By Tate Fiebing

With Blizzcon 2016 right around the corner we can’t help but speculate about what new cards, mechanics, and features might be coming to Hearthstone‘s next expansion. These are the eleven inclusions we would like to see more than any others.

More Heroes

Hearthstone released with nine hero classes. Last time we checked, World of Warcraft has twelve. We would love to see a Death Knight, Monk, or Demon Hunter make an appearance in the hero lineup.

While we’re at it, there are still a few classes currently in the game that lack alternate hero options. Mage has three heroes to pick from, while Druid, Rogue, and Warlock still have just one. Maiev Shadowsong anyone? Let’s also get some hero diversity! If we can have a murloc hero, certainly Blizzard can represent the other races like Worgen, Tauren and Forsaken.

Co-op Mode

What’s better than Hearthstone? Hearthstone with a friend! Being able to team up and take on bosses or other opponents would be a welcome addition to the game. We’ve seen a co-op brawl, so what’s to stop Blizzard from creating an entire adventure in the same vein?

A New Keyword

It’s been one expansion and two adventures since the introduction of a new keyword like Inspire. The game has stayed mechanically fresh, but we think it’s high time they add another phrase to the keyword pool. One option we’d like to see? Activated abilities on minions akin to those found in Magic the Gathering.

Better Priest Cards

Priest has been in the bottom tier for quite some time and it’s about time the class got some love. With a weak classic set of cards, Priest is in need of some power house cards to lift itself out of the bottom tier.  Since the departure of Dark Cultist from standard, the class has been left with very few low cost minions that can control the board until priests’ powerful late game – more early-game options are a must in the new expansion.

New Rogue Weapons

When the classic set was updated to fix some problematic cards, Blade Flurry was changed to no longer deal damage to the enemy hero as well as a crippling cost increase to four mana. This change was focused on opening up design space for a class that thematically should have great weapons. Since the change, we have yet to see a new Rogue weapon introduced, leaving Rogue players wondering if the change was even necessary. Let’s hope the next expansion capitalizes on this new freedom and brings weapons back to this melee-focused class.

Less Arena Potency for Mage

Since release, arena has been dominated by Mages. Flamestrike continues to punish opponents who over extend, and with each recent expansion, the problem has only worsened. Faceless Summoner and Firelands Portal are two common rarity cards in the past two expansions that can completely swing the board in favor of mage. Blizzard is aware of the issue and recently removed Faceless Summoner from Arena. While a step in the right direction, more balancing is needed to abate the class’s Arena dominance.

Legendary Spells and Weapons

To date, legendary cards have all been minions. We would love to see Blizzard branch out and start adding legendary spells and weapons to Hearthstone. In other words, we can’t wait for Thunderfury, Blessed Blade of the Windseeker to make its appearance in Hearthstone.

Spell Focused Weapons

In the recent expansion, One Night in  Karazhan, we saw a new type of weapon make its way into the game. When Medivh, the Guardian comes into play, heroes equip his legendary greatstaff Atiesh. When you cast a spell, the staff summons a random minion of the same cost and loses a durability. Weapons with utility beyond just attacking, is something we would love to see more of.

Tournament Mode

For years the community has been clamoring for the ability to host or join tournaments in the Hearthstone client. This year Supercell added just such a feature to its hit mobile game, Clash Royale. So, it’s not too far fetched to assume that Blizzard could follow suit.

Arena Wins Counts Towards Gold

It takes 500 wins in ranked play to unlock the golden version of a hero. Unfortunately this leaves arena focused players behind, as wins in that mode do not count toward the achievement. This is an overdue update that would at least leave Area players feeling slightly less overlooked.

Tools to Deal with Aggro

Today the Hearthstone ladder continues to be dominated by aggro decks. With so many big and exciting creatures in the game, it’s a shame we often don’t get the chance to play them as our hero concedes to face damage on turn five. We would love to see Blizzard add some neutral minions targeted at surviving the onslaught of aggressive decks on ladder. Sludge Belcher and Antique Healbot, we miss you!

That does it for our list, let us know your most designed features in Hearthstone in the comments, and for all things card games you’re already in the right place at IGN!