Hearthstone's New Game Mode Is A Mash-Up Of Dungeon Run And Arena

Hearthstone is getting another new mode, starting today. The Duels mode takes the popular Dungeon Run solo adventures and takes it into multiplayer, including a prize structure similar to the Arena mode. The new mode officially launches in November alongside the upcoming expansion, Madness at the Darkmoon Faire. But if you preorder the expansion, you can start playing Duels today.

Duels will feature ten heroes to select, representing the ten standard Hearthstone classes. But like in Dungeon Run, these heroes will have upgraded powers that would easily be considered overpowered in standard play. When you start a Duels run, you'll build a deck of 15 cards from your own collection, and then add more cards from buckets that are offered between matches. You'll also sometimes earn a Treasure which, like the Hero Powers themselves, are well past the normal Hearthstone power level.

The card pool for Duels will alternate between seasons, featuring a collection of previous and recent expansions. The first is themed after a mage competition at Scholomance Academy, so it will feature the card pools from Scholomance, Curse of Naxxramas, One Night in Karazhan, and the Classic and Basic sets.

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The structure of Duels is borrowed largely from Arena. You'll play a series of matches against human opponents, aiming for a maximum of 12 wins before you accrue three losses. You can buy into a Heroic Duel for 150 Gold or a Tavern ticket, just like the Arena mode, and you'll gain greater rewards for more wins in a run. Unlike Arena, though, you'll be able to play Duels for free if you want to just play the mode casually with no rewards on the line.

Duels will launch in open beta on November 12, a date that also marks the launch of the revamped rewards system. The first season of Duels is set to begin on November 17 alongside the launch of Darkmoon Faire. For more details, check out our in-depth look at the upcoming slate of Hearthstone updates, and check out all the cards we've seen so far.