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The Arena is a game mode in which players draft decks to do battle against other players in a tournament-style format for the chance to earn substantial rewards. Players choose cards out of 30 separate selections of cards, building a 30-card deck to do battle against other players. Players play until they have suffered 3 losses or claimed 12 victories, at which point they will be granted a number of rewards based on the final number of wins they achieved.

Unlike in other play modes, cards available for selection are not limited by the player's current collection, and there is no limit on the number of each card that can be included in a deck (including legendaries). Players do not have to play all of their Arena games in one go, and can return to continue their run whenever they wish. Winning at least 7 games before being eliminated guarantees that the player will earn their entry fee back in gold.

To do well in the Arena, players should have a wide knowledge of cards in general and a basic knowledge of card abilities and card interactions. The player should also know how to appropriately draft the strongest cards for their deck based on the cards offered in the draft and on the player's chosen starting class. With a good knowledge of cards, card mechanics, and drafting strategy, a player will be able to do competently well in Arena.

Each admission to the Arena costs either 150 in-game gold or real money equivalent to $1.99 USD, €1.99 EUR, £1.99 GBP, R$4.50 BRL, or ¥12.00 CNY.

With its random selection of heroes, the Arena is locked for players until they have unlocked every class.[1]

A video explaining the Arena in Hearthstone made by the Curse Gamepedia YouTube Channel.


Getting started

Arena Hero

Choosing a class

Arena CardPick

Drafting a deck by choosing cards

After paying the entry fee, the player will be presented with three random hero classes to choose from. Once a hero has been selected, they will then be shown thirty different sets of cards, each set featuring three different cards. The player must select one card from each set to be included in their new Arena deck; the two cards not chosen from a set are effectively discarded. Once a card has been chosen, the player cannot undo their selection.

Unlike in constructed play, where each deck can feature a maximum of 2 of each card (and 1 of each legendary), there is no limit in Arena decks to the number of each card that may be featured. Some cards, especially those of lower rarity, may appear several times in different selection sets. It should also be noted that only neutral cards and cards for the selected class will be offered. As the player picks cards, the current decklist is shown on the right of the screen, and the deck's mana curve is displayed at the bottom of the screen, serving to give a quick indication of how the deck is balanced. Once the deck is complete, clicking the "Play" button will queue the player up for a battle against another Arena player.

Deck construction in Arena differs from that in other types of play; while the player is still able to construct a deck before doing battle, in Arena the final deck is as much the result of luck as it is careful strategy. Players have no way of knowing which cards will be offered next, making each choice difficult to make. Additionally, the fact that each card may appear several times through the selection process alters the normal rules of the game and makes weighing each card's value against that of another a slightly different process. Players with a specific strategy in mind can only hope that cards fitting to that strategy will be selected for them; or else must bend their strategy to fit the cards on offer. Because they feature randomly selected cards, Arena decks also largely transcend any involvement of real money expenditure in their construction, placing players on a relatively even playing field.

Card selection

In the Arena drafting process, the player is presented with 30 selection screens. On each screen, the player chooses one of three cards to add to their deck. The three cards presented on each screen are chosen with weights from a 'card bucket' containing cards of similar power levels.[2] There are many 'card buckets' spanning a range of power levels, and these card buckets are in turn chosen with weights from what are called 'card bucket systems'. Arena uses two bucket systems, one for non-Legendaries with 13 card buckets, and one for Legendaries with 5 card buckets.

In a short summary of the selection process, first a card bucket is chosen with weights from a card bucket system, then 3 cards are chosen with weights from the chosen card bucket. These 3 cards are displayed onto the selection screen, and this process continues with each selection screen. Finally, once the player has chosen 30 cards from their 30 selection screens, their deck is finished and the player is ready to do battle in the Arena.

Selection process

The process of how 3 cards are chosen for each selection screen is as follows:

1) A bucket system is chosen, depending on the pick number. Arena uses two bucket systems, one for non-Legendaries with 13 card buckets, and one for Legendaries with 5 card buckets.
  • The 1st, 10th, 20th, and 30th picks will be guaranteed to offer cards from Bucket 4 or higher and will offer either:
    • Rare and Epic cards, in which case card buckets are chosen from the non-Legendary bucket system, with Common cards excluded.
    • only Legendary cards, in which case card buckets are chosen from the Legendary bucket system.
  • All other numbered picks use card buckets from both the non-Legendary and Legendary bucket system.[verification requested]
2) A card bucket is randomly chosen, using 'bucket weights', from the previously chosen bucket system. Bucket weight is simply calculated as a value proportional to the sum of the card weights of all the cards within the bucket.[2] A smaller number of cards is contained in the first bucket (the bucket with the most powerful cards), and each subsequent bucket contains an increasing number of cards. This means that card buckets are weighted towards lower power level buckets.[2]
3) Three different cards are randomly chosen, using 'card weights', from the previously chosen card bucket.[2] The card weights used to choose cards from a card bucket are described in the section below, and are also referred to as 'appearance rates'.

Cards are grouped together in a card bucket based on their win rates and pick rates as seen in past Arena history, thus achieving the effect of grouping cards in buckets of similar power levels. To read more about the bucket system and the card selection process, read the insightful May 2018 blog post.

Various official card buckets lists have been made public by Blizzard, detailing the cards that appear in each bucket power level:

Each card in Arena has its own chance of appearing in draft picks. An official appearance rate list has been made public by Blizzard. Refer to the raw datafile generated internally by Blizzard using 100,000 Arena draft simulations for card appearance rates:

For the most recent up-to-date Arena bucket lists, please visit the official "Current Arena Rules" forum post.

General rules

NB: Official rules are found on the "Current Arena Rules" forum post.

The following lists all known rules affecting which cards are presented for selection in Arena:

  • Only cards from the current Arena rotation are included in picks, except for during special Arena events.
  • Any Arena draft pick offers 3 cards from the same bucket. A bucket is a list of cards of similar power level in Arena.
    • There are currently 13 non-Legendary card buckets and 5 Legendary card buckets.
  • The 1st, 10th, 20th, and 30th picks will be guaranteed to offer Rare, Epic, or Legendary cards.
    • These picks will always offer cards from Bucket 4 or higher, meaning that they are better-than-average cards.
    • Legendary cards may or may not be offered for the run.
  • A number of appearance rate modifiers affect the weights of cards at which they are chosen from their card buckets for selection in Arena drafts. These appearance rate modifiers are multiplicative with one another.
    • Class cards receive an additional +50% increase in their appearance rate.[3]
    • Spell and weapon cards OR cards from the latest expansion receive an additional +50% increase in their appearance rate.
    • Neutral cards from the Basic and Classic sets appear 50% less often.[4]
    • A micro-adjustment process adds an additional appearance rate modifier, between 70% to 130%, to cards during the course of a new expansion.[2][5] This micro-adjustment is used to balance out the nine classes so that win rates across the nine classes come as close to 50% as possible.[2] Micro-adjustments were first being discussed and tested in July 2017.[6] After the new bimonthly Arena rotation system was introduced in April 2019, this micro-adjustment process now occurs typically within a month after a new Arena rotation has taken place.
  • Multi-class cards may be included if they match the player's chosen class.
  • Card selection is not affected by previous card selections, runs, or synergies.[7]

In September 2019, cards shown in Arena selection screens were on average composed of around 79% Common, 15% Rare, 5% Epic, and 1% Legendary cards.[8]

Rotation

Starting with the Year of the Dragon, Arena rotates its draft pool every few months, where players draft cards from selected Standard and Wild card sets.[9] Previously, Arena was played using a Standard-only draft pool.

