Hearthstone: The Great Dark Beyond
As players prepare to embark on an extraordinary journey through the cosmic world of The Great Dark Beyond, the latest Hearthstone expansion, Leo Robles Gonzalez (Senior Game Designer) and Luke Mason (Senior VFX Artist) reveal the thrilling narrative and gameplay innovations that await. Set against the backdrop of the Draenei’s desperate escape from the Burning Legion, this expansion is rich with iconic characters, strategic mechanics, and stunning visual elements. Players can collect unique cards, unleash powerful abilities, and encounter alien creatures unlike anything Hearthstone has seen before. Discover the team’s creative journey as they share insights on everything from the Draenei’s unique gameplay mechanics to the explosive Starship visuals.
Q: The Great Dark Beyond sees the Draenei fleeing the Burning Legion. How did this narrative backdrop influence the overall design of the expansion?
Leo Robles Gonzalez, Senior Game Designer: “In the Great Dark Beyond, the Draenei’s escape from the Burning Legion drives everything in the expansion. We wanted every card to be a part of the story. For us, it’s important that each card fits the theme and the narrative. The story is simple but powerful and this set is all about the time they left their planet but before they finally arrived in Azeroth.
The Burning Legions are hot on their trail. Players will encounter demonic forces and along the way, the Draenei will land on new planets and meet alien creatures that players have never seen before in Hearthstone. We have also packed in loads of iconic Draenei and demon characters that fans love, bringing this exciting untold chapter of their story to life in a way that’s both fresh and familiar.”
Q: Out of all the characters in The Great Dark Beyond, do you have any highlights?
Gonzalez: “The Great Dark Beyond brings some of the biggest characters in Warcraft history into Hearthstone. The main stars this time are Velen, Archimonde, and Kil’jaeden. Velen, the wise leader of the Draenei, and Archimonde and Kil’jaeden, who were once his allies, form the heart of the story. Archimonde and Kil’jaeden were powerful leaders on their home planet of Argus, but then decided to join the Burning Legion and become fearsome and scary figures. What’s really interesting is that
Archimonde and Kil’jaeden have never had collectible cards in Hearthstone until now and finally, after over ten years, these iconic characters from Warcraft are here.”Luke Mason, Senior VFX Artist: “One of my favourites is Kil’jaeden and for a bunch of reasons. He has this epic card ability that replaces your deck with a portal that spawns endless demons! We had to balance visuals to capture Kil’jaeden’s overwhelming demon lord vibe while making sure players understood they weren’t just burning cards but they were opening up a gateway for endless demonic power.
Archimonde also brings something special to the game. For his card, we wanted him to feel like a true Burning Legion force, so he summons meteors from across the board, unleashing devastation. It’s a perfect fit for his dark powerful magic. And Velen. This version of him shows a younger, arcane side of his character which players will be introduced to. His visuals lean into his crystal and arcane roots, which allowed us to highlight the Draenei’s rich heritage with all the holy and arcane magic that makes them so unique.”
Q. The Starship mechanic is a unique addition. How do you envision players utilising it?
Gonzalez: “The Starship mechanic is something I think players who enjoy a longer, more strategic game are going to love. Starship pieces are special minions, and when they die they get added to the Starship which players can keep collecting throughout the match. Our ambition was to make the Starship mechanic look like something that’s both fantasy and futuristic, a perfect blend of Warcraft and sci-fi. Players are in for a real treat!”
Mason: “Visually, designing Starships was a fun challenge as we wanted it to feel like “space magic.” We tried a number of routes, including constellation magic and stained-glass effects, but they didn’t quite capture what we wanted. Our moment of inspiration actually came when we found a card with crop circle designs in the artwork. This gave us the cosmic, mystical feel we were searching for, perfectly capturing the essence of Draenei. This wasn’t any spaceship; it was a spaceship crafted by the Draenei themselves.”
Q. How did you balance the power level of Starships, considering players can accumulate stats before launching them?
Gonzalez: “Starship is one of those mechanics that’s a whole new world for us. We haven’t really made anything quite like it before so we are excited for players to explore how Starships add their own twist! The real excitement and cool part of Starships is the moment you get to combine different pieces and launch this over-the-top minion. We designed Starship pieces to be strong on their own but also to encourage players to collect and combine them before launching. It took a ton of tweaking to get that balance just right, but we think players are going to have a blast assembling and launching these epic ships!”
