Hearthstone 26.6.2 Patch Notes: All New Features
by Ushapriyanga
Updated Jul 07, 2023
Hearthstone
Hearthstone is an online digital collectible card game that Blizzard Entertainment developed and published. It is free-to-play and draws upon the rich lore of the Warcraft series, incorporating its characters, elements, and relics.
Initially released for Microsoft Windows and macOS in March 2014, Hearthstone later became available on iOS and Android devices. The game allows cross-platform play, enabling players from different devices to compete within their respective geographical regions.
Hearthstone originated as an experimental game within Blizzard, developed by a smaller team with a passion for collectible card games. Its design aimed to address the shortcomings of other digital card games by eliminating opponent interactions during a player's turn and by faithfully replicating the feel of physical card games through its user interface. Many concepts and art assets were adapted from the physical World of Warcraft Trading Card Game.
The game has received positive reviews from critics and has proven to be a success for Blizzard, generating nearly $40 million per month as of August 2017. As of November 2018, Hearthstone boasts over 100 million players according to Blizzard's reports. It has also gained popularity as an esport, with Blizzard and other organizers hosting cash prize tournaments.
Hearthstone 26.6.2 Patch Notes
Introducing Patch 26.6.2, a data-only update that is scheduled to be released today. This patch brings some notable changes to the Standard card pool and the Twist mode, accompanied by developer insights on the adjustments.
In the Standard format, where the meta is currently in a favorable state with plenty of competitive options across various classes, a specific card called Whomper stands out as a significant outlier in terms of player sentiment.
To address this, the development team has made an adjustment by increasing its mana cost. While other cards were considered for minor tweaks, it was deemed more appropriate to allow the meta to evolve naturally before making further adjustments.
Additionally, the Twist mode, which is still in its beta phase, explores unique design objectives and aims to provide constantly evolving formats. As part of this exploration, the developers have taken a lighter approach by addressing three prominent outliers within the current format.
These changes, including potential card bans, are intended to enhance the overall experience of the mode. Feedback from players will be carefully monitored, and future actions, including adjustments for the next iteration of the New Age format, will be considered based on the impact of these changes.
Hearthstone 26.6.2 Update Patch Notes
Patch 26.6.2, which is a data-only patch, is set to release today, bringing the following updates.
Hearthstone Updates
Standard Card Update
Dev Comment: The Standard meta is in a good spot right now, with a lot of competitive options across most classes. We’re making this adjustment because Whomper is the biggest sentiment outlier in the format. We considered a handful of other cards that could have gotten small adjustments, but decided that it would be better to let this meta play out for a while.
Death Blossom Whomper
Twist Card Updates
Dev Comment: Part of the Twist Beta is exploring our own design objectives when it comes to the mode. The whole premise of the mode is that there are quickly updating formats already built into it, so balance changes might not be as necessary to keep things fresh. However, we are still able to make card bans when we think they make the format better. Here, we’re taking a lighter approach to the big three outliers in the current format. We’ll see how these changes impact players and might take further or different actions in the future, including next time we bring back the New Age format.
Battlegrounds Updates
Hero Power Updates
Cariel Roame
King Mukla
New: All bananas have a 33% chance of being a Big Banana, regardless of who receives them.
Aranna Starseeker
The Curator
New: [Passive] Start the game with a 2/2 Amalgam with Venomous and all minion types.
Armor Updates
The following heroes now have more armor:
Minion Updates
Cogwork Copter
Scrap Scraper
New: 4 Attack, 7 Health. At the end of every 2 turns, get a random Magnetic Mech.
Cyborg Drake
New: 3 Attack, 10 Health. Divine Shield. Your minions with Divine Shield have +6 Attack.
Prickly Piper
New: 3 Attack, 1 Health
Bongo Bopper
New: 4 Attack, 3 Health.
Hungry Snapjaw
New: 5 Attack, 2 Health.
Recycling Wraith
New: [Tier 3] 4 Attack, 2 Health
Bream Counter
New: 5 Attack, 5 Health. While this is in your hand, after you play a Murloc, gain +3/+3.
Eventide Brute
New: 4 Attack, 3 Health
Tidemistress Athissa
New: 6 Attack, 8 Health. After you cast a spell, give four friendly Naga +1/+1.
Soulsplitter
New: [Tier 4] 4 Attack, 2 Health.
Minion Pool Changes
Patient Scout has been returned to the minion pool.
Duels Updates
Signature Treasure Updates
Carrot on a Stick
New: [3 Mana]
Men-at-Arms
New: [5 Mana]
Passive Treasure Updates
Starving
New: After the first time a friendly Beast dies in your turn, draw a minion from your deck and give it +1 Attack.
Corrupted Felstone
New: After you cast a Fel spell, give the left- and right-most minions in your hand +1 Attack.
Card Pool Updates
Rattlegore has been temporarily banned from deckbuilding and all card pools until Diablo leaves the hero pool.
Bug Fixes and Game Improvements
Hearthstone Gameplay
Hearthstone is a digital-only collectible card game set in the Warcraft universe. It follows a turn-based gameplay format where two opponents face off against each other. Players choose from eleven different classes, each with its own unique cards and abilities known as hero powers, which define various class archetypes. The objective is to reduce the opponent's health to zero using a deck of cards from their collection.
There are five main types of cards in Hearthstone: minions, spells, weapons, hero cards, and locations. Quests, a specific type of spell, are exclusive to three expansions.
These cards are categorized by rarity, with Legendary cards being the rarest, followed by Epic, Rare, Common, and Basic. To keep the metagame diverse, Blizzard regularly releases expansions with additional cards every four months, along with smaller mini-sets between expansions. The game operates on a freemium model, allowing players to play for free or purchase additional card packs and content.
Unlike games like Magic: The Gathering, Hearthstone streamlines gameplay by removing manual reactions from opponents during a player's turn and implementing a timer for each turn. Players use "mana" to play cards from their hand, with the mana budget increasing by one each turn, up to a maximum of ten. Each card has a specific mana cost, requiring strategic planning and consideration of available plays.
Minions and spells are integral to the game, with minions being placed directly on the board upon play and featuring special effects like Charge or Deathrattle, granting immediate attack or triggering special abilities upon death, respectively. Spells have unique effects that can impact the game board in various ways. Players can acquire cards by opening card packs or by crafting them using arcane dust.
Hearthstone 26.6.2 Patch Notes-FAQs
Hearthstone is an online digital collectible card game developed by Blizzard Entertainment. It features gameplay set in the Warcraft universe, where players choose a hero from one of eleven classes and use cards to defeat their opponent.
In Hearthstone, players construct a deck of 30 cards and take turns playing cards, using mana as a resource to play abilities, summon minions, and cast spells. The goal is to reduce the opponent's health to zero.
Yes, Hearthstone is free-to-play. Players can enjoy the game without spending any money. However, there are optional in-game purchases available for those who wish to enhance their card collection or acquire cosmetic items.
Yes, Hearthstone supports cross-platform play. You can play the game on various devices such as PC, Mac, iOS, and Android. Your progress and collection are synced across all supported devices.
Hearthstone regularly receives updates in the form of expansions, adventures, and balance patches. Expansions, which introduce new cards and mechanics, typically release every few months, while balance patches address card adjustments and meta shifts.
Hearthstone is primarily an online game and requires an internet connection to play against other players. However, there are single-player adventures and practice modes available that can be played offline.