Descent of Dragons is the next Hearthstone expansion, Hearthstone: Battlegrounds announced

The next Hearthstone expansion, called Descent of Dragons, will arrive on December 10.

At BlizzCon 2019, the 135-card expansion was announced for Hearthstone.

Descent of Dragons is the conclusion to the year-long storyline The Year of the Dragon, and includes the ability to transform into the dragon Galakrond - the father of dragons.

The Year of the Dragon began with Rise of Shadows, where players were introduced to the League of E.V.I.L., led by Archvillain Rafaam.

In the new expansion, E.V.I.L. plans to "bring doom to Azeroth" by resurrecting Galakrond, who’s playable in different forms in Hearthstone as a set of five new Hero cards. The cards are available to the five E.V.I.L. classes: Priest, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior. The dragon will take on a form that is appropriate to the corresponding class, each with a unique Battlecry and Hero Power.

Hearthstone players who log in when Descent of Dragons is released will receive all five Galakrond Hero cards free.

Descent of Dragons also includes a new Invoke keyword that can be used by cultist minions. This keyword will trigger the effect of Galakrond’s Hero Power. Invoking it multiple times will upgrade dragon into two increasingly stronger forms.

There will also be new Sidequests available which will provide a variety of accessible early-game goals and rewards.

Until launch, players can pre-purchase two different card pack bundles: a 60-pack bundle, which includes an expansion-specific golden Legendary card, and the Shattering card back.

A 100-pack Mega Bundle, which includes the aforementioned bonuses and the new Deathwing playable Warrior Hero, will also be available.

The bundles are available for $49.99 and $79.99, respectively, and one of each can be purchased per account.

A look at some of the cards coming with the expansion can be found below.

Hearthstone: Battlegrounds announced

Also announced during BlizzCon 2019, was Hearthstone: Battlegrounds. The free game mode is a standalone experience and an eight-player auto-battler featuring 24 unique Heroes. Here, players will recruit minions, strategically position them, and watch as they battle.

Hearthstone: Battlegrounds does not involve building or maintaining a card collection.

It will be available to everyone when it enters open beta on Tuesday, November 12. An early access period will be available from November 5–11 for everyone who attended BlizzCon, purchased the BlizzCon Virtual Ticket, or pre-purchased either of the Descent of Dragons bundles.

Beginning with Descent of Dragons, everyone will receive free access to Battlegrounds. Players will also be able to unlock optional bonus features when they acquire card packs from the new expansion. This includes free packs, those acquired with in-game gold, or those purchased with real money.

At 10 packs, players will unlock stat-tracking in Battlegrounds. At 20 packs, they can choose from three different Heroes instead of two at the start of each match. And then at 30, players unlock the ability to taunt or communicate with their opponents using a visual emote system.

Hearthstone: Descent of Dragons cards