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.
Had so much fun with Naxxramas. Hopefully BRM will be at least as good.
PLEASE RELEASE TOMORROW!!
Pretty please with gummy bears on top.
I think its *NOT* happening...
https://twitter.com/CM_Zeriyah/status/488791144289931265
seems interesting, but prices is high imo
a lot of money
me too
I wonder if after Heroic modes are cleared you can earn gold or dust? I feel like rewards could be similar to arena, like random either a small amount of gold or dust? That would be cool.
Real excited for the Boss dialogue! If it's anywhere near Heming Nesingwary quality from the tutorial I'd be so happy. Anxious to hear the new music as well!
Those prices sound about right. Glad they finally announced them.
I still think Golden Cards would have been a much better reward for the Heroic Mode than a card back. That would have been a real incentive to step up to the challenge. Oh well.
step up the challenge ?
A lot of players will juste wait for others to post their decks and tactics, so in the end everybody should be able to end heroic mode.
Golden cards (especially legendary ones) are pretty rare in the game and there's no reason golen naxx cards should be commons in two or three months..
Forgive me for not making myself clear. I meant that Golden Cards would've given players a real incentive to play through the Heroic mode. A card back is a pretty lame incentive in comparison.
Really? 700 gold per wing? well, how many people did they expect already in the end game or good at arena? and i don't even have that much free time to farm gold.
I started doing dailies about a week after they announced Naxx and I had 4000+ gold saved up after having spent some on arenas. It's not hard to make gold--just do your quests and save up.
Well, I'm definitely surprised about the low gold cost. As a positive, I just bought 22 packs. Two decent epics, a crap legendary, but was able to craft a Ysera with 915 still saved up for my next legendary.
1800 gold :D, just won my 1000th game!!, +300 gold, 1k to go
Congratulations on your 1000th win! Plenty of time to earn that gold as well :)
Seems fair. With the gold I have saved plus the what I can earn in between now and whenever it's released I should hopefully have enough to get the entire thing when it drops. I will probably grind arena one day this weekend to be sure though. If I didn't have a good portion of the gold already put back I'd be ok with paying the real money price though.
The price is pretty fair but somehow I've expected the real money pricing to be cheaper. Well, I'll go with the free-way to obtain the content. My real money I'll reserve for a blizzcon ticket and cosmetics like new hero portraits which high likely only going to be available for real money only.