforms into Naga Queen Azshara and gets a new Hero Power, below.

Naga Queen Azshara (transformed from Queen Azshara)

  • Naga Conquest
    • [1 Gold] Discover a Naga.

Players with Battlegrounds Perks will have early access to the new Hero before it is formally released on May 24.

 

NEW MINIONS

Mini-Myrmidon

  • [Tavern Tier 1, Naga] 1 Attack, 3 Health. Spellcraft: Give a minion +2 Attack until next turn.

Shell Collector

  • [Tavern Tier 1, Naga] 3 Attack, 1 Health. Battlecry: Add a Gold Coin to your hand.

Deep-Sea Angler

  • [Tavern Tier 2, Naga] 2 Attack, 2 Health. Spellcraft: Give a minion +3 Health and Taunt until next turn.

Snail Cavalry

  • [Tavern Tier 2, Naga] 5 Attack, 2 Health. Once per Turn: After you cast a spell, gain +2 Health.

Lava Lurker

  • [Tavern Tier 2, Naga] 2 Attack, 5 Health. The first Spellcraft spell cast on this each turn is permanent.

Stormscale Siren

  • [Tavern Tier 3, Naga] 5 Attack, 4 Health. At the end of your turn, your Spellcraft minions cast their spells on themselves.

Shoal Commander

  • [Tavern Tier 3, Naga] 2 Attack, 2 Health. Spellcraft: Give a minion +1/+1 for each friendly Naga until next turn.

Pashmar the Vengeful

  • [Tavern Tier 3, Naga] 4 Attack, 5 Health. Avenge (3): Get a Spellcraft spell of your Tier or lower.

Waverider

  • [Tavern Tier 4, Naga] 2 Attack, 8 Health. Spellcraft: Give a minion +1/+1 and Windfury until next turn.

Eventide Brute

  • [Tavern Tier 4, Naga] 5 Attack, 4 Health. After you cast a spell, gain +1/+1.

Eelbound Archer

  • [Tavern Tier 4, Naga] 4 Attack, 4 Health. Spellcraft: Give a minion +8 Attack until next turn.

Reef Explorer

  • [Tavern Tier 4] 3 Attack, 3 Health. Battlecry: Discover a minion from a minion type you don’t control.

Leeroy the Reckless

  • [Tavern Tier 5] 6 Attack, 2 Health. Deathrattle: Destroy the minion that killed this.

Critter Wrangler

  • [Tavern Tier 5, Naga] 5 Attack, 7 Health. After you cast a Spellcraft spell on a minion, give it +2/+2.

Corrupted Myrmidon

  • [Tavern Tier 5, Naga] 2 Attack, 2 Health. Start of Combat: Double this minion’s stats.

Glowscale

  • [Tavern Tier 5, Naga] 4 Attack, 6 Health. Taunt. Spellcraft: Give a friendly minion Divine Shield until next turn.

Tidemistress Athissa

  • [Tavern Tier 6, Naga] 7 Attack, 8 Health. After you cast a spell, give four friendly Naga +1/+1.

Orgozoa, the Tender

  • [Tavern Tier 6] 5 Attack, 9 Health. Spellcraft: Discover a Naga.

Darkgaze Elder

  • [Tavern Tier 6, Quilboar] 6 Attack, 7 Health. After you spend 4 Gold, play a Blood Gem on four friendly Quilboar.

Mantid Queen

  • [Tavern Tier 6] 5 Attack, 5 Health. Poisonous. Start of Combat: For each of your minion types, gain +5/+5, Windfury, Divine Shield, or Taunt.

Young Murk-Eye

  • [Tavern Tier 6, Murloc] 8 Attack, 5 Health. At the end of your turn, adjacent Murlocs trigger their Battlecries.

 

MINION POOL CHANGES

  • Champion of Y’Shaarj, Deadly Spore, Amalgadon, Seafood Slinger, and Captain Flat Tusk have been removed from the minion pool.
  • Nightmare Amalgam has been returned to the minion pool, as a Tier 3 minion.
  • Bristleback Knight has been returned to the minion pool, as a 5 Attack minion.
  • Dev Comment: Amalgadon was fun while it lasted, but it led to endgame warbands feeling very similar over time. Amalgadon served three different roles in design: a flexible minion for all minion types, a menagerie driver, and a chance for a comeback against opponents who have scaled stats bigger than yours. It’s time for something fresh, so we’ve distributed those roles across a few minions in this patch: Nightmare Amalgam, Mantid Queen, and Leeroy the Reckless. Additionally, this change reflects an update to our Battlegrounds design philosophy: whenever we introduce a new minion type or major system, we plan to also release other minion pool changes like these in order to keep the game fresh, no matter how you play.

