Blizzard have revealed a couple of interesting new features for Hearthstone at Gamescom: Jousting and Highest Rank Bonuses. Both will come as part of The Grand Tournament, and add some interesting new changes to how you can play Hearthstone.
Jousting is demonstrated in the video above, and is a quick game-within-a-game where both players must draw a minion from a deck. To win, the player who initiated the Joust must reveal a minion with a higher mana cost than their opponent. Rewards from Jousting have not been revealed, but they will vary depending on the minion who starts the Joust.
Highest Rank Bonuses solves a problem many Hearthstone players have. When getting to a particularly high rank, players often stop playing because they don’t want to risk losing a rank. To offer encouragement, Blizzard are putting a badge in each player’s Quest Log to show the highest rank achieved during the month so the achievement is recognised. Additionally, players who rank 20 or above will gain minor rewards at the end of each season, including Ranked Play card backs, golden cards, and arcane dust. What rewards you get will be determined by your highest rank during the season.