According to the official news of Hearthstone, Patch 22.2 will be launched on January 26th, including major updates of tavern battle chess, massive duel mode changes, standard mode and wild mode balance. Updates, new buildings in Mercenary War Village, and bug fixes.
The official said that the new version of Zhanqi ushered in the biggest update in history:
Brand new tavern war chess partner system! Tavern War Chess Companions are special followers for each hero, designed to match the hero’s gameplay. Companions are similar to normal followers, but cannot be purchased from the store.
Each hero has a “buddy meter”. During the Combat Phase, the gauge fills when entering combat, dealing damage to an enemy, breaking the Aegis, and winning or drawing during the Combat Phase.
At the start of the battle, you also gain a small bonus for the number of minions you have. The buddy meter has two parts. Once you fill-up the first section, you can add a copy of your Hero Companion to your hand. Fill up the second part to get 2 more copies! Four new heroes join the game, Brukhan, Drek’Thar, Fandral Stormpike, and Tavish Stormpike from Alterac.
The annual Spring Festival event of Hearthstone is also coming, including legendary tasks and more exciting. Meanwhile, from January 26th, you can celebrate the arrival of the Chinese New Year in advance by claiming the much-anticipated Golden Lion Spring card back for free in the store.