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Curse of Naxxramas launch event ends September 30
The Arachnid Quarter of Curse of Naxxramas has been available free of charge since the game mode's release. However, we knew that was only a limited time offer. Now that all four quarters of Naxxramas have opened, Blizzard has announced the offer will end September 30 at 11:59 p.m. Beginning October 1, if you have yet to access the Arachnid Quarter, you will need to spend real money or in-game gold to gain access. That gives you a full month before the offer concludes. Even if you aren't a current Hearthstone player but think you might pick it up one day, we recommend popping into the game before September 30 just long enough to open up the Arachnid Quarter. It only takes a few moments and it's better than paying for it down the road.
Hearthstone unlocks the doors to the Plague Quarter
The second wing of Heartstone: Curse of Naxxramas is now open for players to explore and plunder, as the weekly rollout of this online card game expansion continues. The Plague Quarter has unlocked for players, but unlike the free taste of the Arachnid Quarter, this one will require gold to purchase. Inside the quarter, you will find Noth the Plaguebringer, Heigan the Unclean, and the big boss Loatheb. Players that master the Plague Quarter not only will be treated to new cards for their collection but can also go on to tackle two class challenges with additional card rewards. [Thanks to Dengar for the tip!]
Blizzard investigating Hearthstone payment woes
Those who have been erroneously charged for Hearthstone's new Curse of Naxxramas singleplayer campaign can rest assured that developer Blizzard is looking into the problem. Following yesterday's debut of the Plague Wing area, reports came rolling in of players unable to purchase the additional content or being double-charged by the game's in-app purchase system. "We are currently investigating the following issues affecting the new Hearthstone wing, the Plague Quarter," Blizzard wrote in a statement to Eurogamer. "Some players are unable to access the new wing after purchase. Some players have been charged twice in order to access the new wing. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we work to resolve them." Since issuing that statement, Blizzard has created a notice in the Hearthstone forums that offers guidelines for those affected. If your purchase failed, securing a refund should be a simple process, though Blizzard continues to look into those cases where payment was successfully made but players were not granted access to the game's new features. [Image: Blizzard]
Hearthstone Naxxramas Plague Quarter opens its doors tonight
Curse of Naxxramas, Hearthstone's single-player content styled - and named - after the floating necropolis of Naxxramas from World of Warcraft, will be receiving its first update tonight. Following Blizzard's plans to release each of the locale's five wings individually over the course of five weeks, players in the Americas will be able to download The Plague Quarter starting tonight at 11:59 PM Pacific. Those of you planning to stay up late might want to plan for a long night - The Plague Quarter features three boss fights, two class challenges and six new cards to unlock. Good luck! [Image: Blizzard]
Hearthstone: Arachnid Quarter guide
Curse of Naxxramas' initial wing launched on Tuesday, much to the delight of eager fans. The Arachnid Quarter features exactly what Warcraft veterans should expect, that being a lot of spiders. Anub'Rekhan, Grand Widow Faerlina and Maexxna serve as the first trials thrown at adventurers looking to fight their way to the nefarious lich Kel'thuzad. Today, we'll go over a bit about what these baddies do, and how best to crush them. Anub'Rekhan The Traitor King boasts a couple of unique mechanics that are worth making note of. His hero power Skitter allows him to summon a 3/1 Nerubian for two mana. On heroic mode, it's a 4/4 Nerubian for two, which is pretty brutal. Anub'Rekhan also has access to a unique card called Anub'ar Swarm, which can really just ruin your day if you don't expect it. It costs a whopping seven mana, but does three damage to all of your minions and heals Anub'Rekhan for three health. Definitely prepare yourself for that, come turn seven. Beyond that, this fight's not too difficult. Anub'Rekhan has access to the rogue specific Curse of Naxxramas card Anub'ar Ambusher, and while 5/5's nothing to scoff at, destroying it will force another random minion on the board back into his hand, assuming there's anything he has anything else in play. It doesn't permanently deal with the threat, but it does buy you time to develop your board in response. Also of note, expect a strange blend of warlock and mage spells, specifically Shadow Bolt, Mortal Coil and Frostbolt.
