New Tavern Brawl mode (and maybe more deck slots) coming to Hearthstone

Blizzard’s F2P card battler Hearthstone will get a new game mode in the near future.

Tavern Brawl will pit players against each other with an alternating set of rules and requirements. One week might feature preset decks, while another week could have you crafting a brand new Tavern Brawl deck following specific guidelines, while others might offer buffs to specific minion types,” the developer said.

To access the mode players must achieve Rank 20 on the ladder. Players will be able to compete against both strangers and friends.

The first Tavern Brawl will arrive mid-June, so probably next week. Blizzard has said that the mode will undergo some down time between each event. Entry will be free when the new mode becomes available”, although that doesn’t seem to preclude an Arena-style entry fee in the future. Players will also get a free card pack upon their first Brawl victory.

Also incoming in the same update is the ability to assign card backs on a per-deck basis, which is done via the new Collection Manager.

In separate Hearthstone news, senior game designer Ben Brode has hinted at a possible increase in the number of custom decks players can have at any one time – currently they are restricted to nine.

PCGamesN also spotted Brode’s appearance in the game’s subreddit to say that while avid fans may be under the impression that there’s a desperate need for additional deck slots, user data suggests this may not actually be the case.

Seems like you guys are interested in more statistics, so here you go,” he said. Keep in mind these aren’t related to any decision-making regarding deck slots. I just mentioned the stats because I don’t think it’s super healthy when a single person represents themselves as ‘everyone’.

The truth is there are lots of types of players. Players with 9 decks (among players who have been active in the last 30 days): 33 per cent. Players with 7-8 decks: 18 per cent. Players with 1-6 decks: 49 per cent.”

Blizzard last week revealed that it will shortly be releasing new hero skins for the game.

@KintaroCH @CM_Zeriyah Most players don't even have 9 decks, but regardless, it's something we're working towards.

— Ben Brode (@bbrode) June 10, 2015