29.6 Patch Notes

Patch 29.6, launching today, begins planning for Hearthstone’s next expansion, Perils in Paradise, returns Baku and Genn to the free Core Set for a limited time, brings Buddies back to Battlegrounds (including Battlegrounds Duos), sets the stage for the next Twist season, and more!

Pre-purchase risks in paradise

Prepare for an island vacation to Hearthstone’s next expansion, Perils in Paradise, arriving July 23! The old fox Marin has left his search behind and is embarking on a new adventure: resort management. His new resort, hidden in the Spiral Isles, has everything you need for an unforgettable adventure: class-changing tourists, tasty drinks, locations you’ll want to visit again and again, and a touch of danger. Book your tickets now, it’s almost time for Perils in Paradise!

Perils in Paradise features 145 all-new collectible cards. You can learn more about what’s on the itinerary in the Perils in Paradise Announce Blog. There are two pre-purchase options available now, so pack your bags!

Pre-purchase

Log in and receive Marin the Manager for free!

What better way to prepare for your trip than a conversation with the resort manager? Log into Hearthstone now and start planning with the free Marin the Manager Legendary card!* Play it and it promises you will cherish your journey.

* Limited number per account. After Patch 30.6, Marin the Manager will be awarded upon opening your first Perils in Paradise pack, rather than upon login.

Genn and Baku return to Core

With Patch 29.6, Genn and Baku will be added to the free Core Set until the launch of Perils in Paradise on July 23! This means that they will be playable by everyone in Standard and Wild during that time. Years ago, these two iconic cards were so powerful that they were sent to Wild early! Now they’re back to celebrate Hearthstone’s history – and for a little revenge. What strange creations will you even come up with?

Friends are back in Battlegrounds!

Buddies return for the Battlegrounds and come to Duos for the first time in the 29.6 mid-season update! Each hero has a special Buddy that is unique to him or her and works synergistically with their hero power. Press your Buddy Button during the shopping phase to get yours! The cost of pressing the Buddy button is reduced during the game and resets when you press it. Press the button again for a total of three copies of your Buddy.

There are 12 all-new Buddies, 23 updated Buddies, new and returning minions, minion pool changes and more this patch! Check out our special Battlegrounds preview blog for all the details.

In-game event: Midsummer Fire Festival

The summer season has begun, with a new Fire Festival in-game event before we head off to Perils in Paradise! From June 25 to July 16, complete Event Quests to earn Event XP on the Special Event Rewards Track. Complete the rewards track to earn 6 Whizbang’s Workshop Packs and the Reaver V-07-TR-0N Rogue Hero Skin.

July Twist Season: More Heroes

Whizbang’s Heroes returns this July with 9 additional new Heroes to try! Each hero is unlocked if you have the card with the same name as the hero in your collection. You can view all Hero details (including their decklists and a direct link to their unlock card) in the Twist Hero selection screen once the July season starts.

Marin the manager

• Passive: Seize the opportunity! – When you play your rightmost card, you draw a card.
• Hero Power: Investment – [1 Mana] Shuffle 3 coins into your stack.

Lady Liadrin

• Passive: Liadrin’s Champion – After enchanting a friendly minion, draw a card. It costs (2) less. Once per round.
• Hero Power: Patience – [0 Mana] Refresh your Mana Crystals. Lock this hero power for so many turns.

Sargeras, the destroyer

• Passive: the end is near! – At the start of your turn, cast a 10-cost spell that deals 30 damage to your deck.
• Hero Power: Spin Nether – [3 Mana] Destroy all minions. Only usable once.

Elite Tauren Champion

• Passive: KEEP STAYING! – At the end of your turn, give any Taunt minion in your hand +2/+2.
• Hero power: scum – [1 Mana] Get a 2/1 Rocker with Taunt. Finale: Summon it.

Halveria Donkerraven

• Passive: Outcast Anthem – The leftmost and rightmost cards in your hand cost (1) less.
• Hero Power: Song of Fear – [1 Mana] Choose a minion, it costs one extra damage from all sources this turn.

Heartbreaker Hedanis

• Passive: Starstruck – When a minion enters your hand, give it a -2 attack and reduce its cost by (1).
• Heroic power: captivated audience – [2 Mana] Give a minion +2/+2. If it is quiet, draw a card.