Hearthstone opens up the first wing of Naxxramas
Are you ready to take on Naxxramas in Hearthstone? Good! You can start now. The first wing of the new adventure is available to players today; it'll send you through the Arachnid Quarter in a trip down a spider-filled memory lane. If you're on the fence about trying it out, you can take on this wing for free now through early September (the exact date for the end of free access will be announced later on). Players will be able to purchase further wings of Naxxramas with either in-game currency or real money, with discounts available for bulk purchases. But you don't have to just hope you'll enjoy the adventure; you can log in and try it for yourself right now.
The Queue: Voices, Curse of Naxxramas, and more
Welcome back to The Queue, the daily Q&A column in which the WoW Insider team answers your questions about the World of Warcraft. Alex Ziebart will be your host today. If you didn't see our pre-Queue dance party, you missed out. Dubs were stepped. Jalamenos asked: Has there been any word from Blizzard about putting npc voices in a separate volume slider than the effects volume? As it is right now I can't hear most of what the bosses are saying without being deafened by all the sounds of us killing it. Feels like this is something they should have added a while ago especially since more and more of the game is getting voice cast.
Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas livestream
Check out WoW Insider's live stream for the new Hearthstone expansion pack: Curse of Naxxramas! Our own Robert Wing will give you the scoop on all the new cards and how they play. If you're interested in Hearthstone, here's your chance to get a glimpse of all the new features in action. Happy card slinging!
Loatheb revealed for Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas
Another new card from Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas set was revealed this afternoon: Loatheb. Loatheb is a legendary with one heck of a Battlecry. On the turn after Loatheb has been played, enemy spells cost 5 more mana. Any spell-heavy deck will be crippled for at least one turn, including the ever-infuriating Miracle Rogue. Loatheb's 5/5 stat spread falls right into the standard range for a 5 mana minion. However, combined with its Battlecry, many players are already shouting overpowered. They may not be entirely wrong; 5 mana for a minion that can briefly cripple an entire deck and is quite beefy through raw stats alone is a huge threat. Loatheb may go down the same road Sylvanas did. Sylvanas was also once a 5/5 for 5 mana, but her cost was later changed to 6 mana to better reflect the actual threat she posed.
Hearthstone's Naxxramas adventure begins rollout next week
Naxxramas is almost open for business once more. Blizzard announced today that Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas solo adventure will begin its rollout on Tuesday, July 22nd. Initially, Naxxramas will only feature one wing, the Arachnid Quarter, but will open one of the remaining four wings each week thereafter. While the first wing is free, subsequent wings will cost to purchase, either with money or with in-game gold. Curse of Naxxramas will be launched across all of Hearthstone's platforms: Windows, Mac, and iPad. By beating each of the wings, players can earn new cards to use in competitive matches.
Hearthstone's Naxxramas expansion begins July 22
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft single-player Adventure Mode, Curse of Naxxramas, will unleash the hounds on July 22. The 30 new Death Rattle-focused cards will be available over five weeks as sections of the game open. The price per wing is 700 gold apiece, but there are also real-money options available. The expansion will go live globabally on PC, Mac and iPad. Are you prepared? [Image: Blizzard]
Curse of Naxxramas release date announced
Brace yourselves, Curse of Naxxramas is coming. Blizzard just announced that Hearthstone's first adventure pack will be available to the public on July 22nd. Curse of Naxxramas' first wing, the Arachnid Quarter, will be available for free to everyone who logs in during the release event. After the event ends, the Arachnid Quarter will join the other wings in costing 700 gold, or $6.99. Bundle options are also available for savvy consumers. The adventure pack boasts 30 brand new cards, nine of which are class specific. Players will be given the chance to traverse the depths of Naxxramas, doing battle with familiar bosses from the iconic Warcraft raid. Curse of Naxxramas features both normal and heroic modes, and besting all of the bosses on the heroic setting awards players with a unique card back.