Begin date End date Card sets
March 4, 2020 TBA

Basic and Classic
Goblins vs Gnomes
The Witchwood
Saviors of Uldum
Descent of Dragons
Galakrond's Awakening

December 10, 2019 March 4, 2020

Basic and Classic
Blackrock Mountain
The Grand Tournament
One Night in Karazhan
Knights of the Frozen Throne
Rastakhan's Rumble
Descent of Dragons
Galakrond's Awakening a

October 8, 2019 December 10, 2019

Curse of Naxxramas
Goblins vs. Gnomes
Blackrock Mountain
The Grand Tournament
League of Explorers
Whispers of the Old Gods
One Night in Karazhan
Mean Streets of Gadgetzan
Journey to Un'Goro
Knights of the Frozen Throne
Kobolds & Catacombs

August 6, 2019 October 8, 2019

Basic and Classic
League of Explorers
Journey to Un'Goro
Kobolds & Catacombs
Rastakhan's Rumble
Saviors of Uldum

June 3, 2019 August 6, 2019[10]

Basic and Classic
Goblins vs Gnomes
The Grand Tournament
One Night in Karazhan
The Boomsday Project
Rise of Shadows

April 9, 2019[9][11] June 3, 2019[12]

Basic and Classic
Curse of Naxxramas
Whispers of the Old Gods
Mean Streets of Gadgetzan
The Witchwood
Rise of Shadows

The following table gives a visual timeline.

Begin date End date Basic and Classic Curse of Naxxramas Goblins vs Gnomes Blackrock Mountain The Grand Tournament The League of Explorers Whispers of the Old Gods One Night in Karazhan Mean Streets of Gadgetzan Journey to Un'Goro Knights of the Frozen Throne Kobolds & Catacombs The Witchwood The Boomsday Project Rastakhan's Rumble Rise of Shadows Saviors of Uldum Descent of Dragons Galakrond's Awakening
March 4, 2020 TBA

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

December 10, 2019 March 4, 2020

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY a

October 8, 2019 December 10, 2019

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

August 6, 2019 October 8, 2019

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

June 3, 2019 August 6, 2019

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

April 9, 2019 June 3, 2019

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

Green tickY

a Galakrond's Awakening was released and added into Arena on January 21, 2020; however no rotation was implemented.

Card exclusions

The following table lists cards which are excluded from Arena and are not offered in draft picks during the Arena selection process.[13][14] However, random effects are not affected by exclusions and can still give most of these cards[15], with the exception of Quest cards which cannot be randomly obtained by any means.

Notable exclusions include Hero cards, Quests, Whispers of the Old GodsC'Thun synergy cards, Odd/Even synergy cards, and Invoke effects.

Category Excluded cards[16]
Quests Journey to Un'GoroJungle Giants - Saviors of UldumUntapped Potential - Journey to Un'GoroThe Marsh Queen - Saviors of UldumUnseal the Vault - Journey to Un'GoroOpen the Waygate - Saviors of UldumRaid the Sky Temple - Journey to Un'GoroThe Last Kaleidosaur - Saviors of UldumMaking Mummies - Saviors of UldumActivate the Obelisk - Journey to Un'GoroAwaken the Makers - Saviors of UldumBazaar Burglary - Journey to Un'GoroThe Caverns Below - Saviors of UldumCorrupt the Waters - Journey to Un'GoroUnite the Murlocs - Journey to Un'GoroLakkari Sacrifice - Saviors of UldumSupreme Archaeology - Journey to Un'GoroFire Plume's Heart - Saviors of UldumHack the System -
C'Thun Cards Whispers of the Old GodsC'Thun - Whispers of the Old GodsAncient Shieldbearer - Whispers of the Old GodsBlade of C'Thun - Whispers of the Old GodsBeckoner of Evil - Whispers of the Old GodsCrazed Worshipper - Whispers of the Old GodsC'Thun's Chosen - Whispers of the Old GodsCult Sorcerer - Whispers of the Old GodsDark Arakkoa - Whispers of the Old GodsDoomcaller - Whispers of the Old GodsDisciple of C'Thun - Whispers of the Old GodsHooded Acolyte - Whispers of the Old GodsKlaxxi Amber-Weaver - Whispers of the Old GodsTwilight Darkmender - Whispers of the Old GodsTwilight Elder - Whispers of the Old GodsTwilight Geomancer - Whispers of the Old GodsTwin Emperor Vek'lor - Whispers of the Old GodsSkeram Cultist - Whispers of the Old GodsUsher of Souls
Hero Cards Knights of the Frozen ThroneMalfurion the Pestilent - Knights of the Frozen ThroneDeathstalker Rexxar - Rastakhan's RumbleZul'jin - Galakrond's AwakeningThe Amazing Reno - Knights of the Frozen ThroneFrost Lich Jaina - Knights of the Frozen ThroneUther of the Ebon Blade - Descent of DragonsGalakrond, the Unspeakable - Knights of the Frozen ThroneShadowreaper Anduin - Descent of DragonsGalakrond, the Nightmare - Knights of the Frozen ThroneValeera the Hollow - Descent of DragonsGalakrond, the Tempest - The WitchwoodHagatha the Witch - Knights of the Frozen ThroneThrall, Deathseer - Knights of the Frozen ThroneBloodreaver Gul'dan - Descent of DragonsGalakrond, the Wretched - The Boomsday ProjectDr. Boom, Mad Genius - Descent of DragonsGalakrond, the Unbreakable - Knights of the Frozen ThroneScourgelord Garrosh
Invoke Descent of DragonsDisciple of Galakrond - Descent of DragonsTime Rip - Descent of DragonsFate Weaver - Descent of DragonsPraise Galakrond! - Descent of DragonsSeal Fate - Descent of DragonsUmbral Skulker - Descent of DragonsInvocation of Frost - Descent of DragonsCorrupt Elementalist - Descent of DragonsDragon's Pack - Descent of DragonsDragonblight Cultist - Descent of DragonsFiendish Rites - Descent of DragonsVeiled Worshipper - Descent of DragonsRitual Chopper - Descent of DragonsAwaken! - Descent of DragonsScion of Ruin - Descent of DragonsDevoted Maniac - Descent of DragonsShield of Galakrond
Can't Attack Rise of ShadowsArcane Watcher - LegacyAncient Watcher - Journey to Un'GoroHumongous Razorleaf
Player Complaint LegacyMind Control Tech - Journey to Un'GoroVicious Fledgling - Descent of DragonsDragonmaw Poacher - Descent of DragonsLightforged Zealot
Odd/Even Synergy The WitchwoodGenn Greymane - The WitchwoodBaku the Mooneater - The WitchwoodBlack Cat - The WitchwoodGlitter Moth - The WitchwoodGloom Stag - The WitchwoodMurkspark Eel
Deck Creators The Boomsday ProjectWhizbang the Wonderful - Rise of ShadowsZayle, Shadow Cloak

No longer apply

The following rules no longer apply or are no longer accurate.

