The most recent round of Hearthstone announcements featured a sweeping change to the very core of the game, with the "Classic Set" leaving and being replaced by the new "Core Set." This is only one of the ways the game has changed since its initial launch, and the cumulative amount of nerfs, format and balance changes have left it as an entirely different beast. Fans who originally played it in its closed or open beta might feel like they've been left behind, as each year brings with it three new expansion sets for the game. Luckily, there's a way back for anyone longing for the initial days of the game's launch: Classic.
The Classic format is set to be implemented alongside the Core Set, in addition to the game's newest expansion -- Forged in the Barrens. Like Standard or Wild, it's a different "format" for the game. That means it will have its own ranked and casual ladder, alongside a list of allowed cards that sets it apart from Wild and Standard. But unlike Wild and Standard (which are merely different due to their different card pools), Classic will also feature entirely different versions of the card used within. All cards will play as they did during June 2014, a scant three months after the game's initial release.
This means Classic's metagame will be entirely different from Standard or Wild, even if they were sharing the same cards. Hearthstone has seen a truly overwhelming number of balance changes throughout the years, as developers have struggled to fine-tune the balance between different classes and strategies. While this reversion to the cards of old will lose a lot of that careful curation, it will also be free from any of the complications springing from the game's various expansion sets. Its first adventure, Naxxramas, was infamous in its creation of "Deathrattle Hunter," a strong aggro deck that went all-in with the powerful new minion Undertaker.
Without any of those cards, Classic is likely to fall into the old ruts of the 2014 metagame, which will likely be a refreshing change for many players. After all, Hearthstone did incredibly well when it launched due to a combination of an ultra-smooth user experience (compared to other digital card games of the day) as well as peppy, fun gameplay. Players can break out unnerfed 4-mana Leroy Jenkins in their aggro decks, as well as the complementary control decks that benefit from tools like Ice Lance, Molten Giant and Force of Nature.
The Classic format also has the added benefit of having a small card pool. With only the game's Basic and Classic sets, players will need to have the least number of cards to play since the game's launch. Expansions each and every year have only increased the pace at which players fall behind, and even if they do manage to keep up, plenty of their cards soon become useless due to Standard rotation. Classic will have less than 400 cards, many of which players will already have acquired. If not, they can simply work towards full set completion. They'll never fall behind or have to worry about new cards since the Classic format will stay the same going forward. That's a huge relief compared to formats like Standard or Wild, which constantly receive new cards.
Of course, Classic also loses the excitement of those new cards. While Hearthstone's prohibitive economy can be exhausting, its new sets are also one of the times of greatest joy for its players. The excitement of spoiler season and the testing of new decks are like Christmas morning, only bolstered by the opening of new packs. Classic is a moment of the game frozen in time -- one that can never move forward, grow or change. That's great in theory but can quickly grow stale. After all, Naxxramas released on July 22, only four months after the game's release. The Classic format has a lot to prove if it hopes to stay relevant in the months (and years) to come.