This Hearthstone Update charges the nether coils as we get ready to pull the big, shiny lever that unleashes Hearthstone’s newest Expansion: The Boomsday Project, on August 7! This is also your chance to participate in cutting-edge research: drop by a special Fireside Gathering for a Pre-release Event where you can open The Boomsday Project packs and play with your new cards before the official release! This update also brings Arena updates, game mechanics updates, and a few card changes, as well as some bug fixes and feature improvements.

Read on for details.

The Boomsday Project!

The Boomsday Project is an electrifying expansion for Hearthstone featuring 135 all-new cards, starting August 7!

Harness the power of SCIENCE, including:

• New Legendary Spells for all nine Classes!
• New keyword: Magnetic! Combine Mechs into more powerful forms!
• Omega cards that are ULTRA powerful when played at 10 Mana!
• The Boomsday Project's free single player content, the Puzzle Lab, opens on August 21!
  • Over 100 challenging puzzles including Lethal, Board Clear, Mirror, and Survival puzzle types!

For a limited time after The Boomsday Project starts on August 7, log in to claim 3 card packs and a random Class Legendary minion (or Hero card)—both from the new expansion—for free!

Get 3 more The Boomsday Project card packs FREE when you log in after The Puzzle Lab launches starting August 21.

The Boomsday Project Pre-Release Event!

Attend a Fireside Gathering Pre-Release to open your packs from “The Boomsday Project”—and play with your new cards in a special Fireside Brawl—BEFORE the official launch of the Expansion! Learn more here!

Arena Updates

• Offering rates for Class cards, including spells and weapons, have been reduced.
• Rarity distribution adjusted.
• This will result in Arena drafts having more neutral and common cards.

Be sure to read the Arena Developer Insights blog for details!

Game Mechanics Updates

Card Copying

Cards that create copies of other cards that are then added to different game zones have been made more consistent.

Transformation

Whenever a card transforms it loses its enchantments.

• This change primarily affects the following 4 cards: Shifter Zerus, Molten Blade, Shifting Scroll, and Voodoo Doll. If the target of a Voodoo Doll is transformed or silenced, it is no longer destroyed by the Voodoo Doll’s Deathrattle. 

Be sure to read the Developer Insights blog for details!

Card Changes

• Shadowboxer now reads: Whenever a minion is healed, deal 1 damage to a random enemy.
  • Shadowboxer can be disenchanted for its full Arcane Dust value for two weeks.

• The following Minions have changed Type:
  • Ghostly Charger – No longer has the Beast Type.
  • Ixlid, Fungal Lord – No longer has the Elemental Type.
• Living Mana now reads: Transform your Mana Crystals into 2/2 Treants. Recover the mana when they die.

Days of the Frozen Throne

A chilly new celebration is coming!

• New quests with huge rewards!
• A free golden card!
• A new Tavern Brawl celebrating the Death Knights!

Added the following card backs:

• Dr. Boom’s Lab – Acquired from winning five games during the September 2018 Ranked Play Season.

• Boomsday! – Acquired from completing all of Dr. Boom’s puzzles.

• VanCardback – Acquired from winning five games during the October 2018 Ranked Play Season.

Bug Fixes and Gameplay Improvements

• Added new “Return to Fireside” tooltip for Fireside Gatherings.
• The Mac Client now uses Metal for graphics, where available.
• New Daily Quest has been added for playing Mechs.

• “Created By…” tags are no longer generated by the card’s last state before it died.
• Deathaxe Punisher’s animation no longer plays without a valid target in hand.
• Resolved effects and animation issues with Valeera the Hollow, Tess Greymane, and Shudderwock.
• Zombeast cards have rarity gems, and no longer appear to be collectible cards.
• Cards no longer display their yellow activation aura when their target can't be interacted with.
• Card backs now properly show their cardback outline effect when played by opposing players.
• Cards in hand no longer incorrectly overlap each other.
• Chameleos will now transform and clear buffs when the opponent has only one card.
• Chameleos will now copy stat buffs or cost reduction.
• When Shifter Zerus transforms into a Worgen card, the next card it transforms into will no longer keep those stats.
• Faceless Manipulator will now correctly advanced The Caverns Below quest.
• Gnomish Experimenter no longer sometimes plays his transform animation twice.
• Summoning Portal now properly updates cards that have had their mana cost set after it has been played.

Monster Hunt

• Headcrack no longer loses the Health icon assigned by Blood Red Apple.

• Minions buffed by Sneak Attack it will now properly gain Charge if copied.