BlizzCon 2018 has started a bit earlier than expected, wit the announcement of a new Hearthstone expansion having leaked. According to the leak, the new Hearthstone expansion is called Rastakhan's Rumble and will feature 135 new cards. It's likely to release in December if not soon thereafter. The 50-card pack pre-orders for Rastakhan's Rumble are expected shortly after the BlizzCon 2018 opening ceremony.
Thematically, Rastakhan's Rumble will be based around what's said to be a rare event where Azeroth's troll tribes gather to honor and compete for their loa's blessings. Here's the leaked description of the Hearthstone event and expansion:
"Nine teams will take part in the latest iteration of this time-honored Troll-down, each led by a Legendary Troll Champion representing one of the Hearthstone classes. The Loa, ancient spirits worshipped by the Trolls, will also take part in the fighting as Legendary minions. Shirvallah the Tiger is the Paladin Loa, which costs a cool 25-Mana to cast. You can reduce that outlay by casting spells, but even so it seems like a restrictive price for an effect that’s probably only going to be good in incredibly slow control decks."
As is said, the expansion will likely include a variety of cards featuring the various troll tribes, their loa gods, and the myriad creatures that share the region around the Zandalari capital of Dazar'Alor. No cards have leaked as of yet, unfortunately, but players can certainly expect Blizzard to share some during its BlizzCon 2018 Hearthstone panel. The Hearthstone "What's Next" panel airs Friday afternoon at 2:30 pm PT.
There has since been a second leak regarding the Hearthstone Rastakhan Rumble expansion, a Korean advertisement for the upcoming expansion's pre-order. As expected, the pre-order will feature the standard 50 card packs and an exclusive card back. Much like the pre-order for The Boomsday Project expansion, the pre-order will also feature an exclusive hero class portrait. It's not clear what class King Rastakhan will represent, but given the blue glow in his portrait Shaman would be a safe bet.
Expect a bevy of new information, including a brand new Blizzard cinematic trailer, for the Rastakhan Rumble expansion in just a short while. The BlizzCon 2018 opening ceremony starts in less than an hour, at 11:00 am PT. Hearthstone's expansion is likely to be just one of several major announcements made by Blizzard today and then showcased during the event over the weekend.
Hearthstone is available now on PC and mobile devices.
Source: WoWHead