  • From February 2017 to April 2019, only cards from Standard format were included in picks, except for during special Arena events.[4]
  • As of Patch 9.0.0.20457, the first two sets of cards in a draft are more likely to include synergy-based cards.[17] On September 9, 2017, synergy picks were removed from Arena.[18]
  • In February 2017, 26 of the 30 picks choose a rarity according to the follow odds: 68% Common/Free[19], 20% Rare, 9% Epic, 3% Legendary.[4]
    • The remaining 4 picks are 'Rare' picks that have a chance to be upgraded to Epic or Legendary at a slightly higher rate.[4]
    • Any individual common card should show up about as often as any individual rare card.[4]
  • In April 2019, cards shown in the Arena selection screens were on average composed of around 83% Common, 11% Rare, 5% Epic, and 1% Legendary cards.[16]
  • Cards from the latest expansion or adventure are more likely to appear, at least for a while after the release of the related content.[20] For example, during January 2016 cards from The League of Explorers were given an additional 50% likelihood of appearing.[21][22] The duration of this boost appears to end prior to the next content release, with One Night in Karazhan seeing an increase from August 11 to October 20.[23]

The following cards had a reduced likelihood of appearing in draft picks, on top of the other factors listed above.[4]

Category Cards Reduction
Mage LegacyFlamestrike 50%
Warlock Mean Streets of GadgetzanAbyssal Enforcer 50%

Golden cards

Cards presented for selection may be golden or regular depending on the player's collection:[4]

  • If the player owns the maximum usable number of golden copies of a card (1 for legendaries, 2 for all other rarities), all copies of that card appearing in drafts will be golden.
  • If the player owns 1 golden copy of a non-legendary card, the first copy of that card appearing in drafts will be golden; the others will be regular.
  • If the player owns no golden copies of a card, all copies of that card appearing in drafts will be regular.

Cards in your Arena deck will not be changed if you gain or disenchant a golden card after drafting. You can choose to turn off golden cards for an arena run by clicking a golden card in the decklist, and it cannot be reopened for that run.

Playing Arena

Arena6

Commencing an Arena run

Play in Arena consists of a series of matches between Arena players, with each player using their specially constructed deck.

During each Arena run the player can suffer up to three losses, with the number of losses so far displayed on the Arena screen. Once a player has lost 3 times, or won 12 times, their run will end, and rewards befitting their success (or lack thereof) will be offered. Once the run has ended, the player's deck will be destroyed, and cannot be viewed or played with again.

Players can also choose to retire their deck at any time and claim their reward. However, it should be noted that completing all of a deck's Arena matches cannot reduce the reward on offer, only improve it. Retiring a deck should therefore be a last resort used only when unwilling to play with the deck any longer.

It should also be noted that if either player is disconnected from the server during a match and fails to return through the reconnection feature, that match is counted as a loss for the disconnector.

Matchmaking

Matchmaking for each pairing is determined by the player's win/loss record for the current run, attempting to find a player with as similar a record as possible.[24][25] Other factors such as class, deck and past Arena performance do not affect matchmaking.[26][27][28]

New players

For players on their first few Arena runs, matchmaking is intentionally altered to provide an easier transition into the game mode.[28] For matchmaking purposes, the player's win/loss ratio is considered to have one more loss than it actually does, thus matching them against what should on average be easier opponents.[28] The system will also prefer to match such players against each other.[28]

The exact number of games required to be eligible for this adjustment is something that the developers are "still tweaking a little", but as of April 2016 is "in the realm of 2 or 3 runs."[28] Once the player has exceeded this number of runs, they are matched purely on their win/loss ratio, with their number of previous runs no longer affecting their matchmaking.[28]

Claiming rewards

ArenaKeys

The 13 possible Keys

Arena Rewards

Opening rewards

Arena21

Claiming rewards

Once the player has won 12 games in total, lost 3 games, or retired their deck, they will be given a Key to open up the chest for their reward. Much like when opening a card pack, the player will be presented with a number of individual rewards, and must click on each in turn to discover their contents.

A range of rewards are possible, with both the number of individual rewards granted and their possible contents determined by the number of games the player has won. Rewards may consist of card packs, gold, Arcane Dust (used for crafting) and individual cards, including golden cards.

Reward structure

Each Key grants the player a number of prize boxes as rewards. The contents of each prize box are determined randomly according to a range of possible items and values. Higher-level Keys grant a larger number of prize boxes with more valuable content.

Certain prize boxes are guaranteed for each Key. The remaining prize boxes are determined randomly from one or two reward pools.

  • Example: Reaching 3 wins and getting the Copper key means the player is rewarded 3 prize boxes:
(1) One card pack
(2) 25-35 gold
(3) One random reward from its reward pool
  • Example: Reaching 8 wins and getting the Champion key means the player is rewarded 4 prize boxes:
(1) One card pack
(2) 150-160 gold
(3) One random reward from its first reward pool
(4) One random reward from its second reward pool

Table

The below table aims to chart the range of possible rewards for each Key rewarded.[29] The 'No.' column lists the number of prize boxes awarded for each Key.

