Hearthstone's Next Expansion, Saviors of Uldum, Launches In August

Hearthstone will be rolling out its next expansion in August, titled Saviors of Uldum. This marks the middle chapter in a three-part series of expansions that are all thematically linked. Just like the last expansion, Rise of Shadows, this next one brings back some familiar characters, along with some new mechanics. It will launch on August 6.

Saviors of Uldum takes place immediately after Shadows, after the villain Rafaam and his League of EVIL have made off with the floating city of Dalaran. They've sailed it over to the desert area Uldum, where the League of Explorers are ready to stop their schemes. The foursome includes Reno Jackson, Elise Starseeker, Sir Finley, and Brann Bronzebeard. (They were first introduced in the League of Explorers expansion in 2015 as a foil to Rafaam.)

As usual, the expansion will introduce a handful of new mechanics. This one will include a new keyword, Reborn, which will bring minions back to life with one remaining health the first time they're destroyed. Powerful Plague spells for Priest, Shaman, Warrior, Warlock, and Rogue will impact the entire battlefield equally.

Finally, Saviors of Uldum will bring back Quests for the first time since the Journey to Un'Goro expansion. These one-cost Legendary spells will always start in your hand, and give you a goal to pursue as you play. If you achieve the goal, you get a big reward. This time, though, the quest reward will trigger automatically, rather than generating a card into your hand. Blizzard promises more familiar mechanics will be returning as well.

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The expansion will once again introduce 135 new cards, and pre-purchases will net you some bonuses. The standard bundle ($50) will include 50 packs, an Elise Starseeker card back, and a random Golden Legendary. The mega bundle ($80) will include 80 packs, card back, random Golden Legendary, and an Elise Starseeker Druid hero portrait. You can also log in within the first 90 days of the expansion's launch to get a free random Quest card.

The single-player portion of the expansion is planned to launch in September. Upon Uldum's launch, the Arena will rotate to include Basic, Classic, Saviors of Uldum, Rastakhan's Rumble, Journey to Un'Goro, Kobolds & Catacombs, and League of Explorers. You can attend a pre-release Fireside Gathering between August 2-5 to open your packs early.