Hearthstonerecently announced Twist - a new way to climb the ladder that aims to keep the game fresh. Occasionally, the Twist format will change, switching up the card pool and imposing new limitations or curveballs to spice things up. However, this exciting new mode came at a cost: ClassicHearthstoneis being retired in favor of Twist, though its vestiges will live on in its successor.
Game Rant participated in a roundtable interview with features lead Chadd Nervig and lead modes designer Matt London aboutHearthstoneTwist. They discussed the design space Twist is intended to fill and the journey towards its creation. The developers also shared whyHearthstonedecided to replace Classic, as well as the ways Twist pays homage to the discontinued game mode.
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How Hearthstone Twist Came to Be
Over the years, players have collected hundreds of cards from across dozens of expansions. However, with the introduction of Standard, many of these cards become unusable after two years for most players. While they may still occasionally be useful in Tavern Brawls,Hearthstonewanted to find a place for non-Wild players to use these cards.
Standard follows a formula ofyearlyHearthstoneCore set rotationsto create a more balanced meta, while Wild is a no-holds-barred format where cards from across several years are combined to make devastating strategies. However, both Standard and Wild are predictable. “After a while, a format gets solved,” London explained, “and it’s much easier to identify how powerful cards are in relation to one another.” Twist, on the other hand, revels in unpredictability, and its changing card pools ensure no single strategy can dominate the format for more than a few weeks - andHearthstonewill be ready to nerf or ban problem cards if necessary.
In many ways, Twist is a natural evolution of theHearthstoneTavern Brawl. The weekly challenge mode also features deck-building restrictions and served as an inspiration for Twist. “We wanted to create some variants [to Tavern Brawl] that felt like they had more depth,” London said, “so players could engage with them over a longer period of time, and feel better about making an investment in building a deck so you can play in these formats.” However, Nervig explains that, while Tavern Brawls are a fun activity to play once or twice, Twist is still a ladder format at its heart. The format needs to be fun and engaging without breaking the game like some Tavern Brawls do.
“There’s some overlap in design space between Tavern Brawls and Twist, but Tavern Brawls are designed to be fun for a weekend - Twist formats are designed to be fun for a month. So, some of the more off-the-wall formats are more appropriate for a Tavern Brawl… but those things that are a little tamer, but still kinda twisted, and that we think could have a lot of life? Those can end up as Twists.”
While some of its rules will look like Standard, others like Wild, and others still like Tavern Brawls,Twist is bringing something unique toHearthstone. A dual-class expansion theme, the ability to ban matchups with specific classes, and a mech-focused card pool were all brought up as potential Twist ideas. As long as it is fun and engaging, it seems like nothing is off the table in Twist.
Classic Hearthstone: Gone, but Not Forgotten
In 2021,Hearthstoneintroduced Classic. This newly constructed mode brought things back to basics, with the only legal cards being those from the original game. Cards that have been changed since launch appeared in their original forms, and the newer Demon Hunter and Death Knight classes were unavailable. Sadly,Hearthstonehas decided to get rid of Classic and replace it with Twist.
Hearthstoneis doing this for two major reasons. First, like theMercenaries modeHearthstoneintroduced in the same patch, Classic simply isn’t popular anymore. “Ultimately, Classic is a static format. No new cards are added to it, the meta doesn’t change, and there are no new balance adjustments,” London said, “because of the static nature to it, engagement waned over time.” Though it had an initial spike in popularity, interest dropped quickly.
The second reason is that, with many cards beingupdated for modernHearthstone, some cards act differently in Classic. London said, “One of our commitments for Twist is that we’re hoping there will only be one version of each card across all the formats.” Now that Classic is gone, players won’t have to memorize two copies of certain cards. That said, ClassicHearthstonewill live on in Twist. One of the major features of the new game mode is its ability to create experiences for players that are simultaneously nostalgic and fresh. “Classic and Classic-adjacent formats are certainly on the table for Twist,” London confirmed, so once Twist is in full bloom, players shouldn’t be surprised when rules inspired by Classic show up.
“We wanted to create opportunities to engage with Classic-era content that’s new, exciting, and has variety over time, and also give Classic a chance to come back into the spotlight at a later date… We actually think we are going to provide a better Classic experience by having players focused on it when it is top of mind as a part of the Twist rotation, rather than continuing to be a standalone mode”
ClassicHearthstoneachievementsaren’t going anywhere either. London confirmedHearthstonewill verify all Classic achievements can be earned through Twist or other means, though it is still figuring out the details. Additionally,HearthstoneTwist will have its own set of achievements players can earn. Regardless of how they like to play, Twist may end up having something in it for everyone.
Hearthstoneis available now for Mobile and PC.
