7:35 PM EST: Added update about Hearthstone requiring Mac OS X 10.7 or above after the next patch.
2:50 PM EST: Updated with new store images.
Hearthstone Patch 7628
A new patch has appeared on the download servers. It is not yet pushed to clients, but will be soon.
Lunar New Year
New strings have been added to the game for the Lunar New Year. Audio files have not yet been added to the client. It looks like we may be seeing a Lunar New Year event!
Quote from HearthPwn
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_01_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: Heh, Greetings.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_02_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: Greetings, friend.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_03_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: The pleasure is mine.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_04_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: Well met!
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_05_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: Greetings, traveler.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_06_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: My greetings.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_07_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: I greet you.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_08_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: Hello.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_HERO_09_EVENT_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: Greetings.
- GAMEPLAY_EMOTE_EX1_323h_LUNAR_NEW_YEAR: You face Jaraxxus, Eredar Lord of the Burning Legion!
Shop Interface Changes
There's been some image additions that are labelled as being a part of the store. StoreMain_ChooseBackgroundWood, and Arrow_ChoosePack. Looks like this may be the end of accidentally buying the wrong pack, as it's going to ask you which packs you want to buy on purchase.
Quote from HearthPwn
- GLUE_STORE_CHOOSE_PACK: Choose your pack
- GLUE_MOBILE_STORE_AMAZON_PAYMENT_INFO_DETAILS_ANDROID: In-app purchases are made using your Amazon account.
- GLUE_STORE_SUMMARY_TOS_AGREEMENT_EU: By clicking {0}, you agree to the Terms of Sale, and to the immediate delivery of your order. You will lose the right to withdraw your order once the delivery process has started. You can change your default payment method or read the Terms of Sale by pressing the {1} button.
Undertaker Nerfed
Undertaker has been nerfed. Undertaker now only gains +1 Attack rather than +1 Attack and +1 Health. See the post from Zeriyah explaining this change below.
Quote from ZeriyahUndertaker was frustrating to play against. It often gained both Attack and Health stats significantly above those of other inexpensive minions very early in the game. With this change, we expect Undertaker will still be better than other 1-Mana minions when played in a deck with a Deathrattle theme, but more likely to die in combat against other minions.
The golden version of Undertaker can be disenchanted for its full cost for a limited time once this balance change goes live.
We will continue to make balance changes to Hearthstone when we feel they are necessary in order to increase the variety of cards seen at all levels of play, with the goal of making Hearthstone a more fun and interactive game for everyone.
New Card Back: Maraad (January 2015)
The Maraad card back is now officially in the client. This is the reward for January 2015's ranked gameplay season.
Mac OS X Update Required
If you've been playing on OS X lower than version 10.7, you're going to need to update if you want to play after the patch.
Quote from ZeriyahIn an upcoming patch, Hearthstone players using Mac OS X versions lower than 10.7 will be required to update their OS X to 10.7 or above. Once the patch is released, OS X versions lower than 10.7 will no longer be supported.Mac OS X 10.7 and above will continue to be fully supported. For more information on what versions of Mac OS X we will continue to support, please visit our support site here.
You can upgrade your Mac OS X to 10.10.1 Yosemite for free on Apple’s website. Click here to download OS X 10.10.1 for free.
Please download the latest OS X from Apple if you are running an OS X lower than 10.7 in order to avoid any interruptions in the Hearthstone service.
For Mac-related information and help, please visit our Battle.Net Support Page or the Hearthstone Mac Technical Support Forums.
Watch out, this guy knows more about the balancing of Hearthstone than Blizzard.
Oh man! I can't wait to see what the event will be! I hope they do events more regularly and have like cool gamemodes or something like that! I would love to see a 2v2 gamemode one day! that would be awesome! I am excited to see what Lunar New Year brings us!
The Lunar Festival is Feb 16 to Mar 02 2015 in World of Warcraft. If there is something being done in Hearthstone, expect it around those dates.
Patch can be much earlier and just add files to server, not push it to client.
As of event, I think you are right, it does sounds right for them to make it on the same date =)
Finally getting nerfed hell yeah!!
It's finally happening boys!
Also hype for a possible event!
Ooohh, Lunar New Year stuff? Can't wait to see what happens there!
Do you think Undertaker will still work in Hunter decks? I know he's useless in Zoo, but as Huntard cares only about face damage is it a possibility that Hunter will not be affected as heavily?
If he is not worthy anymore, what card do we replace him with?
I expect Zoo to go back to being the old Warlock Aggro, the one before Naxx came out.
The turn around on these nerfs is crazy.
RIP in pieces Undertaker.
Also, this makes me think Dr. Boom will get the nerfbat in 4 months. It took 6 months to nerf Undertaker, and GvG was released 2 months or so ago. So Dr. Boom will probably be nerfed in time for the next expansion.
Thing is, how would you nerf it? Make him smaller in attack? That just takes him out of BGH range and makes him better. Nerf his health? That's only really a help to, say, priest and mage. Nerf the bombs? I suppose they could do that, but then people who crafted the card will just craft some other legendary for it and you don't really accomplish anything except now you don't see Dr. Boom anymore in decks.
Personally, I think Boom is fine. He's not an autowin legendary. Very strong, sure, but not THAT game-changing that he should warrant a nerf.
UT, on the other hand, was in every aggro deck ever built. Which warranted even other aggro decks to build ways to deal with it, kinda even going against the theme of their own decks. The nerf's justified.
I took the liberty of fixing your post.
9/9 of board tokens and an average of 5 damage going out for 7 mana is crazy. I realize that there are no other good 7's but when every deck runs boom and it pretty much put BGH in every deck as well, we got a similar problem. There is no clean solution to him.
And if you don't have anything to deal with him, it's pretty much a gg.
UT needed a nerf. It was too good, but I think every person thinks that every game against a hunter resulted in a 4/5 UT if you didn't have your removal in your opener is not quite being honest with themselves. Over half the time, your opponent will not have it in his hand. If he does, he may or may not actually get the deathrattles to play with it. It was manageable (like Boom), but overpowered (like Boom).
Everyone is here cheering for the Undertaker and i am here asking...
What about Zoo(ooideberg)?
Zoo just shrugs and probably brings back Argent Squire and Scarlet Crusader.
You Maraad bro?
I assume it is similar to the Wow in game event Lunar Festival:
http://www.wowhead.com/event=327/lunar-festival
A lot of fireworks, related to the Chinese New Year festival.
Last years may give a bit more detail about the whole event: http://www.wowhead.com/guides/world-events/holidays/lunar-festival
The text "Undertaker has been nerfed" is a bit misleading, as it's still showing as +1/+1 in my game.
That said, I'm excited about all the new things!
It is not yet pushed to clients, but will be soon.
Oh man. Two health is making me feel queasy. Wonder if it will still be good enough.
Regardless, this is a very exciting change. The balance of the game has taken a step in the right direction. Can't wait and see how the meta evolves now that 1 mana 4/5 aren't a possibility.