Updates (Times in EDT)
4:48 PM: Updated our Naxxramas guide with pricing for NA and EU regions.
4:38 PM: Added information about acquiring golden cards.
3:20 PM: Added note about new music and boss sounds.
Curse of Naxxramas: Pricing Structure and Heroic Mode
Zeriyah posted information on how much Naxxramas is going to cost. The first wing, the Arachnid Quarter, will be free to everyone who plays Naxxramas during the first month. If you're planning on going to free to play route, the entire adventure will set you back 2800 gold, or $19.99 if you buy the entire thing right away.
- If purchased with Gold, wings will cost 700 gold each.
- If purchased with Real Money, wings will cost $6.99 each, however, there is a two dollar discount per wing for bulk purchases. (Prices in USD)
- Buy all 5 wings for $24.99. (Not applicable during the "Launch Event" since the first wing will be free)
- Buy 4 wings after owning one for $19.99.
- Buy 3 wings after owning two for $14.99.
- Buy 2 wings after owning three for $9.99.
Additionally, we now have confirmation that Heroic Mode not only exists, but also will reward you with a special Card Back for defeating all the bosses.
Quote from ZeriyahWe’re skimming the slime pools, stitching together our finest Abominations, and preparing the Necropolis for an Adventure you’ll never forget—Curse of Naxxramas is coming, and we know you’re just dying to get in and play! In today’s blog, we’ll discuss the details on how you’ll access Curse of Naxxramas, and unveil the Naxxramas Heroic Mode.
Your All Naxx-cess Pass
Naxxramas is a floating necropolis, home to a host of undead bosses ready to challenge worthy opponents eager to test their card-slinging mettle. To undertake the challenges that lie within each of the five wings of the Adventure, one must first gain access to their secrets. But don’t worry too much about the price of entry—much to Thaddius’ chagrin, it won’t cost you an arm OR a leg.
Naxxramas will open its gates one wing at a time, with a new wing opening each week. The wings of Naxxramas will open in the following order: Arachnid Quarter, Plague Quarter, Military Quarter, Construct Quarter, and Frostwyrm Lair.
Players who begin their adventures in Naxxramas during the launch event will gain free access to the first wing: the Arachnid Quarter. The launch event will last roughly a month or so, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to get your foot in the door—we’ll have more details to share about that later on. The web-choked corridors of the Arachnid Quarter are home to the bosses Anub’Rekhan, Grand Widow Faerlina, and Maexxna. Defeating these bosses will add new cards to your collection and give you a taste of the dangers that await you deeper inside Naxxramas.
After the Arachnid Quarter, the next four wings can be purchased for 700 gold per wing or $6.99 per wing. Players can earn the in-game gold needed to unlock the next wing of Naxxramas by completing various quests or emerging victorious from the Arena, or they can choose to unlock the next available Naxxramas wing using real money.
If you’re looking to swing open multiple gates at once, Curse of Naxxramas bundle packages are also available. Spiders are just so good at making things into neat little bundles. . . .
Keep in mind that purchasing Curse of Naxxramas wings in bundles does not open or grant access to those wings faster than the one-wing-a-week schedule, but it does ensure that you’ll be able to dive into the next challenges as soon as they unlock.
If you play Naxxramas during the launch event and decide to purchase the remaining wings with real money, you’ll only have to purchase the 4-Wing bundle to access the remaining wings once they become accessible.
If you unlock additional wings with gold and wish to purchase a wing bundle at a later time with real money to unlock any remaining wings, you can still take advantage of the bundle pricing. For example, if you enter the Arachnid Quarter during the launch event and unlock it for free, then purchase the second wing with gold, the remaining three wings can be purchased with real money at the 3-wing bundle price listed above.
Remember to enter the Necropolis during the launch event so you don’t miss out on all the creepy crawly fun that awaits you in the Arachnid Quarter—for free!
Heroic Mode
Once you’ve defeated all of the bosses within any given wing for the first time, you’ll unlock the Heroic mode of that wing. Heroic mode bosses are significantly more difficult than their normal versions, and they will prove to be a challenge for even the most veteran Hearthstone players. Defeating all of the bosses in Naxxramas on Heroic mode will unlock a new card back for your collection.
The undead horrors of Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure are dying to meet you. We hope to see you creeping through the necropolis with your own “All Naxx-cess Pass” soon!
Golden Cards
Golden Cards will be craftable with Arcane Dust as soon as you have unlocked the normal version.
Quote from ZeriyahGolden versions of Naxxramas cards can be crafted with Arcane Dust once you have acquired the non-golden version of that card.
