Summary
- Hearthstone's Perils in Paradise expansion breaks tradition by excluding a new game board, a first in over a decade.
- Each previous expansion introduced a unique game board with interactable features and music, adding to the immersive experience.
- Fans express disappointment over the lack of a new board in Perils in Paradise, raising concerns about the future of Hearthstone.
Perils in Paradise, the newest expansion in Hearthstone, is the first card set in history to not get a unique game board. This absence breaks a long-standing Hearthstone tradition for the first time in over a decade.
Each time Hearthstone releases a card set, it adds a brand-new game board into the mix. Each of these battlefields features tons of interactable doodads, hidden secrets, and multiple songs that play when the boards are in use.
How Hearthstone's New Duo Battlegrounds Work
Take on the Battlegrounds with a friend in this new, exciting game mode in Hearthstone, complete with new cards and gameplay features.
However, Hearthstone’s next expansion doesn’t have a new game board, breaking this tradition for the first time in more than 10 years. Fans first noticed Blizzard hadn’t shown off a game board in any of their promotional material for the new Perils in Paradise Hearthstone set – something it usually does shortly before the expansion’s release. When the pre-set patch hit, they then noticed no board was added, despite every other expansion in the past doing so in similar updates. Then, Hearthstone clarified this was an intentional change, and that it would be sharing an update to provide more context around when the set launches on July 23.
Hearthstone Perils in Paradise Has No New Board
Including a number of holiday variants, there are almost 40 boards in the game right now: the four included with the game’s original release, one for each of the 26 expansions before Perils in Paradise, and several that were introduced in the game’s solo adventures, all of which have a chance to come up whenever players start a game of traditional Hearthstone. Perils in Paradise is the first Hearthstone set to not introduce a battlefield since the game’s original release.
Needless to say, fans aren’t happy with this change. Playing on new battlefields, discovering all of their secret interactions, and enjoying the fresh music are part of what lets players immerse themselves in an expansion, and many think not having that aspect will negatively impact the set’s flavor. While these players are disappointed, they are waiting to hear what Hearthstone is planning for the future to make a final judgment call.
Either way, the lack of a new board in Perils in Paradise is just one more entry in a growing list of things that have players worried about the future of Hearthstone. Its esports competitive scene has been drastically scaled back, recent expansions have had inconsistent production quality with trailers and promotional media, and Hearthstone game modes like Duels and Mercenaries have been discontinued. Hopefully, Hearthstone will have some good news for fans with its upcoming announcement.
Hearthstone
- Released
- March 11, 2014
WHERE TO PLAY
Deceptively simple, insanely fun. Sheathe your sword, draw your deck, and get ready for Hearthstone—the fast-paced strategy card game that’s easy to learn and massively fun. You’ll play your cards to sling spells, summon creatures, and command the heroes of Warcraft in duels of epic strategy. Did we mention it’s free to play? Get Packed for Paradise with Hearthstone's newest expansion, Perils in Paradise.
Play on your own schedule—most games take less than 10 minutes whether you’re battling your friends or the AI. Hearthstone’s easy to learn and extremely accessible gameplay is available for Windows, Mac, and iPad.
Your deck is centered around a legendary hero and composed of minions, spells, items, and abilities from the epic Warcraft universe. While you play, the sights, sounds, and other details packed into Hearthstone bring the Warcraft universe to life in a way you’ve never experienced before.
