Published , by Ozzie Mejia
Published , by Ozzie Mejia
There's a lot that goes into development for Hearthstone, as Blizzard has gone beyond Standard and Wild play. A lot of design has gone into side modes like Hearthstone Battlegrounds and Duels, creating more ways to utilize certain mechanics. With so much going into the game, there naturally remain questions about the game potentially adding an 11th playable class. We asked Hearthstone designers Dean Ayala and Chadd Nervig about that and other subjects, but don't expect to see a new class anytime soon.
"There's a lot of factors that go into determining the right time for a new class," Ayala told Shacknews. "The first question is, is that even compelling at all? When we looked at Demon Hunter, it seemed like it was. All the metrics that we have and all the data that we have and then the reception that we try to quantify from articles online and people talking on places like Reddit or from other regions, it seems like it was a pretty positive experience. There's a bunch of excitement that comes with adding a new class that makes people want to come back, it makes people want to try it, whether you're new or whether you're coming back to the game you haven't played for a while.
"In terms of timing, I think we just want to space those things out. I think in the next class, it's probably a matter of 'when' rather than 'if.' Demon Hunter went over pretty well. We just have to find the right expansion for it and the right theme, the right mechanics, that sort of thing."
We also discuss mechanics that pitched, but ultimately left on the cutting room floor. And we also discuss the ongoing success of Battlegrounds, which is still receiving regular updates.
Hearthstone's next expansion, Forged in the Barrens, is expected to release later this month. For more interviews like this, be sure to subscribe to Shacknews and GamerHub.TV on YouTube.