Team 5, the Blizzard Entertainment development team responsible for Hearthstone, is about to make some huge changes in Arena, changing the format from Wild to Standard with an upcoming patch.
This decision comes in an attempt to contain the huge pool of cards that is available now in Arena, and that will continue to grow with every new expansion, as in Wild, all cards from previous expansions are at your disposal.
Christina “Zeriyah” Sims, the Hearthstone community manager, posted on the Hearthstone forums to discuss these changes.
“Arena runs become less about card synergies and smart deck choices and more about being fortunate enough to be presented with the best card from each set,” Zeriyah said. “This change should put the focus back on the player for good, synergistic Arena choices and make Arena decks feel more cohesive.”
Blizzard is trying to experiment with the Arena to make it more enjoyable, and they will closely monitor how players react to the new changes; if players are not happy with it, they will either revert it or make more changes.
Additionally, on top of the Standard format change, there will also be a few more points that they will be getting their hands into. There will be a decrease in the frequency of common and basic cards, the development team will try to equalize the distribution of spells and minions, and last but not least, they will make the neutral classic minions appear less.
Those changes are scheduled to take place somewhere near the end of February, along with the balance changes to Spirit Claws and Small-Time Buccaneer, with the 7.1 update.
Do you think that the Arena experience will be more enjoyable after the changes, or do you prefer it as it is now? Let us know on Twitter or Facebook @GAMURScom.