Previewing Curse of Naxxramas' neutral minions
Sometime this month, Blizzard is expected to release Hearthstone's first adventure pack Curse of Naxxramas. The pack will come with single player adventures, along with 30 new cards that should shake up the metagame and breathe some fresh air into the ladder scene. Pricing details were announced yesterday, and now seems an apt time to begin looking over the cards we'll be seeing in Naxxramas. Thus far, five neutral cards have officially been announced. Dancing Swords Dancing Swords is an intriguing minion at three mana. The magical blades boast a highly coveted 4/4 body, able to ignore specific priest removal while still having a thick enough hide to endure most popular area of effect spells. In exchange for the amazing statline, Dancing Swords awards opponents a card upon expiring. In a perfect world, Dancing Swords is used to quickly mow down a foe before the deathrattle ever becomes an issue. It seems like we won't be seeing this minion in anything other than fast paced aggression setups.
Hearthstone's Naxxramas DLC goes for $25 or less
The floating necropolis of Naxxramas is coming to Hearthstone, complete with five wings that will open on a weekly basis, in the following order: Arachnid Quarter, Plague Quarter, Military Quarter, Construct Quarter and Frostwyrm Lair. The Arachnid Quarter will be free to enter during the Curse of Naxxramas launch event, which should last for a month or so, Blizzard says. After that, the remaining four wings cost $7 or 700 gold each. Curse of Naxxramas also has bundle pricing: $25 for all five wings, $20 for the final four, $15 for the final three and $10 for the final two. There isn't an option to buy bundles with in-game gold, but if you play through the first wing during the free event, you only have to purchase the remaining four wings. Buying bundles doesn't unlock areas earlier than their weekly launches. Curse of Naxxramas features a Heroic mode for each wing that unlocks after you defeat all of the area's bosses. In Heroic mode, bosses "will prove to be a challenge for even the most veteran Hearthstone players," Blizzard says. Beating all Naxxramas bosses in Heroic mode unlocks a new card back. Pretty! There's no release date for Naxxramas, but Blizzard is saying "soon" quite a lot. Last we heard, it was due out in July. [Image: Blizzard]
Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas pricing details
New card reveals aside, we've heard very little about Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas since its initial announcement. The two major questions have been when? and how much? Other than sometime in July, we still don't know when, but Blizzard announced today that each wing of Naxxramas -- five in total -- will cost 700 gold or $6.99 USD each. Players who participate in the month-long Naxxramas release event will receive the first wing for free. Bundle packages are also available: All five wings: $24.99 Already own first wing (purchase remaining four): $19.99 Already own first two wings (purchase remaining three): $14.99 Already own first three wings (purchase remaining two): $9.99 The five-wing package will save you roughly $5. Do note that even if you purchase all five wings immediately, Naxxramas will only open one wing at a time, one per week until all are unlocked. Once you've unlocked and defeated all wings of Naxxramas, you'll be able to tackle them on a more difficult Heroic Mode, awarding a unique card back upon completion. The full details of this can be found on Battle.net along with European pricing structures.
Hearthstone's Naxxramas will cost $24.99 to fully unlock
While the first taste of Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas will be free for all players, the rest will cost a good chunk of money. Blizzard announced its pricing for the solo adventure pack today, stating that players will have several options to purchase Naxxramas including a $24.99 package that includes the full deal. The first of five wings of Naxxramas will be offered for free, with the remaining four wings available to purchase separately at $6.99 apiece or together in bundles of various size. The only option to buy the wings using in-game gold (and the only potentially free path) is to buy the wings at 700 gold each. Once Hearthstone opens the doors to Naxxramas, the devs will unlock a new wing at the rate of one per week. Blizzard also announced that it will offer heroic versions of these wings -- and new card backs -- once they're beaten in normal mode.
Hearthstone catches players up on Naxxramas lore
Hearthstone players will soon have the opportunity to revisit the iconic fortress of Naxxramas in an upcoming adventure pack, which means that it's time to get up to date on the backstory of what this citadel is all about. In a new lore post, Blizzard walks players through the necropolis' history, layout, and key residents. The place is run by the lich Kel'Thuzad and encompasses four sections: the Arachnid Quarter, the Plague Quarter, the Military Quarter, and the Construct Quarter. Each of these quarters lists the bosses that players will be facing off against in the single-player adventure, as well as the penultimate Frostwyrm Lair and its protector, Sapphiron. There may be no overt strategy secrets revealed in this article, but sharp-eyed players may deduce the themes and styles of the bosses that they will be encountering when the update goes live.
