Following the critical response to the recent card art changes (review our Patch 14.6 coverage here), Blizzard has spoken with a journalist from Kotaku in order to bring more clarity to the situation:
Quote from BlizzardThe recent changes were applied to make those cards more visually cohesive and consistent with the art style of Hearthstone today. When Hearthstone first launched, we brought in a lot of artwork from the physical World of Warcraft Trading Card Game. In the years since, Hearthstone has developed a look, feel, and personality of its own that distinguishes it from that of Warcraft — though we still love being a part of that universe. We’ll always be looking for ways to deliver on the game’s unique style, charm, and personality.
(Lead Mission Designer) Dave Kosak also spoke with PC Gamer to discuss his views on the reasons for the changes:
Quote from PC GamerBlizzard made changes to the artwork on eight Hearthstone cards yesterday (and changed the names of two of them), and the reaction was not entirely positive. Multiple posters in this Reddit thread, for instance, speculate that the sex and violence was dialed back in order to be in line with Chinese regulations. That would not be unprecedented: China's gaming market is heavily censored, and Blizzard has previously made changes to World of Warcraft visuals in order to comply with regulations.In this case, however, China had nothing to do with it. Lead mission designer Dave Kosak told us that after reviewing the full Hearthstone set, Blizzard decided that the art on some of the cards simply didn't meet its standards, and that Blizzard "wouldn't print those same cards today."
Quote fromWe went back and really just brought everything up to our standards. It wasn't because we were looking at ratings, or international [regulations], or anything like that. We really just wanted our artists to feel good about everything in the set.Succubus underwent the most complete transformation: The stats and effect are the same, but the sexy cruel demons who "slake their lust with coupling" are out, and pack-hunting "demonic beasts" are in. Mistress of Pain (now Queen of Pain), Secretkeeper, and Windfury Harpy have also had the sexy factor dialed back, while Bite, Eviscerate, and Deadly Shot are now less graphically violent.
Kosak confirmed that some of the changes were aimed at toning down the portrayals of sex and violence in the game (although designer Liv Breeden noted that one card, Headcrack, was updated because it was just too dark and hard to read) but emphasized:
Quote from[...The decision was driven not by external forces] but just kind of bringing it up to the standards we felt really good about today.
https://twitter.com/MattDixonArt/status/1146084844897746945
He seems cool with it. And they've already updated 2 of the artworks for Power of the Wild recently, I'm sure they'll get around to it. : )
Uh, I mean... Blizz bad upvote plz
No working artist in the gaming world gives half a shit what happens to the art after they get paid.
Artists who care about that kind of thing don't last long in the business. I promise you that.
Super false.
You really don't want to lose so much money just to show some tits, that's the reason you hide them.
And while i can really don't give a fuck, you have to speak the truth.
Greedy blizzard, you hit again
This wouldn't be so controversial if we didn't already see that three of Blizzards games are currently under investigation by the Chinese dictato- government, for blood, violence and inharmonious chat (not censored chat). These changes are just Blizzard prepping themselves for when Hearthstone is put under the microscope.
So sorry Blizzard, but we all see through your blatant lies. The least you could do is be honest with your playerbase, but I keep forgetting you cowards don't even have the spine to do that.
it has no impact on the game. it's just the way that blizzard/activision handles things.
it is obviously about marketing the game and and raising sales numbers in various markets/regions of the world. the fact that blizzard comes up with a lazy "up to our standards" just after the wow store mount fiasco is the reason why players are offended.
blah blah blah it is the standard formula reply. not even worth reading.
Great job making the game better,ActiBlizzard. This is what the game needed the most. Not something else beside new cards (and that's it) every expansion,or Hero cosmetics that you need to buy because Activision or "hey we're bringing back adventures,but you need to pay for them for nothing". You are the company I grew up with playing Diablo,StarCraft and WarCraft I used to call you the best gaming company and that's the reason I played HearthStone in the first place,but now you just crap on each game you have,from SC players,to Wow players to Diablo players (I still don't have a phone) to Hearthstone players. You're ruining your entire legacy with stupid decisions. Wake up or you're entire company,your games are gonna be like Artifact (completely dead). And for those blind Blizzard defenders :Shut up,you played Hs and you think you know what Blizzard used to be?! Maybe ask you parents about it before you defend like a blind SJW.
I have a list of "nerf" threads that would knock your socks off.... :-P
Hard to believe they're changing the cards not because of any regulations, they just WANT to. The community doesn't want change, and would rather it be reverted, but the designers want to work more just cause. (Especially if Hearthstone is somehow also built on crunch like other parts of Blizzard,) I find it hard they want to divert from working on the future sets because they want to change existing cards art. If they keep changing cards, it'll also prove they don't want to abide by the communities criticism, more so proving there is more to this than "we want to"?
Not trolling - I genuinely don't know why people are so upset. Obviously, we are all welcome to choose to react the way we want. Yes, the new art isn't as good as the old, but really, what's the actual impact of these changes on the game? How impacted is your actual in-game experience?
Not your point here, I know but "the new art isn't as good as the old" is debatable... I'll argue that most of them have been improved. I'm a game artist and I follow many of the Hearthstone card artists... Steve Prescott and Luke Mancini, for example, reworked their cards (Deadly Shot and Windfury Harpy) it's 5 years of evolution, they are clearly much better artists now than before.
U guys talk too much about something with so little importance. If the cards were the way they are now, since de beginning, none of u would complain, the proof, the only time u complained about art was on boomsday, the "omega devastator" case.
So move on, go play the game
I have complained and will complain about the Kill Command art until the day I die (or until they change it). I hope it's their next target, and that's why I support the idea of updating Hearthstone art whenever they think it's warranted.
The problem is they don't care about community opinion. And those changes are just stupid and meaningless.
Corporate white knighting WeirdChamp
The artwork in HS is half the reason I play the game and whilst I don't have a problem with the concept of making changes to ensure the quality in consistent and up to standards, I do when the changes are fucking crap and pointless.
Blizzard have probably over-sexualised female characters in the past and actually rectifying that isn't a bad thing. But changing Succubus - a character which is supposed to sexual in nature ffs - isn't doing that. People, characters and things are still allowed to be sexy!
As someone who works in comms and often has to spin a message - when it smells like total BS, it probably is.
You can't over-sexualize a succubus, though. The whole deal with them is sex. I've yet for anyone to give a solid reason why characters in games, male or female, can't be hyper sexualized.
All right, I fixed the Betrayal art for Blizzard, hope its ok now
Obvious blatant lies. Why should I (as if I ever believed them before) keep believing anything they say from this point onward?
If they want to bring the card artworks up to standard then swap Angry Chicken and Chicken (https://www.hearthpwn.com/cards/12355-chicken) arts already...