Hearthstone's Next Expansion Launches This Week; Full Details Revealed [UPDATE]

[UPDATE December 30, 7:27 AM PST]

Further details for Hearthstone's new expansion have now been revealed in a blog post from Blizzard.

There's a new game board (pictured below) based on the four districts of Gadgetzan for you to battle on, plus three new card backs--one for each new faction. These can be unlocked by reaching Rank 20 in Ranked Play over each of the next three months.

Gallery

Blizzard also hints at "perhaps" another card back to come, "should the stars align."

For more details, including specific bug fixes and improvements, check out Blizzard's blog post here.

[ORIGINAL STORY]

Collectible card game Hearthstone's next expansion, Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, launches on Thursday, December 1, Blizzard announced today.

Just before the end of a livestream devoted to the expansion today, Blizzard's Matt Place shared the date. In all, it will introduce 132 new cards and three factions, the Grimy Goons, Kabal, and Jade Lotus. Each class belongs to one faction and will only be able to use cards belonging to that faction.

If you're eager to get your hands on new cards, you can preorder 50 packs through Battle.net now for the discounted price of $50. Only one 50-pack bundle is available at this price per account, and you won't be able to open the packs until Gadgetzan launches on Thursday. Each pack guarantees at least one of its five cards will be Rare or better.

We spoke recently with Blizzard about Gadgetzan and how it will help Priests in particular. You can check out the Twitch video above to see the expansion in action; it starts at around the 9:44 mark. For a look at all 132 cards, head over to our gallery.