After a longer-than-expected delay, Hearthstone's newest single-player content "The Dalaran Heist" releases on May 16.
Unlike most previous releases of single-player content, Blizzard aims to mold the story-driven narrative for the entire Year of the Dragon, beginning with this first story and building upon it with the second and third expansions later this year.
The content will consist of several wings to complete. The first is free, while subsequent wings can be purchased for 700 gold each. Alternatively the entire adventure can also be bought with real-world funds for about $20 USD. The company promises that the format will feel familiar, similar to both the previously released "Dungeon Run" and "Monster Hunt", but distinguishing itself with far more content and features.
The player will take on the role of one of nine henchmen from the League of E.V.I.L. in an effort to challenge and defeat the protectors of Dalaran. Each chapter will focus on a different location in the city, which correspond to each chapter: The Dalaran Bank, The Violet Hold, Streets of Dalaran, The Underbelly, and a final location not yet disclosed. After completing the first two chapters, subsequent ones will release one week at a time.
A highly-requested feature that is available in the new adventure is new hero powers that can be swapped out as you progress. Unlocking these new hero powers is quite simple, requiring players to complete "quests" in the game such as "Draw 100 cards" or "Freeze 30 minions", which are actions one would complete anyways without necessarily feeling the need to go out of their way to achieve.
One of the largest changes is the ability to visit special locations, such as the Dalaran Tavern, in between chapter encounters. Here, you can both test out the additions made to your deck, and acquire new cards that can make you more powerful for the final challenges to be faced. Special gold coins found throughout will allow you to remove cards from your deck, allowing for both more agency in the adventure and the ability to optimize a deck.
Finally, completing all of the chapters will unlock the "Anomaly Mode" granting a random effect for that run. This is a fantastic addition to the adventure, as a long-standing complaint of previous content has been that once it has been completed, there was so little variance and replayability afterwards. This should help in keeping the adventure fresh and enjoyable for far longer.