Gaming powerhouse Blizzard has just announced a new expansion for its popular free to play online card game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.
Titled 'The Grand Tournament', the new addition will add a new mechanic called 'Inspire' and places an emphasis on hero powers, the unique abilities given to each of the game's nine playable classes. Blizzard's official press release reads:
The Grand Tournament stands as a shining beacon of friendly competition, emboldening your Hearthstone collection with an impressive procession of knightly prowess. Hearthstone's newest minion keyword - Inspire - activates after your Hero Power is used. Utilizing your Hero Power while a minion with Inspire is on the board will result in one of any number of effects, a few of which can be seen below!
In addition, the Tournament will bring over 132 new cards to the game, expanding the library of playable cards to almost 700 when it releases this August:
The Grand Tournament bolsters the expanding Hearthstone library with 132 new cards, introducing all-new spells, weapons, and a retinue of Azeroth's most renowned Champions ready to join your cause. Here's a taste of what you can expect when you step into this Grand Tournament!
As with all other content in Hearthstone, players will be able to collect Grand Tournament cards for free by using the game's in game currency. However Blizzard is offering those that want a head start a pre-purchase bundle of 50 card packs for $49.99.
The new content will be available simultaneously on all platforms where Hearthstone can be played: Windows, Mac OSX, Android, and iOS.
The Grand Tournament is Blizzard's fourth expansion to the game since it launched in 2013. The game's last update was the smaller 'Blackrock Mountain' adventure which released earlier this year.
