Ben Brode Says Next Expansion Announcement Is Coming Soon

It’s been over two months since Hearthstone released an expansion, meaning it’s about time for an announcement. Fan theories about the Lich King being the centerpiece of the next set have been going around reddit, but there hasn’t been any concrete evidence from Blizzard yet. That is, until Monday morning, when Ben Brode, game director on Hearthstone , responded to a reddit post asking when we are going to get any new information.

“You want some kind of announcement of an announcement?” Brode writes. “Ok fine, I'll announce that the announcement of the announcement is coming soon!” For the last few expansions, Blizzard has released a small teaser or video to get fans hyped before the card reveals. Mean Streets Of Gadgetzan used newspapers and postcards to show how dangerous the goblin trading post was and Journey To Un’Goro had a video, complete with camping gear and a roaring fire.

I know it’s a little ridiculous to focus on a joke like this, but there’s some serious merit to all of Brode’s words. Next week is the HCT Summer Championship in Shanghai, China, Hearthstone’s biggest event of the year. If Blizzard wanted to create hype for the new expansion, it would be a perfect place to do it. I’ll be at the event, expecting some type of announcement of an announcement.

Brode is no stranger to embracing the Hearthstone community online, communicating with fans whenever possible. When blog posts for changes to the game come out, he’s always lurking on reddit, answering questions whenever they come up. He’s not afraid to get into the trenches with the real fans because they know the most about his product. If you want to keep the fans happy, it’s best to treat them like actual people, a message some developers choose to ignore. Very rarely will you see the head of a game pop into reddit and post just like everyone else.

When Journey To Un’Goro was released, it was the first expansion not to have a catchy song in the trailer. Fans, myself included, were relatively upset about not having a dinosaur-themed jungle accompanying our card packs. Brode listened to the cries of his community and recorded an epic rap. In front of his home computer, Brode spit hot fire like a Volcanosaur , completely knocking everyone away. The fans asked for something and actually got it, which is one of the reasons Hearthstone and Ben Brode have been so successful.

There are hundreds of people behind the scenes making Blizzard’s games, but figureheads get most of the spotlight. Jeff Kaplan, Overwatch’s game director, has admitted he took inspiration from Brode when interacting with the community. He’s just as active (if not moreso) on Blizzard’s forums, answering questions or just posting memes. Blizzard’s directors are in the spotlight, whether they want to be or not.

Do you wish more developers interacted with their fans like Brode or Kaplan, or are they just wasting their time? Tell us in the comments.