More valuable items in the random reward pools appear in prize boxes with less probability than other items in the reward pool. For example, the random prize boxes for 12 wins have extremely low chances of giving out legendaries, golden epics, and golden legendaries.[30][31][32]

Wins Key No. Guaranteed rewards[29] Random reward pools[29]
Reward pool #1 Reward pool #2
0 Novice 2
  • One card pack
  • One random reward
  • 25-30 gold
  • 25-30 dust
  • 1 common card
1 Apprentice 2
  • One card pack
  • One random reward
  • 30-35 gold
  • 30-35 dust
  • 1 common card
2 Journeyman 2
  • One card pack
  • One random reward
  • 40-50 gold
  • 40-50 dust
  • 1 common card
  • 1 rare card
3 Copper 3
  • One card pack
  • 25-35 gold
  • One random reward
  • 20-25 gold
  • 10-25 dust
  • 1 rare card
4 Silver 3
  • One card pack
  • 50-60 gold
  • One random reward
  • 20-25 gold
  • 10-25 dust
  • 1 rare card
5 Gold 3
  • One card pack
  • 50-60 gold
  • One random reward
  • 45-60 gold
  • 45-60 dust
  • 1 rare card
6 Platinum 3
  • One card pack
  • 75-85 gold
  • One random reward
  • 45-60 gold
  • 45-60 dust
  • 1 rare card
7 Diamond 3
  • One card pack
  • 150-160 gold
  • One random reward
  • 20-25 gold
  • 10-25 dust
  • 1 rare card
8 Champion 4
  • One card pack
  • 150-160 gold
  • Two random rewards
  • 20-25 gold
  • 10-25 dust
  • 1 rare card
  • 35-50 gold
  • 1 epic card
  • 1 legendary card
  • 1 golden common card
  • 1 golden rare card
9 Ruby 4
  • One card pack
  • 150-160 gold
  • Two random rewards
  • 20-25 gold
  • 10-25 dust
  • 1 rare card
  • 85-125 gold
  • 1 epic card
  • 1 legendary card
  • 1 golden common card
  • 1 golden rare card
10 Frostborn 4
  • One card pack
  • 170-180 gold
  • Two random rewards
  • 65-95 gold
  • 65-95 dust
  • 1 rare card
  • 85-125 gold
  • 1 epic card
  • 1 legendary card
  • 1 golden common card
  • 1 golden rare card
11 Molten 4
  • One card pack
  • 195-205 gold
  • Two random rewards
  • 65-95 gold
  • 65-95 dust
  • 1 rare card
  • 140-180 gold
  • 1 epic card
  • 1 legendary card
  • 1 golden common card
  • 1 golden rare card
12 Lightforge
[30][31][32]
5
  • One card pack
  • 215-225 gold
  • 25-35 gold
  • Two random rewards
  • 70-100 gold (33.12%)
  • One pack (35.37%)
  • 1 golden rare card (31.19%)
  • 1 golden epic card (0.32%)
  • 1 golden legendary card (<0.32%)
  • 140-180 gold (47.27%)
  • 1 epic card (12.54%)
  • 1 legendary card (0.97%)
  • 1 golden common card (18.97%)
  • 1 golden rare card (20.25%)
Notes
  • Players will always be awarded one card pack regardless of the number of games they have won, and even losing 0-3 will also grant a small amount of gold/dust.
    • Since card packs can be purchased directly from the shop for 100 gold, this essentially makes the additional cost of an Arena run equal to 50 gold, minus the value of gold and dust rewarded from the run – assuming the player desires cards from the latest expansion set. If the player can earn more than this amount back in additional rewards, the run can be considered to have been profitable. Gaining experience in playing Arena can of course also be considered a worthwhile reward, especially in the beginning.
  • Winning at least 7 games will earn the player their entry fee back in gold, in addition to other rewards. This is colloquially known as "going infinite" as the prize gold can be used directly to start another arena run, which could pay for another run at 7 wins, repeating infinitely. Winning 3 to 6 games will compensate for the difference between buying a pack directly and earning one through Arena.
Rewards
  • The guaranteed card pack given each run will always be from the most recently released expansion. If the player earns a second card pack from the same run, it will always be from a different Standard format set.
  • Individual card rewards may be common, rare, epic, legendary, and they may be golden or non-golden. Also, they are not limited by class. Individual card rewards may be from either the Classic set, or any expansion set currently in Standard format.[33] Higher rarities/golden versions of individual cards are rewarded at a higher rate at higher level Keys.
    • As of Patch 9.0.0.20457, non-golden common cards are no longer offered as a reward for runs with with three or more wins.[17][34] Previously, all Keys except the three highest Keys could reward non-golden common cards.
  • Rewards are based solely upon the number of wins for the current run, and are not affected by performance in previous runs.[35]
  • The presence of different rewards can affect the size/quality of the other rewards selected for that player. For example, being awarded a common card will increase the value of the other rewards granted by that Key.[36] This may be due to the likelihood of the player already owning or simply having no desire for any given common card, making it likely they will simply disenchant it, for a mere 5 Arcane Dust.
  • All gold and dust rewards have a range of possible values.
  • The 12-win Key does not reward dust as a prize.[37]

Events

Occasionally, Blizzard will change Arena for a limited time, either by adding exclusive cards or modifying the drafting system.

Players are able to participate in Arena events for free via Arena tickets, which can be obtained by starting up but not finishing their Arena run prior to the date when a new Arena event starts. When a new Arena event is released, any unfinished Arena run that the player has had will end at its final state, and prizes are rewarded to the player based on the player's progress in the unfinished Arena run, and a free Arena ticket is given to the player. Arena tickets allow the player to enter the Arena for free during the Arena event or in any future normal Arena run. Arena tickets will be consumed upon use, but will never expire.[38]

Dual Class Arena

During the Hallow's End (2017 and 2018) and Doom in the Tomb (2019) events, players are able to play as two classes at the same time. The first pick adds the class's cards to the hero pool while the second pick also chooses the Hero Power. Heroes in arena also have modified art, depicting them wearing costumes.

Taverns of Time

Main article: Taverns of Time

For (Jun 11th-July 2nd, 2018), 28 new Arena-exclusive cards are able to be drafted, 2 for each class and 10 neutral cards.

Infinite Wolf
Timeline Witness
Possibility Seeker
Wildlands Adventurer
Draconic Herald
Chromie

Wildfest

Main article: Wildfest

During Wildfest, Wild cards were able to be drafted.

Arena-exclusive cards

From March 11, 2018 through April 10th 2018, each class gained one Arena-exclusive card that was able to be drafted. The cards were chosen by the community from a vote between three class cards.

Class Winning Card Rejected cards
Druid
Nature's Champion
Card not found Card not found
Hunter
Deadeye
Card not found Card not found
Mage
Polymorph: ???
Arcane Flux
Card not found
Paladin
Hand of Salvation
Card not found Card not found
Priest
Generous Spirit
Card not found Card not found
Rogue
Smoke Bomb
Card not found
Shaman
Crackling Doom
Card not found Card not found
Warlock
Bottled Madness
Card not found Card not found
Warrior
Blazing Longsword
Card not found Card not found

Goblins vs. Gnomes sneak peek

Before the release of Goblins vs. Gnomes expansion, cards from the set were able to be drafted in Arena.

