by JR Cook - 10 years ago     show comments

In this column, we like to feature a very different side of Hearthstone and the Hearthstone player community. We search the web for user created content inspired by Hearthstone, and share it with you whenever we can.

This time around, I wanted to focus specifically on card backs. In the last HearthPro podcast that we did, the reward of a special card back for beating all of the Curse of Naxxramas bosses in Heroic Mode was mentioned as a coming feature. While we all agreed that the idea was kind of “meh” for a reward from what is supposed to be a ridiculously challenging game mode, the idea card backs in general is something the community seems to like. I know plenty of non-hardcore players who make sure to log in each season and get themselves at least to Rank 20 to secure their card back. The community has made dozens, if not hundreds of these already. Here are a couple of examples:

Redditor jj_maxx created these custom card backs for popular streamer Applejacked. These are obviously a bit too specific for what I have in mind, but they showcase what is possible when you have a solid theme to work off of.

These card backs are right on the money in terms of being in line with the World of Warcraft universe and employing the simple yet specific design concept. MrKindred posted these over on hearthpwn’s forums.

With the above entries in mind, I think that Blizzard has a very easy opportunity to not only help save themselves some content creation time, but also allow for the community to leave a lasting mark on Hearthstone. In a similar fashion to the propaganda poster contest that they ran a few months back (or the Shard of Hate, which is a weapon designed by the community for the Diablo III: Reaper of Souls expansion), why not open up a competition for card back designers to submit their entries and have the winning one become a part of the game? It could be earned in one of the Ranked Play seasons or perhaps through some cool achievement that further ties into the community (e.g. play against a certain amount of people from different countries?).

This is something that could be held annually or even multiple times per year while Team Five dives into further Adventure Mode content creation. I’m not sure how many ideas they’ve got for card backs on the backburner, but even if this doesn’t help free up resources or labor, it would still be a cool way for players to memorialize themselves within the game by portraying a different kind of skill with cards.

What do you guys think? Would you be interested in a competition like this? Have designs you’d like to show off? Leave a comment below or send me an email at leviathan@blizzpro.com.