An otherworldly carnival is coming to Hearthstone on 17 November with Madness at the Darkmoon Faire, the upcoming expansion for Blizzard’s free-to-play digital card game, and there’s a whiff of ancient corruption amid the zany wonders and attractions. The Old Gods — timeless beings of terrifying power that ruled a young Azeroth — have chosen the Darkmoon Faire as the site of their return, and they’ll tempt players with 135 new cards that bear the taint of their corruption.
Madness at the Darkmoon Faire hearkens back to the Hearthstone expansion from 2016, Whispers of the Old Gods. Iconic Legendary minions including C’Thun and Yogg-Saron will make a comeback (in surprising new forms) and allow players to tap into their astonishing match-swinging powers. If they dare, players can also harness Old Gods Artifacts — powerful spells inspired by the designs of the most dreaded Legendary minions from Whispers of the Old Gods. To further propagate this foul influence, players can employ cards with the Corrupt keyword, which changes them into substantially more powerful versions after a higher-cost card is played.
“This is a huge moment for Hearthstone, with the Madness at the Darkmoon Faire expansion, as well as an all-new game mode in Duels, and a fundamental overhaul of the game’s progression system,” says J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “As Hearthstone continues to evolve and grow, our focus is squarely on continuing to deliver a uniquely deep and fun game experience, and we think players are going to lose their minds over all of this new content.”
Introducing Hearthstone Duels
Hearthstone Duels is a free game mode that combines the player-vs.-player Arena mode with the deckbuilding experience from the game’s Solo Adventures. Just like in Arena, players will face other human opponents with the goal of reaching 12 wins before accruing 3 losses — but in Duels, they’ll start out with custom-built decks from their own collections, and draft additional cards or Treasures after each match. Players who prepurchase the Madness at the Darkmoon Faire bundle will also receive early access to the new Duels play mode from now to 11 November.
The Madness at the Darkmoon Faire bundle will be available from 17 November for $40 USD, which includes 45 packs from the expansion, one random Legendary Card, the N’Zoth card back, and early access to Hearthstone Duels.