Q. The Great Dark Beyond brings an “unstoppable demonic threat.” How is this visually represented in the game?
Mason: “The expansion’s unstoppable demonic threat is visually represented in ways that push the limits of what players have seen before. Xor’toth, a new legendary character, as an example, involves placing two cards on opposite sides of the player’s hand, gradually bringing them together for a massive, star-colliding payoff. This visual effect is one of the most impressive in the set, with two cosmic bodies crashing into each other, capturing the destructive power of the Burning Legion. Players will see stars colliding, sparks flying, and a final burst that symbolises Xor’toth’s power being unleashed.
Draenei Starships are also powered by the mysterious “Naaru” energy, which adds a unique visual touch. It’s not wires and bolts but a sophisticated crystalline tech that feels magical and refined, while the Warlock’s ship exudes that raw, demonic vibe. This blend of magic and sci-fi really sets the mood for the expansion. We wanted each ship to look as epic and distinct as the powers of each class.”
Gonzalez: “We really wanted players to feel the unique and dark energy of this expansion. With Starships featuring so heavily, we took the chance to make each class’ Starship distinct. One of the standout designs is for the Warlock Starship, a creation of the Burning Legion, which visually contrasts with the other ships that are more Draenei inspired. This Warlock ship has a darker, demonic look while other ships powered by Draenei crystal magic reflect their arcane, holy energy.
This contrast actually influenced how we approached visual effects for the entire set. Since we have five or six Draenei style ships and only one demonic Burning Legion ship, we worked hard to make sure each design didn’t feel out of place. Each Starship draws from different elements of Draenei culture. The final look showcases the Draenei’s unique style: arcane, crystalline magic rather than mechanical.”
Q. What inspired the return of Spellburst as a keyword now, and what impact do you think it will have?
Gonzalez: “The return of Spellburst is something the design team is really thrilled about. As Hearthstone recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, we’re taking the chance to revisit and revitalise aspects of the game that players love, like Spellburst. Spellburst was a standout, both for its gameplay and how players enjoyed interacting with it. Visually, it also fits perfectly with this set’s cosmic theme, since Spellburst effects include a starry animation that feels right at home in the Great Dark Beyond.
We’re introducing Spellburst in new and interesting ways. For example, specific minions like Tuure and Kara, one for Priest and one for Warlock, have Spellburst effects that remain active if triggered by a particular spell school. This encourages unique deck-building strategies where players think about exactly which spells they want to combine with certain minions. We’ve also got Nexus Prince Shaffar, a minion whose Spellburst effect jumps to another minion in the player’s hand once activated, adding a strategic layering that keeps things fresh and engaging. We love Spellburst, and we’re excited to see how players will experiment with these new designs that push the boundaries of what the mechanic can do.”
Q. What are you most excited about in the set that you think players will love?
Mason: “Both the design and art teams have a lot to be proud of with this set, especially the Draenei and Starship themes, and their unique synergy in gameplay and visuals. From an art perspective, this set’s signature artworks really took things to another level. We explored various styles, like stained glass and Art Nouveau, even drawing from retro inspired works by artists like Drew Struzan, known for his iconic posters for Star Wars and Indiana Jones until we landed on the epic style you’ll experience in the Great Dark Beyond. One standout character is Yrel, leader of Draenei, who brings an epic, space-fantasy feel to her card, commanding a vivid, starry battlefield that captures the larger-than-life adventure vibe we were aiming for.
Gonzalez: “We’re really excited for everything in this new expansion! The Draenei are here to stay, adding a rich layer to Hearthstone’s universe. We’re excited to see how players will harness the power of both Draenei and Starships in their decks in The Great Dark Beyond. There’s so much to explore with this expansion, and we can’t wait for players to experience it.”
The Great Dark Beyond expansion is available now in Hearthstone. To learn more about this expansion, head over to the Hearthstone website or follow the latest updates on the official Hearthstone X account.
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