Thorim Stormlord

• Passive: Titanic Surge – Your totems have +2 attack (wherever they are).
• Hero Power: Use the Storm – [1 Mana] Summon a basic totem. Summon two if you are overloaded.

Queen Azshara

• Passive: Changing Tides – After playing a spell, refresh a Mana Crystal and switch to Naga. Also exchanges your hero power.
• Hero Power: Commander Naga – [1 Mana] Buy a Naga that costs (3) or less. Shifting Tides switches this up.

  • Command magic – [1 Mana] Obtain a spell that costs (3) or less. Shifting Tides switches this up.

Tamsin Roame

• Passive: Perfume Phylactery – You have two lives. After you die, your hero power deals damage instead of summoning a demon.
• Hero Power: Blood Pact – [2 Mana] Take 1 damage. Summon a 1/1 demon. Increases every turn.

  • Soul-bound – [2 Mana] Take 1 damage. Deal 1 damage. Increases every turn.

Diamond disappointing update

As of Patch 29.6, most Diamond cards can be disenchanted for the same value as if they were Gold cards. As with other card qualities, the Diamond Cards that cannot be disenchanted are those that are specially awarded, such as those on the Reward Track or included in the Gold Miniset. As with Signature cards, Diamond cards still cannot be crafted to keep them exciting and special.

Matchmaking update

Previously, rank matchmaking was based on your internal rating (commonly called “MMR”) while you had bonus stars, and based on ladder rank after you ran out of bonus stars. Now matchmaking continues to be based on your internal rating even after you run out of bonus stars. This change should reduce the complexity of matchmaking and result in more consistent and fair matches across the ladder.

Passive XP subsidy adjustment

In our continued efforts to combat bots and exploitative play patterns, longer periods of inactivity will now yield less XP. This change will not affect players who perform normal game actions during their turn, such as playing cards, attacking, or even pressing the end-of-turn button. So most players will see no change in their XP earned – just fewer bots wasting their time. .

Bug fixes and game improvements

• [General] Updated minimum specs to require 64-bit support.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where the ‘Complete your deck’ button disappeared.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where persistent effects like Sigils and Auras would not stack when replayed by cards like Tess Greymane or Jotun, the Eternal.
• [Hearthstone] Made Khadgar’s Magic Wisdomball more useful in cases where not all enemy characters can be targeted.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where playing Boom Wrench would temporarily freeze the client.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where the returns policy could discover cards that were granted Deathrattles; that is outside the policy. Also fixed a visual bug where the Golden Return Policy protagonist was missing; this has now returned.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where TNTs copied by Jotun the Eternal’s effect would hit the enemy side, instead of Jotun’s side.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Treants and Piranha Swarmers with different artwork were treated as different minions.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where the Cast When Draw cards shuffled into the deck with Runic Decoration could target functionally dead minions.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Proving Grounds could cause illegal attacks if one of the minions transformed or changed zones during the attack.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Arcanite Ripper’s effect would only activate once when dealing damage and healing at the same time.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where a banana couldn’t have a funny mustache; and a related bug where Living Blade’s weapon form, Remornia, could not have a funny mustache.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Poisoned Blade would not work with Sing-Along Buddy.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where cards like Spirit of the Dragonhawk and Wickerclaw would not work with Sing-Along Buddy.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed several minor visual bugs in Whizbang’s Heroes Twist UI.
• [Hearthstone] Fixed a visual bug where a map would turn into Malygos while Wave of Nostalgia was being cosplayed as random other minions.
• [Battlegrounds] Fixed bugs with Aranna Starseeker and Queen Azshara’s transformation, returning them to the Hero Pool.
• [Battlegrounds] Minions that had Venomous and/or Stealth, but lost them in battle before dying, will regain them when summoned again by Cultist S’Thara.
• [Battlegrounds] Reno’s “We’re Gonna Get Rich!” can no longer attack Putricide’s Creations.
• [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Polarizing Beatboxer would not be taunted if you boosted and then magnetized a magnetic minion.
• [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where the turn timer and rope were out of sync during the Inn phase.
• [Battlegrounds] Fixed a visual bug where Greybough’s hero power caused Undeads to be summoned during battle to not show their Undead buffs.
• [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Putricide’s Creations looked different from your teammate’s perspective.
• [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug that caused desynchronization.
• [Solo Content] Fixed several Boomsday puzzles that could not be solved due to map updates.
• [Localization] Fixed several localization issues in different languages.
• Various other bug fixes and game improvements.