New Music & Sound Info
Thanks to The Angry Chicken podcast, who did a live show at Nerdtacular 2014, we've got some news about the new Naxx music! Russel Brower, Composer, Conductor, and Director of Audio at Blizzard Entertainment, who was briefly on the show said that we will be seeing new music for the adventure, and a new song for the regular game. The quote below can be heard at 53:53 in the show recording.
Quote from Russel Brower via TAC LiveIn World of Warcraft tradition, we are not removing any music, there's not a lot to remove, but we have added some new pieces. Our philosophy has been we're [going to add] some special new music for Naxxramas, and then while we're at it, for each of these major updates, an additional piece for the [regular part of the game] as well. So, the playlist will grow and add to the rest of the game.
It also looks like we'll be seeing re-use of the Naxxramas Boss voices from World of Warcraft, along with "additional surprises".
Quote from @CM_ZeriyahWill we hear the Naxx Bosses' WoW voices in HS? I'd love to hear Patchwerk and friends again'!
I'm sure you will have some nostalgia there ... and additional surprises.
I don't get your confusion. If you play hearthstone you get the first wing for free. So right off the bat you pack $19.99 for the bundle. If you have 700 gold, great. Now you pay $14.99. If you have 1400 gold you now pay $9.99. If you need to buy the last wing because the rest were free you pay $6.99. Or you could spend nothing because you have the gold to buy everything. Simple as that.
I'm stoked about the pricing. The price hits a sweet spot. Now I just wish I could hand them my $ and play it. :D
I must say, I'm pissed about the Gold Cards requiring Dust... Why not reward them for the Heroic equivalents of the Quests/Bosses that reward them in the first place? :S
I CANNOT wait to hear Anub'Rekhan! "I can hear your little heartss beating... They're beating faster now.. Soon, They won't be beating at alll~..." <3
The golden cards only made through dust... What a ripoff... Nice one Blizzard...
They said that during testing the testers didn't like that you could only get the gold cards via the heroic mode encounters.
I have to ask, "Who the f*** were the testers?" I can't believe that the testers are actually full-time players, who have any sort of involvement in the collecting of dust and gold. Testers are given testing accounts, thus they have no particular emotional ties to those accounts. They don't really go through the pain and annoyance of gold and dust acquisition.
More than that, getting the golden cards from Heroic mode just sounds fun. It'd be a little badge of honor in card form, especially if the heroic mode is hard people would rather spend dust.
It's a tricky step. Would you rather have all players potentially craft a purely cosmetic card through dust (costing the player nothing except time, really) or would you rather have players who can build the counters to heroic decks have the cards? If I was a designer I would go for the dust. Yes it will take players longer but you can have the gold cards you really care about and you don't have to beat your brains out trying to beat a Naxx heroic boss you just don't have the cards to fight. Beat the heroic bosses using only basic cards on your very first attempt. I triple dog dare you. For the regular dare I give you three attempts.
2,800 gold? Seems pretty doable.
$25 is definitely too rich for my blood, though. I know which one I'll be picking.
first wing is free, so its $20
It's a pretty good pricing structure. Players who don't want to spend money on it can do it. And people who have the money to spend aren't getting screwed over. Micro transactions can make me spend a lot more than $60 on a game but if I'm playing only $20 every 6-8 paychecks on a game I play daily I'm completely happy.
SouDiesel420:
You're right, of course, $20.
Which is better but still not something I'm likely to drop on the table. But definitely way better than $25.
Skeinchug:
Yeah, it's a pretty good model. I'm glad I can actually free-to-play it. And if I did want to pay, it'd be fairly reasonable.
I'm actually way more likely to stick around and eventually get sucked into giving them some money if it's not demanded up front. Hopefully they're seeing good return on their decisions.
If you participate in the launch of Naxx, first wing should be 100% free period - then as each week passes, you buy the next wings.
(At least that's my understanding.)
This is correct. All wings are 700 gold or $6.99 USD. If you just so happen to take part in Naxx during the first month (or slightly longer), you will receive the first wing discounted to $0. No other wings will be available for free.
There are five wings. The first wing is free for a month. Everything else is 700 gold, $6.99 per wing, or you buy the bundle and unlock all the wings you haven't purchased yet. After a month the first wing won't be free and you will need to pay for it as well. For new players it will kind of suck but you can totally save your money/gold the wing you want because you will know what your favorite deck needs.
I am curious I hope you will get a golden thaddius for spending 6400 dust on golden stalagg and feugan.
Quote from Zeriyah on Twitter regarding Golden Feugan and Stalagg.
Thaddius is a token. So, that is how it works now. If the card that summons the token is golden, then the token is golden.
No. That's not how it works. Both Feugan and Stalagg need to die, and then Thaddius is summoned. Whichever of the two is the last to die during the match will be the card that summons Thaddius.
oooooo i read them wrong my bad thank you for pointing that out
But do they both have to be golden or just the one that dies?