EDIT: All non-English sites have now been updated to correctly display the Year of the Dragon icon.
Thanks to an update on the official Hearthstone site that has been taken down, we've seen an icon that may be representative of the next year!
In a post on reddit, use25 discovered that the official site had a new icon in place of the Year of the Dragon icon on the "Ways to Play" page. As of posting, although it was removed on the English site, it is still available on the Russian site and other locales.
Us, and many others, believe this represents a Phoenix. You can make out the head and body in the middle of the icon with it surrounded by flames.
Year of the Phoenix Speculation
Speculating from a lore standpoint about possible themes for the year, it’s reasonable to say that at least one of the card sets will involve something related to Warcraft phoenix imagery, if this leak is in fact genuine—which I will personally take with a grain of salt until the official announcement confirms or denies it. All four previous Hearthstone years have had one expansion at least loosely connected to their animal. Year of the Kraken had the tentaclely Old Gods, Year of the Mammoth started with the prehistoric Un’goro Crater, Year of the Raven started with the spooky Witchwood, and Year of the Dragon needs no explanation.
Going off this assumption, the most likely theme related to a phoenix is the blood elves. Ruling in the north of the Eastern Kingdoms from their capital city of Quel'Thalas, the story of the blood elves is one of symbolic rebirth after they were exiled from the night elves centuries ago for refusing to stop practicing arcane magic. Known then as high elves, they took the name of blood elves after their city was destroyed by the undead Scourge under the command of The Lich King. With their city in ruins and most of their people dead, the survivors rallied together and took on the name of “blood elves” to honor their fallen kin. The phoenix is their primary symbol—seriously, it’s everywhere—and a set about blood elves could very well be possible after the sets we’ve got focusing on worgen and troll cultures.
Even their magic staffs are designed in a phoenix shape: the open mouth in the center of outstretched wings.
Another less likely possibility is an elemental-focus set, as phoenixes are fire elementals. However, seeing as fire elementals have already had a center stage position in Blackrock Mountain, and elementals themselves were already a big part of Un’goro, it’s unlikely they will be the focus again so soon where there are many other topics to cover and places from Warcraft lore to explore.
Comments
Pheonix eh? The end of a cycle as well as the start of a new one ...
Still wonder what came out of that HearthStone summit a few weeks back
I don't know much at all about Wow lore but isn't Sylvanas a blood elf or she has something to do with them? If so maybe the Sylvanas hero skin was a tease for three next expansion? I'm sure that's a stretch.
She's an undead high elf. High elves are what blood elves used to be until they lost the Sunwell and turned to Fel magic. Sylvanas died and was resurrected shortly before any of that happened, though.
With blood elves and demon shenanigans possibly going on, maybe they will also make Illidan Stormrage playable as well. Or a new card. He's too cool to be forever relegated to a Power of Creation summons.
Isn't it hydra? Hail Hydra!
Indeed, Hail Mother Hydra!
Blood of Kingu - Mother Hydra
that's worst song i've ever heard
Meme or not I also believe this to be water based what looks like flames could be waves maybe a leviathan. Don't really mind either way it's nice to speculate
I doubt we are getting a full Quel'thalas-Silvermoon year, more likely just one set, either the first one or the last one. In the same way Dalaran was instrumental, but not really everywhere.
Elementals might be there as well, they don't need to focus the whole theme on them, in order to provide new ones, ie Animated Avalanche, Siamat.
Finally, if Blood Elves are key, Demons should also get the spotlight at some point. I actually suspect that Valdris Felgorge was originally meant to be part of the new set, rather than Dragons...
Agreed on there not being a whole year. What I meant to imply in the article is that each year has one set that ties directly to the Year Animal. I by no means expect there to be an entire year about blood elves-- or even another year-long story at all right now. And I agree on the demon part. They could use some love in the way that dragons got so much love in the last set and mechs got it in Boomsday.
Another point - Remember how they said they might be updating the Classic/Basic set?
Phoenixes are usually associated with rebirth... maybe this is just a stretch
considering that the "Year of the Dragon" wasn't really indicative until the very end I wouldn't hold my breath
Phoenix? Nah! It's a chicken!
That aside, maybe we'll see Blood Elves stuff? I'm hoping the power level is similar to Dragon sets. I don't want another Raven sets. The Raven sets are too low power level to the point of the meta getting stale real fast.
Definitely chicken, and flames represents rage so this will be Year of the Angry Chicken.
But seriously phoenix reminds me of reborn, and that reminds me of reusing old sets. Also there is almost no phoenixes in Warcraft (only Al'ar is noticeable), also they are elementals.
Anyway, belfs expansion is very likely. We still don't have Kael'thas legendary.
I'd actually love to see another Elemental expansion because it's been a while since the tribe got some real love.
Lots of new reborn minions on their way
After all these years, will we finally get Kael'Thas in Hearthstone? Man's been waiting a long time
Well, they did said something about new tribes. This is good.
EDIT. I see it as a swan icon rather than a phoenix. But then, swan never had a place in game about myth creatures.
Where did you hear that? I haven't come across anything like that, link?
Read the Q&A session by Poly. 1st line.
He said about new archetypes.
https://hearthstone-decks.net/hearthstone-summit-2020-preparing-upcoming-announcements/
EDIT. New Archetypes usually comes in with new Mechanic unique to that year, so I think based on this, it's true.