Curse of Naxxramas coming to Hearthstone in July
Though we've known Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas expansion was coming out some time this summer, we haven't yet had a date to pin our card-playing hopes on. But now CM Aratil has announced on the Hearthstone forums that the expansion is headed our way this July. We still don't have a pricetag for the expansion, but Aratil says they'll be posting further details on July 1st, which is just around the corner. Curse of Naxxramas will take gamers to -- surprise! -- Kel'Thuzad's citadel Naxxramas, where they'll fight new bosses and have the chance to earn 30 new cards. If you want to see just what's in store, the Hearthstone team has released a number of card previews, all of which are collected here.
Hearthstone reveals new Webspinner card
Hearthstone unveiled its final class specific Curse of Naxxramas card yesterday, the Hunter beast Webspinner. The 1/1 spider costs one mana, and upon expiring summons a random beast card into your hand. Senior Game Designer Ben Brode explained via Twitter that the range on the text includes any beast card, with the exception of tokens. That rules out the 1/1 hound summoned by the Unleash the Hounds spells. All other beasts (Including hunter legendary King Krush) appear to be fair game. Webspinner can get any collectible Beast. Everything from King Krush to Captain's Parrot. - Ben Brode (@bdbrode) June 19, 2014 In terms of viability, this card shows promise. The other turn one beasts available to hunter generally serve specific purposes. Stonetusk Boar exists almost exclusively to be used with Hunter's Mark, while Timber Wolf is utilized in conjunction with other beasts already able to attack. Webspinner could be a nice early game tempo play, while retaining value later on in the match because of its ability to provide the user an additional card. If that card ends up being a Savannah Highmane, King Krush, or even Core Hound, it's a great play. Really, so long as it doesn't draw you Captain's Parrot or Angry Chicken, it's a victory. The hunter set currently sits right in the middle, as expert opinions go. It is nowhere near as crushing as it was prior to the most recent Unleash the Hounds nerf, but it definitely has a place in the metagame, especially against the all powerful Miracle Rogue deck. Webspinner doesn't look like it will unhinge the class again, so much as it will provide another early game option, something the class can definitely use. Moreover, it will provide the class another degree of trickery. After Webspinner dies, opponents will be forced to wonder if you have a giant dinosaur in your hand or not.
Hearthstone unveils new Rebirth card
The latest card revealed from Hearthstone's upcoming Curse of Naxxramas set is a new shaman spell: Rebirth. Rebirth destroys a minion before returning it to full health, a spell that will play well with the myriad of new minions with Deathrattle. Rebirth turns any minion's Deathrattle into an on-demand ability for 2 mana -- and puts it back onto the field to be used again. Rebirth could be a terrifying spell even with pre-existing Deathrattle minions such as the Abomination or Sylvanas Windrunner. It could also be used aggressively -- for example, against someone who made the mistake of playing the previously-revealed Anub'ar Ambusher. By destroying your opponent's Ambusher, you could potentially force a far more dangerous minion back into their hand as a delay tactic. Some of the current mechanics surrounding the way resurrections work (such as with Redemption) means this spell could even be used as a Silence effect. Buffs that have been cast on a minion do not reapply after death, meaning you can easily knock a druid's superpowered tank down to size. It should also be noted that Battlecry effects only apply when a minion is played directly from the hand -- resurrecting it with Rebirth is unlikely to allow that Battlecry to happen a second time. Some players have voiced concern regarding this card's potential synergy with legendary Leeroy Jenkins. Leeroy is an extremely powerful card right now, particularly in decks that find ways to play it multiple times in a row. A rogue with a pair of Shadowsteps in their hand can attack with Leeroy three times in one turn -- 18 direct damage. More if they have Cold Blood in their hand. A shaman with Rebirth, if Leeroy's Charge ability triggers after resurrection, could now perform the same tactic.
