Hearthstone single-player adventure Curse of Naxxramas announced, and you can play without spending a penny

Blizzard will be taking Hearthstone players to the floating necropolis of Naxxramas, with the famous World of Warcraft dungeon confirmed as the location of the card game’s first single-player Adventure mode expansion.

The Curse of Naxxramas expansion is scheduled for release sometime this summer, and finally introduces a single-player mode to Hearthstone. Players will need to play through five different sections or “wings” in the dungeon, with one wing to be released each week. The first wing to be released will be the Arachnid Quarter, and each wing will feature new bosses to defeat and new cards to earn. Only the first wing will be free--players will have to buy access to the others using in-game gold or real world money.

Blizzard did not provide details on what that cost would be, although access to the game's current arena content, which earns players at least one Card Pack, costs 150 gold or costs $2.49.

Players will be able to earn up to a total of 30 new cards to add to their collection for completing The Curse of Naxxramas. Once earned, these cards will be playable in all of the game’s other modes (Play or Practice).

For Arena, a mode in which players choose cards from a pool rather than using pre-constructed decks, the new cards will be added to the available mix regardless of whether a player has completed the Naxxramas adventure or not. In a statement, Blizzard says the new cards “are completely optional and aren’t necessary to continue playing and being competitive at Hearthstone.”

The expansion will introduce class-specific challenges as well. These will be made up of battles where players will have to use a predetermined class deck, with the reward for winning being another Naxx-themed card. Finally, a new Naxx-themed arena will be introduced as well, featuring the requisite spooky features fitting for an arena set in an undead haven.

We'll have more details on the game and lots of other PAX East news as we explore the show floor. Check out our PAX hub for even more up-to-the-minute updates!