Strategy

The strategy in Arena is considerably different from constructed play. The emphasis in "draft" mode is on knowing the powerful basic cards and which classes have the best class-specific cards. Constructed, on the other hand, is much more reliant on the player's card pool and synergies between the cards they choose to play. Players may wish to make sure they have a good grounding in the game and the capabilities of each class before entering the Arena, as the admission charge can make Arena play costly for unsuccessful players.

There are two key differences between Arena and constructed play. Firstly, the deck is not limited to 2 of each card. This can allow players to build outlandish and otherwise impossible decks, such as a mage with 7 x LegacyFrost Nova, a priest with 5 x LegacyNorthshire Cleric, or a warlock with 2 x LegacyMalygos. In regular play players can use this limit to anticipate their opponent's possible cards; for example, it can generally be trusted in regular play that a priest who has already played 2 x LegacyMind Control has no more Mind Control cards in their deck. Arena offers no such certainty; a player may lack many key basic cards, or may feature several of the same card. This affects Arena play because players are far less able to anticipate the deck construction and play of their opponent.

Secondly, players must select their cards in a fairly random process. This typically results in relatively random and unpredictable decks, and has two consequences: firstly, players cannot necessarily use their opponent's known cards to deduce the style of the rest of their deck, as is possible in constructed play; and secondly, there is a strong advantage when constructing a deck to attempt to build a strategy that is versatile, easily formed from multiple possible cards, and can function well in spite of key cards being missing from the deck. Class-specific cards are also generally selected less commonly in Arena card sets than in constructed play, making strong synergy decks less likely to find success in Arena.

Rankings

At the end of each month the top 100 players in the Americas, Europe, and Asia regions are listed on the official site (for the corresponding region). Players are ranked by their average wins per run, with a minimum of 30 runs.

Arena end of month leaderboards use a player's best 30 consecutive runs as their average.[6]

Statistics

Arena competition presents a very specific pattern of player elimination. As each player must either win or lose each game to proceed to the next match, it is possible to calculate the specific percentiles and distribution across the possible win/loss records. This allows players to mathematically rank their run in the Arena according to the percentage of players who have achieved the same record.

Note that these statistics do not represent the player's actual chances of reaching any number of wins. Success in Arena is substantially determined by deck construction and skill in playing each match. The numbers below merely reflect the proportion of players who reach each number of wins. In addition, while these numbers reflect the intended design, for reasons of shortening queue times it is possible players will not always be matched against players with precisely the same score. However, given the large player pools currently seen in-game, any deviation from the design is expected to be negligible.

Number of wins

Players may complete their Arena runs with between 0 and 12 wins, with the number of wins directly determining the scale of the prizes awarded.

The below table lists the percentage of runs that reach each number of wins. For example, Arena runs achieving 5 wins are in the top 22.66% of runs. 50% of Arena runs will achieve 3 wins or more.

Wins Percentage
0 100.00%
1 87.50%
2 69.69%
3 50.00%
4 34.38%
5 22.66%
6 14.45%
7 8.98%
8 5.47%
9 3.27%
10 1.93%
11 1.12%
12 0.65%

Exact sequence of matches

Each Arena run features a potential of 14 matches for each player, with runs ended upon reaching 3 losses or 12 wins. In each match, it is possible to win or lose the game, dividing the players between one of two possible paths.

The below table shows the percent of runs that will reach each given point on the overall potential sequence of matches, with numbers rounded off to two decimal places. The numbers in bold indicate possible final scores, assuming the player does not retire their deck. For example, we can see that only 0.02% of runs end at 12-0, and that the most common score is either 1-3 or 2-3, with more than a third of all Arena runs ending with one of these scores.

Lost
Won 0 1 2 3 Combined
0 100% 50% 25% 12.5% 12.5%
1 50% 50% 37.5% 18.75% 31.25%
2 25% 37.5% 37.5% 18.75% 50.0%
3 12.50% 25% 31.25% 15.63% 65.63%
4 6.25% 15.63% 23.44% 11.72% 77.34%
5 3.13% 9.38% 16.41% 8.20% 85.55%
6 1.56% 5.47% 10.94% 5.47% 91.02%
7 0.78% 3.13% 7.03% 3.52% 94.53%
8 0.39% 1.76% 4.39% 2.20% 96.73%
9 0.20% 0.98% 2.69% 1.34% 98.07%
10 0.10% 0.54% 1.61% 0.81% 98.88%
11 0.05% 0.29% 0.95% 0.48% 99.35%
12 0.02% 0.15% 0.48% - 100.0%

2016 statistics

Arena infographic 2016 global bits

The global portion of the 2016 infographic

In October 2016, official statistics were released for Arena play between January and September 2016. A series of infographics listed the top players in each region, followed by some global statistics. The original infographics can be found here.

Top players

The performance of individual players was broken down by region, and by a number of criteria. Some of these statistics are collated for all regions below. As a rule China and Asia tallied higher numbers of total wins, runs and 12-win runs, compared to the Europe and Americas regions. The individual class records were mostly claimed by the Americas region, while the Europe region dominated in areas related to average run performances.

  • Highest average number of wins per run: Caesar (EU) with 8.090
    • The second and third highest also went to the EU with Pollitos at 7.991 and Woett at 7.692
  • Highest number of 12-win runs in total: ggcnm (China) with 152 12-win runs
  • Highest number of wins in total: ggcnm (China) with 8,378 wins
  • Longest streak of 7+ win runs: Woett (EU) with 17
Notes
  • The players with the highest average number of wins per run were selected from those with at least 100 runs. Designer Dean Ayala states that there were players with higher averages, but all below 100 runs, and mostly below 25 runs.[39]
  • Although not mentioned above, the Americas player with the second highest average number of wins per run was BattlePants, which is actually a 'smurf' account belonging to well-known streamer Hafu.[40][41]

Overall stats

The following stats were presented collated for all regions, for January-September 2016 period. Additional stats can be found in the original infographics.

Notes
  • The Arena run with 9 copies of A Light in the Darkness went 3-3.[42]

Design

The design of the Arena provides for a very different way of playing Hearthstone than that found in constructed play. In comparison, Arena rewards players based more on their ability to construct decks from a less than ideal selection of cards, and to improvise in unlikely match circumstances. It also features a greater emphasis on basic gameplay skills, rather than complex strategies and specific gimmicks. Arena is far less dependent upon knowledge of the current meta, and sees far fewer highly organised decks, but frequently features unlikely, improvised and sometimes extraordinary plays which can be extremely hard to predict.

Arena also provides a second chance for cards rarely seen in constructed play. Many cards widely considered poor choices for constructed decks are presented to players as Arena picks, and end up finding their way into players' decks. Because of this, the diversity of cards seen in Arena is far greater than that of constructed, again contributing to a greater focus on improvisation in response to unexpected circumstances. This is one answer to the often asked questions regarding the existence of certain seemingly poor cards; while they may rarely be chosen in constructed, their presence in Arena broadens the variety of the game mode, and allows it to offer almost an additional set of cards to that seen in constructed play. Not only does their presence provide a greater range of options, but due to the random nature of Arena picks, these otherwise panned cards have the opportunity in Arena to become valuable and even game-winning choices, due in part to the other unlikely cards presented to players when constructing their decks.

