Blizzard has announced that they’re planning to move the Basic and Classic sets to Wild as well introduce the new Core Set.

Introducing the Core Set

The Core set replaces Basic and Classic cards in the Standard format and will contain a selection of 235 cards. After set rotation this year, Standard will include card sets from Year of the Phoenix (Ashes of Outland, Scholomance Academy, Madness at the Darkmoon Faire, Darkmoon Races Mini-Set), the next expansion, and the new Core Set.

The Core Set will be free for all players and will replace Basic and Classic in Standard as a curated selection of 235 cards intended to provide a modern collection of starting cards to players of all types and make Hearthstone even more approachable for newcomers. Some of the Core Set cards are returning from previous sets, some are reimagined favourites, and 29 cards are completely new.

• Core Set Breakdown:
  • 88 cards returning from Classic (54 class cards, 34 neutral cards).
  • 54 cards returning from Basic (41 class cards, 13 neutral cards).
  • 55 cards returning from Wild (36 class cards, 19 neutral cards).
  • 4 cards returning from Ashes of Outland (4 Demon Hunter Class cards).
  • 4 cards returning from Demon Hunter Initiate.
  • 1 card returning from Hall of Fame (Shadowform).
  • 29 new cards (20 Class cards, 9 Neutral cards).

Like the Basic Set, you’ll earn Core Set cards by levelling up each class. All Core Set class cards are rewarded between levels 1-10 for each class, and Neutral Core Set cards will unlock based the sum of all your class levels combined, up to the combined level of 60. Golden versions of Core Set cards can be unlocked by completing Achievements associated with winning games as each class.

When you log in after rotation, you’ll automatically be granted the new Core Set cards equal to your current level for each class!

Unlike how Basic and Classic functioned previously, the Core Set will be refreshed each year. At the end of every (Hearthstone) year, a new Core Set will take the place of the previous, comprised of new and existing cards. When that happens, the Core Set cards that are rotating will be swapped with new ones in your Collection automatically.

Introducing the Legacy Set

Basic and Classic cards will join Wild in the form of a card set named “Legacy”. When the Core Set is added at rotation, we’ll be retiring the Hall of Fame entirely. The Basic and Classic sets will move to Wild under a new name—the Legacy Set, which is where most cards from the Hall of Fame will go as well. There are a few exceptions: Genn Greymane, Baku the Mooneater, and other Hall of Fame cards from the Witchwood will return to the Witchwood set, and Shadowform will return to Standard as part of the Core Set!

With the Classic Set joining the Legacy Set in Wild, all Classic cards and their Golden versions will now be craftable and disenchantable. Basic cards and their Golden versions will be granted to all players that have Wild unlocked for free at rotation, as will the normal versions of Demon Hunter Initiate cards (Golden Demon Hunter Initiate cards will still be craftable and disenchantable).

Introducing the Classic Format

Craft decks and compete using Hearthstone’s original 240 cards as they were in 2014, the year the game launched. The Classic format invites players to craft decks and compete using Hearthstone’s original 240 cards as they were in 2014, the year that Hearthstone launched.

When logging in after our patch for the next expansion (before expansion content unlocks), your entire collection of Basic, Classic, and relevant Hall of Fame cards will be mirrored and available for deck building in the Classic format—as they were in the 1.0.0.5832 patch of June 2014, with any and all balance changes since then reverted. Yes, in the Classic format Warsong Commander can give minions Charge, Holy Smite can go face, and Leeroy Jenkins will cost 4 mana! If you want to relive the old-school Hearthstone experience, Classic will be the place for you.

Moving forward, unlocking the Wild format will also grant access to the Classic format. Classic’s reward systems, rank systems, and seasons will function the same as Standard and Wild, and like those formats, Classic will have its own matchmaking pool. You will be able to challenge your friends in the Classic format from Day 1, and games played in the Classic format will count towards any relevant Achievements.

Classic format cards will appear in their own section within the Collection manager and Classic format decks will have a unique border on your deck selection page to differentiate them from your Standard and Wild decks. Speaking of the deck selection page, we’re also excited to share that we’ll be increasing the total number of deck slots from 18 to 27 alongside the release of Classic.

Classic packs will now add to your Collection for the Classic format, as well as the Legacy set in Wild. If you have Knife Juggler in your Collection, you’ll have two versions of it—one that can be used in Wild with 2 Attack and 2 Health, and one you can use in the Classic format as it was in 2014 with 3 Attack and 2 Health.

Cards that were added to the Classic set later in Hearthstone’s history will not be usable in the Classic format or drop from Classic packs, but will be craftable as part of the Legacy set in Wild. This includes:

• Icicle
• Tome of Intellect
• Call of the Void
• Pilfer
• Siegebreaker
• Gift of the Wild
• Righteousness
• Brightwing
• High Inquisitor Whitemane
• Barrens Stablehand
• SI:7 Infiltrator
• Arcane Devourer
• Kul Tiran Chaplain
• Scarlet Subjugator
• Shadow Word: Ruin
• Natalie Seline

Lastly, since cards from Classic Packs are no longer usable in Standard, we’ll be replacing Classic Packs in various rewards (such as Tavern Brawls and Achievements) with other recent card packs.