In a recent interview with InvenGlobal, Game Director Ben Lee and Production Director Nathan Lyons-Smith provided some insight into their thought process behind all of the major changes and additions to the game coming with the Year of the Phoenix. Here are the interesting bits from the interview.
- The new ranked system was designed to match players against others of similar skill, something that did not always happen in the current system, especially at ranks 20-18. It aims to fix the current rank stagnation experienced by many players on the old system.*
- There are no plans to develop a new Hearthstone client.
- They expect Demon Hunters to catch up with other classes within a year.
- Warrior might receive changes with regards to Charge and Warsong Commander in the future.
- More classes are not impossible in the future. Focusing on Demon Hunter for now.
- The team is looking at the future of Basic and Classic sets, noting some of the cards have become irrelevant over the years.
*Read up on all the changes coming to the ranked system here.
Quote From Ben Lee When Hearthstone was in its early days and people were hoping a tenth class would be added, many hoped for Death Knights, following World of Warcraft's path. But then we had Death Knight cards in Knights of the Frozen Throne. Does that rule out that we'll ever see Death Knights as a class in Hearthstone?
Who knows? The thing is: we'll see how this goes. We'd love to hear player feedback. If players love this, then adding more classes is definitely something we could entertain in the future. Right now we're focused on our next year with Demon Hunter and the other classes. But it's not impossible, of course.
Comments
I'd love to see them do Priest-style overhauls to other class's basic and classic sets as well.
There's a lot of stuff that really doesn't represent what a class is supposed to do (and also happens to be completely unplayable, see for instance Blood Imp)
Jaraxxus Rework when?
PLEASE on Jaraxxus rework - I opened a golden copy a few weeks back and really am trying hard not to dust him... He's just one of the few cards that is literally unplayable with Zephyrs around for instant, 2-mana kill...
You make a good point, they should make Jaraxxus a better Hero card.
yeah, first of all get rid of the Sac Pact Meme. It was fun for a while but J-raxx has been powercreeped so hard that this instant counter isn't even remotely justified anymore.
I wonder if they could rework him to somehow apply Handbuffs to his transformation....or really just buff him to 8-mana so he's isn't the absolute worst tempo play of all time anymore.
Totally agree, but I think they should rework him into a classic hero card, give him the standard 5 armor hero cards get and reword him to "Equip a 3/8 weapon, and heal up to 15 if below"
That way you kind of keep the card the same purpose, a powerful heal/value generator.
Also I agree remove the sact pact meme it's really really dumb at this point.
I like the hand-buff Idea to beef him up. As long as there isn't a way to totally abuse it of course.
they would have to nerf the weapon's durability I gues. Make it like a Galakrond one with 2-durability that gains attack equal to his health (and obviously his health scales)
Then again, that might be weird for a classic card seeing how Handbuff Warlock is only really a temporary mechanic.
They could also just straight up turn him into a regular Hero card and just get rid of the minion aspect entirely, but I guess that would ruin the uniqueness.
or re-work that shadow pact card so it targets Demon MINIONS and not heroes...
I wouldn't mind Adding Monk to the list if that means Chen Stormstout could be a hero avatar.
But my concern is that with adding classes you'll most likely be reducing the impact or identity of other classes from the game.
There is already some crossover between the original classes, and now DH is like a Rogue-Warlock-Hunter hybrid.
Was thinking about what a Monk might be in terms of a class in Hearthstone, but I only briefly played as one in WoW before quitting the game. Maybe a control type with some defensive plays and quick strike ability in the late game?
MOAR. CLASSES.