Because of the far greater difficulty in constructing a deck with a specific design, knowledge of the current meta, and the ability to play around a central gimmick or specific strategy are far less valuable in the Arena. Improvisational skills are highly important, both in responding to an unpredictable opponent and in playing a less than ideally constructed deck. Players cannot rely on a common sense expectation of what the opponent's deck should hold, nor on a consistent or balanced deck of their own. While "net-decking" the latest top-ranked decklists can provide great advantage in constructed, Arena is far more rewarding of a knowledge of the constituent parts of a deck, and the many ways in which they can be combined when ideal opportunities fail to present themselves.

For these reasons, a different type of player can expect to shine in Arena than in constructed play. While it is possible for players to excel at both, many will find themselves consistently seeing more success in one type of play than in the other. Players with a greater knowledge of the current meta and a focus upon refining specific decks and strategies will likely fare better in constructed, while those less well-versed in the latest trends may have a better chance in the Arena. The lack of opportunity for ideal deck construction allows players with less advanced deck building knowledge a greater chance of success, with familiarity with the latest decklist less valuable than a shrewd instinct for the basic building blocks of the game.

Arena can also provide a break from the relatively construction-focused domain of constructed play. While success in constructed often requires constant tweaks to a deck, and may punish players who do not keep an eye on the latest developments in the meta, a deck made in Arena cannot be changed, and once built must be played as is for better or worse. This can allow players to simply enjoy doing their best under less than ideal circumstances, without excessive focus on where they could have improved the deck, especially considering the great variety between the cards offered in each Arena run.

Arena also gives players a chance to experience many interesting and hard to obtain cards which they may not have the opportunity to play with in the rest of the game. While higher rarity cards are relatively uncommon picks, Arena is the only mode besides the limited realm of adventures' Class Challenges (and certain Tavern Brawls) in which players can play with cards that they do not actually own. This can provide great insight into which cards to craft, or simply highlight the fun of playing with cards the player has never chosen to experiment with. The variety of classes found in Arena can also give players an opportunity to experience playing with classes they do not often choose, as well as sampling those classes' higher rarity cards and higher basic cards, which the player may not yet have earned.

Notes

  • It is possible for a player to be matched twice against the same player over the course of a single Arena run.[43] For example, if player A defeats player B, but then loses their next game, while player B is defeated by player A but then wins their next game, the two players will be a viable match-up for their third games. However, given the large player pools this is very rarely seen.

Development

Development - Forge

An early iteration of the drafting process

Initial

The Arena - originally titled 'The Forge' - was first conceived as a way to incorporate 'draft mode' style play into the game. Drafting with a physical CCG involved players passing round packs of cards, drawing individual cards until they had each built a deck - something many of the developers enjoyed, but which would be difficult to implement within Hearthstone. To solve this problem, the developers implemented asynchronous drafting, allowing each player to separately - yet randomly - build, or 'forge' a unique deck.

Early versions of the Forge had players keeping all the cards they drew for their deck. Admission cost several card packs, and would win packs in exchange for achieving wins. One snapshot of the development process shows the player earning a pack for each win above 4, with 10, 15 and 20 wins granting 5, 15, and 30 additional packs.

Development - Forge2

The Forge originally had an admission fee of 3 card packs

The developers eventually decided to remove both the card pack admission cost, and the reward of keeping the chosen cards. One reason for this was to remove the conflict between whether to choose the card that was better for the current Arena run, or the card which the player ultimately wanted to add to their collection. This change allowed players to focus purely on building the best possible Arena deck. Another reason for the change was to remove restrictions on which cards were presented. When the player kept the chosen cards, it was necessary for the range of cards presented for selection to match those which would have been obtained if the player had simply opened the card packs spent to enter the Arena. This ensured the result was fair, but also tied the developers' hands for Arena balance. By no longer allowing players to keep the cards chosen, the developers were free to adjust the balance of rarity to make more exciting Arena runs, as well as including cards from other sets, where before only Classic (then called Expert) cards were featured.[44]

Development - Forge1

The Forge, in early 2013, showing an almost finished interface

The change also removed the necessity for players to choose whether to open their card packs or spend them to gain access to the Arena, where previously spending card packs might see players unable to keep cards they would have kept if they had simply opened the packs. While players still had to choose where to spend their gold (and real money), the change removed the "horrible tension" of this choice, allowing players to simply enjoy opening card packs without these concerns.[44]

These changes were accompanied by the change of name from the Forge to the Arena. The change was in response to feedback from internal testing, where players often mistook the Forge for the game's crafting mode, believing it was where you went to "forge" new cards. While the term accurately described "forging" a new deck, it was also confusing in that it didn't evoke combat or battle against other players, which was ultimately the main focus of the mode. The new name "The Arena" was chosen to clearly indicate the gladiatorial nature of the mode.[44][45]

Development - Forge3

The Forge's reward scheme

The rewards for the Arena were also iterated upon. Prior to the shift from the Forge to the Arena, rewards came in the form of card packs, directly compensating players for the admission fee. A screenshot from early 2013 shows players earning one card pack for every win, starting with their fifth victory. Extra card packs were awarded upon reaching certain milestones, with reaching 20 wins awarding a bonus of 30 additional card packs. The milestones stated also reflect the Forge's lack of limit to the length of runs in the game mode's early versions. The arrival of the Arena saw the key system introduced, with each win earning a new key, and a maximum of 9 wins. This was later increased to a maximum of 12 in December 2013.

Following the Arena's emergence in the late alpha, and during most of the beta, the fixed system of card pack rewards was exchanged for a number of smaller random rewards. In early Arena builds the number of rewards did not vary dependent on the number of wins, only the contents of the rewards themselves. A player with only 1 win would still win 5 rewards, but these might consist only of 5 gold, 5 gold, 5 gold, 10 dust and a card pack.[44] This was changed in December 2013's Patch 1.0.0.4217, with both the number and quality of rewards now scaling with wins. The exact rewards have since been tweaked a number of times, but this general scheme has remained in place.

Ongoing

All new cards are designed to take into account both Play mode and Arena games. However, the developers acknowledge that some cards "get way better" in Arena than in Play mode, and vice versa.[46]

History

Card exclusions

The first cards to be excluded from the Arena were those of the Promo set, namely LegacyGelbin Mekkatorque and LegacyElite Tauren Chieftain, likely due to their initially being available only through special promotions. With only two cards excluded, and both of those rarely seeing play in any game mode, Arena essentially used the full card pool for the first 2-3 years of the game's life.