 

ARMOR UPDATES

With Buddies leaving and an entire new minion type joining the game, most heroes are getting an updated Armor Tier in Patch 23.2.

Mercenaries Updates

GENERAL UPDATES

  • Vanessa VanCleef, Leeroy Jenkins, and their respective Portraits, are now available through all normal means of obtaining Mercenaries.
  • A new Fatigue system has been added to the Fighting Pit. Now, after 10 turns of combat, all characters will be in Fatigue and take double damage (which means 4x damage for Critical Hits).
  • The “Refresh” keyword has been updated. Instead of fully finishing a Cooldown on an Ability, Refresh will now be written as “Refresh (x)” and reduce the Cooldown of an Ability by that amount.
  • Completing all Bounties in the Wintersping Zone will now unlock the first Bounty in each subsequent Zone.

 

 

NEW LIMITED TIME EVENT: N'ZOTH

When Patch 23.2 launches, the Old God N’Zoth’s influence will seep into Mercenaries with a new limited-time event. The event will consist of 10 special Tasks centered around N’Zoth. Two new event Tasks can unlock on each of the first five days of the event, but you have until Patch 23.4 to complete all 10 Tasks. Completing all 10 Tasks will award you the base N’Zoth Mercenary, a random Golden N’Zoth Portrait, the N’Zoth Diamond Portrait, and over 750 total Mercenaries Coins! For the first time ever, Toki will return to her regularly-scheduled daily Tasks the day after you complete all 10 event Tasks, even if the event period isn’t over yet.

Be careful, N’Zoth’s whispers have driven many a merc to madness. You’ll need not just your wits, but also your strongest Humans, Dwarves, Elves, and, especially your Murlocs, to take this event down.

 

NEW MERCENARY

N’Zoth (Legendary Caster)

  • Old God
  • 10/80 Maxed Stats
  • Abilities:
    • Spawn of N’Zoth 5: (Speed 5) 15 Attack, 15 Health. Rush. Immune while Attacking.
    • Gift of N’Zoth 5: (Speed 6) Give a Minion +5 Attack and gain control of it. It Attacks a random enemy. Old Gods’ Abilities Refresh (2).
    • Corrupted Viscera 5: (Speed 2, Cooldown 5) Destroy your Minions. For each, deal damage equal to their Health to all enemies and restore 10 Health to this Merc.
  • Equipment:
    • Evolving Might 4: Spawn of N’Zoth gains “Deathrattle: Give a random friendly character +5/+5.”
    • Corrupted Neurons 4: Gift of N’Zoth also gives the Minion +8 Health.
    • Eternal Torment 4: Passive: At the start of each turn deal 4 damage to all enemies.

N’Zoth and its Portraits will not initially be obtainable through packs or crafting. N’Zoth, its Portraits, and its Coins will be able to be obtained through all normal acquisition means in Patch 23.4.

 

MERCENARY REWORKS

Blink Fox

  • Mana Blink 5 (Ability)
    • Old: Refresh your characters’ abilities. Their next ability is (5) Speed faster. → New: Your characters’ abilities Refresh (5). Their next ability is 5 Speed faster.
  • Arcane Fling 5 (Ability)
    • Old: Deal 10 damage. Arcane Combo: Deal 18 damage instead. → New: Deal 13 damage to an enemy. If it has not acted yet, deal 18 instead.
  • Arcane Fang 4 (Equipment)
    • Old: Arcane Fling deals 5 more damage. → New: Arcane Fling deals 7 more damage.

Robes of Rejuvenation (Anduin’s Equipment)

  • Old: Passive: After a friendly Human dies. Refresh Holy Word: Salvation. → New: After a friendly Human dies, Holy Word: Salvation Refreshes (2).

Full Belly (Bounty Treasure)

  • Old: Start of Game: Refresh this Merc’s abilities. → New: Start of Game: This Merc’s abilities Refresh (20).

