Hearthstone Announces StarCraft Mini-Set: Release Date Revealed

Hearthstone enthusiasts are in for a treat with the upcoming Heroes of StarCraft Mini-Set, set to launch on January 21. This Mini-Set marks the largest in Hearthstone's history, boasting an impressive 49 new cards. These cards are split between class-specific offerings and multi-class StarCraft faction cards, along with a unique factionless neutral Legendary card.

During the Warcraft Direct on November 13, 2024, Blizzard unveiled the Heroes of StarCraft Mini-Set as part of The Great Dark Beyond expansion, celebrating a crossover with their cherished yet often overlooked science fiction RTS franchise, StarCraft. Initial details were sparse, but Hearthstone promised more information post-New Year.

Two months later, the veil has been lifted on this expansive micro expansion. Heroes of StarCraft introduces 49 new cards, surpassing typical Mini-Sets by 11 cards. Each Hearthstone class is enriched with three new cards, while the StarCraft factions—Zerg, Protoss, and Terran—are represented by five cards each, tailored to specific Hearthstone classes, including one Legendary per faction. Additionally, a neutral Legendary card named Grunty rounds out the set. Hearthstone has already teased some of these cards, with more reveals scheduled in the week leading up to the Mini-Set's release.

Hearthstone Heroes of StarCraft Mini-Set Release Date

The Zerg cards, accessible to Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Hunter, and Warlock, revolve around summoning numerous Zerglings and leveraging the Hydralisk to amplify damage based on swarm size. Meanwhile, the Protoss cards for Druid, Mage, Priest, and Rogue focus on mana manipulation, enabling the early deployment of high-cost cards like the Carrier. The Paladin, Shaman, and Warrior classes will benefit from the Starship mechanic introduced in The Great Dark Beyond, with new Starship Pieces and strategies to launch multiple Starships, including a special Mech-type Starship.

Despite its larger size, the Heroes of StarCraft Mini-Set comes with a higher price tag. While the cards can be obtained from The Great Dark Beyond packs, a complete playset of the Mini-Set is available for $20 or 2500 gold, which is $5 and 500 gold more than standard Mini-Sets. An all-Golden version is priced at $80 or 12,000 gold, compared to the usual $70 and 10,000 gold. However, fans can opt for faction-specific packs—Protoss, Terran, or Zerg—for $10 or 1200 gold.

To celebrate the Mini-Set's release, Hearthstone is hosting two streamed events: StarCast on January 23 at 10 AM PST, featuring StarCraft legends TrumpSC and Day9 playing with the new cards, and HearthCraft on January 24 at 9 AM PST, where Hearthstone community creators will represent each faction in competitive matches and mini-games. Viewers can earn two normal and two Golden The Great Dark Beyond packs by watching these events on Twitch, ensuring fans don't miss out on the free rewards.