It was not until the release of Whispers of the Old Gods in April 2016 that the first major exclusions were made, with Whispers of the Old GodsC'Thun and all related cards being specifically excluded from the drafting process. These were excluded due to their specific synergy, with the likelihood of drafting enough such cards to prove effective being extremely low.

On August 8, 2016, after receiving negative feedback over the upcoming One Night in KarazhanPurify and the weakness of the priest class in the Arena, Ben Brode announced that Purify would not appear in Arena drafts. This marked the first time a card had been excluded due to Arena balance concerns over its poorness, as opposed to the general lack of synergy of the C'Thun cards.

While the exclusion helped to mitigate frustration over Purify, the community's desire for improvements to the game mode's balance in general prompted the developers to move up the schedule on some planned changes to the format. In a reddit post on September 6, 2016, Ben Brode explained that while the developers had plans in motion to improve the situation in the "medium-long term", the community discussion had made them "rethink our timelines and options". As a result, on September 8, 2016, Blizzard announced that an additional 45 cards would be removed from the Arena in an effort to rebalance the classes. This was by far the biggest set of exclusions to date, as well as the biggest change yet to the game mode as a whole. The developers explained that the goal of the exclusions was to reduce the power of mage and rogue - long the most successful classes in Arena - and to increase the power of all other classes, except for paladin, which was already at around the desired power level. When selecting cards, the developers tried not to exclude 'story cards', or to remove too much class identity.[47]

Move to Standard and changes to card probabilities

In September 2016 the developers mentioned that they were planning changes to improve the balance of Arena play in the "medium-long term".[48] This saw a number of specific card exclusions from Arena, which are documented above. A few months after the card exclusions, the developers commented that they were still "working on a more elegant system" to balance the game mode.[49]

In February 2017 the most substantial changes to the format yet were announced. Most significantly (and controversially), the Arena was changed from Wild to Standard format. In addition, a number of specific rules modifications were announced to the base probability of cards showing up in drafts: Common, Basic, and neutral Classic cards would show up less in drafts, while spells would show up more often in drafts. Mean Streets of GadgetzanAbyssal Enforcer and LegacyFlamestrike were also specifically given a 50% reduced chance of appearing in drafts. A less critical change was the long-awaited addition of golden cards to the format, something that had been requested since the game's beta.

With the release of the Journey to Un'Goro expansion, Quest cards followed in the footsteps of C'Thun cards in being banned from Arena due to their lack of sufficient synergy in non-constructed decks.

The hero cards from the Knights of the Frozen Throne expansion were initially available in the Arena upon launch,[50][51][52] but on November 14, 2017, they were removed from the draft pool since "while the Death Knight Hero Cards are exciting and powerful to play, their permanent Hero Power upgrades are hard to combat in a format where answers are limited".[53]

Move to Limited Wild and two month rotation

Starting with the Year of the Dragon, the Arena draft pool was updated by rotating out sets and adding new ones twice every expansion to keep things fresh. For more information, see Rotation above.

Trivia

  • While the game client itself does not feature seasons for Arena play, some regions may offer special promotions rewarding performance in the Arena. On June 1, 2016, the official Chinese Hearthstone site announced that the players with the highest number of 12 win-runs each month would be eligible for special prizes, including tickets to BlizzCon 2016.[54] This was a Chinese initiative, but the game's developers intend to learn from the results of the experiment.[55]
  • The symbols used for keys 4-10 are the same as the original Ranked play medals, in use for most of the game's closed beta. The first 3 keys are slight variations on the first 2 Ranked medals, although some of the keys have been given different names.
  • With Whispers of the Old Gods the legendary minion Whispers of the Old GodsC'Thun and the 16 cards that offer specific synergy with it were the first new cards since the release of LegacyElite Tauren Chieftain during the game's closed beta to be specifically excluded from the Arena. The 17 cards also represented the largest proportion of excluded cards until September 15, 2016 when an additional 45 cards were excluded.
  • Following the reveal of One Night in KarazhanPurify from One Night in Karazhan, along with the video response regarding the card's design, it was also announced that the card will not be available in Arena, due to its limited synergy applications and possibly from community backlash.
  • On March 22, 2016, streamer TwoBiers became the first known Hearthstone player to successfully complete the 100 in 10 Arena Challenge.
  • On August 16, 2019, Dean Ayala posted that they were going to do an arena patch without buckets and have all cards be part of one giant pool as a test, similar to how Arena was in the past before the introduction of the bucket system for Arena.[56] This was slated for Patch 15.4.0.34670.

Quotes

When selected at the start of a run, each hero will speak a unique soundbite, similar to an emote. These quotes are also heard in the Heroes tab of the Collection.

Alleria You have my bow.
Anduin I won't let you down.
Arthas Justice has come!
Deathwing I shall tear this world apart!
Elise I am a student of the forest and a teacher to many.
Garrosh None are stronger than I!
Hero SkinsGul'dan Embrace the shadow.
Hazelbark Let me tell you a story.
Jaina My magic will prevail!
Rise of ShadowsKhadgar Wisdom is greater than strength.
Lazul Let's cause some trouble, um?
Liadrin I will serve! For Shattrath.
Hero SkinsLunara Leaps and bounds ahead of you.
Magni I'm ready! Let's do it.
Maiev Now is the time!
Malfurion You were right to awaken me!
Hero SkinsMecha-Jaraxxus JARAXXUS ONLINE!
Hero SkinsMedivh My plans are falling into place.
Morgl Mrrgl mrrgl mrrrrrrrgl. Mrrrrrgl! Mrgl?
Nemsy Ho ho! This is going to be fun.
Rastakhan It is good to be de king.
Hero SkinsRexxar Only beasts are above deceit.
Hero SkinsSir Annoy-O Hello! Hello! Hello!
Sylvanas May my aim be true...
Hero SkinsThrall Storm, earth, and fire, heed my call!
Thunder King My power cannot be contained!
Tyrande The Goddess calls.
Uther I will serve!
Valeera They'll never see it coming.

Gallery

Arena unlock

At the end of the run...

Arena unlock2

…the facade burns away...

Arena unlock3

…allowing the key to unlock...

Arena unlock4

…the Arena vault...