Blitzing Legion (Rathorian’s Ability)

  • Gained Fel Spell School

Terror Charge (Mannoroth’s Ability)

  • Gained Fel Spell School

Howl of Terror (Mannoroth’s Ability)

  • Gained Fel Spell School

Divine Assault (Tirion’s Ability)

  • Gained Holy Spell School

Helm of Domination (The Lich King’s Equipment)

  • Now deals Frost damage

Chilling Amulet (Varden Dawngrasp’s Equipment)

  • Now deals Frost damage

 

NEW ZONE AND BOUNTY

The new Darkshore Zone will be added to the Bounty Board, and the first Bounty in it, Corrupted Murlocs, will be available to be unlocked with Patch 23.2. More Darkshore Bounties will be added in a later patch.

 

Heroic Brawliseum Returns

On May 18, the Heroic Brawliseum is returning to Tavern Brawl for a week! Lock in your best Standard deck and compete for big prizes! The competition will be fierce, but top competitors will be greatly rewarded.

 

New Game Features

We’re happy to introduce three exciting new features with Patch 23.2! First, we’ve added the ability to send deck codes to your friends, directly from the in-game chat client. Second, we’ve added the ability to Favorite multiple card backs, so you’ll randomly get one from your selected pool at the start of the game. And finally, the much-requested “Upgrade to Golden” feature will be going live with this patch! This will let you easily and efficiently upgrade your favorite cards to Golden versions, straight from the Collection Manager.

You can learn more about these great new features, and see how they work, in our 23.2 New Features blog.

 

More Golden Mini-Set Options

The Forged in the Barrens (Wailing Caverns) and United in Stormwind (Deadmines) Mini-Sets will be returning to the client with Patch 23.2. For the first time ever, they will be offered in either Normal or Golden versions, just like the Fractured in Alterac Valley (Onyxia’s Lair) Mini-Set currently is. Whether you just want a taste of last year’s hit cards, or you want to bling out your collection, there’s an option for you!

 

Bug Fixes and Game Improvements

  • Fixed a bug where Nellie, the Great Thresher and Queen Azshara could cause disconnects under certain circumstances.
  • Fixed a bug where Improved Emergency Maneuvers would have inconsistent results if it triggered off the death of a Silenced minion.
  • Fixed a bug where Seek Guidance would count itself towards its own Questline progression if it was played for 2, 3, or 4 mana.
  • Fixed a bug where Cloaked Huntress would not reduce the cost of Secrets that were drawn by Dun Baldar Bunker.
  • Fixed a bug where Swiftscale Trickster’s Battlecry reduced the cost of the next spell by the spell’s initial cost, instead of setting the spell’s Cost to 0.
  • Fixed a bug where Raid Boss Onyxia would not glow “ready” on her first turn in play.
  • Fixed a bug where Hero cards were unable to be Discovered from Resizing Pouch.
  • Fixed a bug where High Abbess Alura’s Spellburst effect would have no effect if a “Choose an enemy” spell was selected.
  • Fixed a bug where the in-game descriptions of the free New/Returning player decks didn’t update to match the updated decklists.
  • Fixed a bug where the combination of Maxwell, Mighty Steed and Brann could cause Battlegrounds Buddies to cost Gold to play.
  • Fixed a bug where Sr. Tomb Diver could “Goldenize” summoned tokens that were already Golden.
  • Fixed a bug where a large number of repeated Leapfrogger activations could result in a skipped Recruit phase.
  • Fixed a bug where the Darkmoon Prize “Time Thief” could offer multiples of the same minion, even if there were other minion options.
  • Added new Mercenaries indicators to the Collection, Upgrade screen, and Bounty Board.
  • Fixed a bug where Mercenary Portraits would sometimes automatically revert to basic Portraits.
  • Updated Task descriptions that did not match their functionality.
  • Fixed a bug where Captain Galvangar’s “Defend the Village” Task tracked Defender Boons instead of Fighter Boons.
  • Fixed a bug where the “Ambush” Ability did not give Stealth upon Deathblow.
  • Fixed a bug where equipping Wrathion’s Black Dragon Scales would not update the text of the Ability to match what the Equipment says.
  • Fixed a bug where opening a blank Mercenaries team could cause crashes.
  • Achievements that award Reward Track XP will now display an XP scroll icon on them so you can find them more easily.
  • Legendary Quests that are tied to seasonal events will now expire at the end of that event. Any old Legendary Quests that are currently in your quest log will expire on May 24.
  • Fixed a bug where external iPad keyboards did not work for in-game chat.
  • Miscellaneous other bug fixes, text/art corrections, and performance improvements.

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Like the new surprises in store? What are you most looking forward to?