Blizzard Shocks Hearthstone Fans: Hearthstone Classic Replaced by New "Twist" Mode

Hearthstone has had a mixed track record when it comes to introducing new game modes. While Battlegrounds has achieved tremendous success and arguably overshadowed the main Standard mode, Mercenaries turned out to be a failure from start to finish. Classic, which allowed players to experience the vanilla version of Hearthstone, was initially enjoyable but lost popularity quickly due to the absence of expansions. Therefore, it came as no surprise when I learned last week, during a conversation with Matt London, the lead designer of game modes, and Chadd Nervig, the lead features designer, that Classic mode is being discontinued. It will be replaced by a new mode called Twist, which will also incorporate old cards from players' collections.

Twist, set to launch in beta later this month as part of patch 26.6, is a new format with its own ranked ladder, monthly rewards, and a rotating set of rules designed to unlock previously impossible synergies and create fresh deck-building challenges. The ruleset for the Twist beta, running throughout June and July, is known as "New Age." When constructing a New Age deck, players will be able to select cards from the following expansions, with the twist being that neutral cards are not allowed:

Core

Ashes of Outland

Scholomance Academy

Madness at the Darkmoon Faire

Forged in the BarrensUnited in Stormwind

Fractured in Alterac Valley

Voyage to the Sunken City

Murder at Castle Nathria

March of the Lich King

Path of Arthas

Festival of Legends

By combining sets from different eras that were previously not playable in the Standard format, a wide range of new combinations becomes possible. Existing archetypes also have the potential to become significantly more powerful with the addition of cards that were previously unavailable. For example, the restriction on neutral cards immediately brings to mind the Pure Paladin archetype, which already excludes neutral cards. Now, consider the fact that Ashes of Outland includes the Libram package, which can be combined with more recent cards like The Countess and Elitist Snob, and the potential for incredibly potent synergies arises.

In discussions with the developers, it was confirmed that Twist, particularly the New Age test, is being pitched to have a power level higher than Standard but below the overwhelming nature of Wild. The intention behind Wild was to provide players with enjoyable ways to engage with the older parts of their card collections. However, over time, Wild decks tend to become increasingly overpowered, making it a mode that is not easily accessible for casual play due to its meta revolving around ruthless efficiency.

After the beta phase concludes, Twist will go into a short period of hibernation before returning later in the year. The future rulesets for Twist are not yet known, but Nervig and London mentioned the possibility of incorporating dual-class cards, featuring all the Mech expansions, and exploring the concept of "singleton" cards. During testing, they even experimented with a version where all cards cost zero mana, resulting in games ending early.

From my discussions with the designers, it became clear that the goal of Twist is to inject new life into constructed Hearthstone at a time when it is under more pressure than ever. Currently, players spend only a couple of weeks, at most, after each expansion to solve the meta before many of them shift their focus to playing Battlegrounds or other games entirely. Twist, with its monthly rule changes, aims to keep players engaged in the enjoyable phase of meta-solving. It is worth noting that Blizzard will inevitably offer "Battle Ready" Twist decks for sale, allowing players without extensive collections from the covered era to participate.

As for Classic mode, I cannot say that I will mourn its loss. Being a player since the beta, it was enjoyable to revisit the vanilla era, but I wouldn't want to dwell there permanently. When asked why Classic mode is being discontinued, Blizzard confirmed suspicions that initial interest was high but engagement rapidly declined due to its static format. However, what makes me uncomfortable is the fact that Classic packs have been available for purchase in the shop until now. Players who invested in buying these packs will be left with a loss once Classic mode ceases to exist. This, combined with the recent closure of Mercenaries, which also had its own packs for sale, paints a negative image of Blizzard's practices.

I raised this concern with Blizzard, and an official spokesperson responded with the following statement: "Classic Packs contain cards that were valid in Classic, but (the Wild versions of) those cards are still valid in Wild too." While this is true, I maintain that if you purchased these packs with the intention of playing Classic mode, that option will no longer be available.

Putting economics aside, I am enthusiastic about Twist mode. I believe it has the potential to offer a refuge when the Standard meta becomes stale. In that regard, I inquired whether a future iteration of Twist could involve banning the Priest class entirely. Nervig and London laughed at the idea but mentioned that nothing of the sort is currently in development. However, they did mention that they have considered allowing each player to ban one class, which I find appealing. Not only would it allow players to avoid unfavorable matchups against their most disliked class, but it would also open up new possibilities for deck building.

A special preview of Twist mode will be streamed by content creators on June 22-23, during which Twitch drops will be enabled, providing up to nine free packs.