Arena unlock5

…releasing the player's rewards

Arena1

Purchasing admission to the Arena

Patch changes

  • Unknown patch (August 1, 2018)[57]
    • Class Cards appear less often: +100% -> +50%
    • Spells and Weapons appear less often: +75% -> +50%
    • Appearance rate of Rare and Epic cards is lowered.
  • Unknown patch (May 31, 2018)[58]
    • New card buckets added that overlap halfway between the existing buckets.
      • For example, a new bucket between buckets 2 and 3 will contain the weakest half of the cards from bucket 2 and the strongest half of the cards from bucket 3.
      • There will be 6 new buckets for non-Legendary cards (for a total of 13), and 2 new buckets for Legendary cards (for a total of 5).
    • The strongest cards in the best bucket and the weakest cards in the worst bucket no longer appear in the overlapping buckets, effectively reducing their rate of appearance.
  • Unknown hotfix (March 16, 2018)
    • Legendary picks now appear less often. Below average picks will now appear more often.[59]
  • Unknown patch (November 14, 2017)
    • Death Knight Hero cards are removed from Arena.[60]

References

 
  1. Tested by User:Taohinton 2017-01-04: Button greyed out, mouseover tooltip says "Locked until you unlock every class."
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Blizzard Entertainment (May 31, 2018). Developer Insights: Arena with Kris Zierhut. Retrieved on 2018-12-06.
  3. IGN.com - HEARTHSTONE: CREATING THE DISCOVER MECHANIC. (2016-01-17). 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Hearthpwn - Upcoming Changes to Hearthstone Arena - Standard Format, More Spells, & More. (2017-02-22). 
  5. Tian Ding (November 29, 2018). Developer Insights: Arena Balance Through Science. Retrieved on 2018-12-19.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Fluxflashor (2017-07-11). Dean "Iksar" Ayala Talks about Arena Class Balance, Micro Adjustments, and More!. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  7. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2016-03-27). 
  8. Dylan Bates (August 26, 2019). Current Arena Rules. Retrieved on 2019-09-11.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Blizzard Entertainment (February 28, 2019). Light It Up in the Year of the Dragon. Retrieved on 2019-02-28.
  10. Blizzard Entertainment (July 1, 2019). Hearthstone: Saviors of Uldum – Launching August 6. Retrieved on 2019-07-01.
  11. Blizzard Entertainment (April 4, 2019). Hearthstone Update – April 4 – Rise of Shadows. Retrieved on 2019-05-21.
  12. Blizzard Entertainment (May 21, 2019). Behold the Rise of the Mech!. Retrieved on 2019-05-21.
  13. Hearthside Chat: Upcoming Arena Changes with Dean Ayala. (2016-09-08). 
  14. Yong Woo on Twitter. (2016-09-08). 
  15. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2016-03-15). : "Yes", in reply to "C'thun and cult ... in arena, will they still pop from random minion summons like Paletress and Shredder?"
  16. 16.0 16.1 Dylan Bates (April 9, 2019). Current Arena Rules. Blizzard Entertainment. Retrieved on 2019-04-10.
  17. 17.0 17.1 Hearthstone Update – August 8. (2017-08-08). 
  18. Fluxflashor (September 9, 2017). Synergy Picks in the Arena are Being Removed. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  19. For the purpose of Arena card drafting, the Free rarity tag used on cards in the Basic set is considered equivalent to Common.
  20. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2016-09-01). 
  21. Hotfix: Arena Card Distribution. (2016-01-05). 
  22. Tavern Brawls and Open Q&A - BlizzCon 2015 Live Panel Recap (Fireside Chat). (2015-11-07). 
  23. Patch 6.2.0.15181 - One Night in Karazhan cards will now show up with the same frequency as other card sets in the Arena
  24. Zeriyah on Twitter.  - "Arena matches you against someone with as close of a win/loss record as you have."
  25. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2017-02-04). 
  26. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2016-01-08). 
  27. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2016-04-08). 
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 Hafu's Interview with Ben Brode on Arena. (2016-04-13). 
  29. 29.0 29.1 29.2 gwasp (December 3, 2018). Updated Arena Rewards Table. Retrieved on 2018-12-06.
  30. 30.0 30.1 gwasp (November 25, 2018). 12 Win Rewards Analysis from 300+ runs.. Retrieved on 2018-12-06.
  31. 31.0 31.1 gwasp (November 25, 2018). 12 Win Rewards - 311 runs — Imgur. Retrieved on 2018-12-06.
  32. 32.0 32.1 briel_hs (June 1, 2016). 12 Win Arena Rewards Droprates (updated for Old Gods). Retrieved on 2018-12-06.
  33. A New Way to Play. (2016-02-02). 
  34. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2017-08-13). 
  35. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-06-29). 
  36. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-05-22). 
  37. http://www.arenamastery.com/sitewide.php shows nonexistent dust rewards at 12 wins when counting all 12-win Arena prizes after Hearthstone's official release.
  38. Fluxflashor (October 26, 2017). Arena Tickets Earned Through Events Do Not Expire. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  39. Dean Ayala on reddit. (2016-10-18). 
  40. Mike Donais on reddit. (2016-10-18). 
  41. Hafu on Twitter. (2016-10-18). 
  42. Dean Ayala on reddit. (2016-10-18). 
  43. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2014-11-20). 
  44. 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 [2013-07-27 {{{3}}}]. (Hearthstone Arena Preview with Ben Brode and Eric Dodds). 
  45. The Key to the Hearthstone Arena. (2016-08-01). 
  46. Hearthstone: The Grand Tournament: Special Event - Video/Podcast: Hearthstone production director Jason Chayes talks about the game and offer a behind-the-scenes look into the development of the latest expansion, The Grand Tournament. Duration: 23 mins. This reference at 21:28. (2015-09-25)
  47. IGN - TEAM 5 ON THE HEALTH OF HEARTHSTONE. (2016-09-26). 
  48. Ben Brode on Reddit. (2016-09-06). 
  49. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2016-09-08). 
  50. Ozzie Mejia (2017-07-20). Hearthstone designers talk Knights of the Frozen Throne, Hero Cards, Rogue, and more | Shacknews. Retrieved on 2017-07-21.
  51. Yong Woo on Twitter. (2017-07-07). 
  52. Puffin on reddit. (2017-07-08). Retrieved on 2017-07-26.
  53. Zeriyah (2017-11-10). Upcoming Arena Changes - 11/14/2017. Retrieved on 2017-11-23.
  54. Hearthpwn.com - HS China: Top Arena Players to be Rewarded, Blizzard to Integrate Facebook Sign-On & Streaming Functionality into Hearthstone. (2016-06-07). 
  55. IGN - BLIZZARD ON THE STATE OF HEARTHSTONE. (2016-06-10). 
  56. Dean Ayala on reddit. (2019-08-16). 
  57. Fluxflashor (August 1, 2018). Developer Insights: Boomsday Arena Update with Kris Zierhut. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  58. Fluxflashor (May 31, 2018). Developer Insights: Arena with Kris Zierhut + Upcoming Arena Changes. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  59. Fluxflashor (March 16, 2018). Arena Changes for March 16 - Less Legendaries, More Below Average Picks. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  60. Fluxflashor (November 10, 2017). Death Knights are Being Removed from Arena Starting November 14. Retrieved on 2018-12-21.
  61. Ben Brode on Twitter. (2015-09-01). 

External links

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