Forged in the Barrens, Hearthstone’s new expansion released today, mostly represents what fans have come to expect from the game’s thrice-yearly expansions: more than 100 new cards, new keywords, and a meta shakeup. But this one comes alongside a much bigger change, thanks to the advent of the Core Set. The Basic and Classic sets are being retired, making way for a new curated set of cards that will serve as the foundation for Hearthstone.
And in this new Core Set, the six legendary dragons–Alexstraza, Deathwing, Malygos, Nozdormu, Onyxia, and Ysera–are being revamped for a new era. Some, like Onyxia, are remaining essentially intact with a welcome upgrade. Others, like Malygos, are being rethought entirely. I spoke with Hearthstone lead designer Alec Dawson and VFX artist Dominic Camuglia about how they reimagined these iconic cards.
