How Much Hearthstone's Expansion Will (Or Won't) Cost You

Sometimes I don't think I'll ever be able to escape how much Blizzard shaped young me as a gamer and a person. Case in point: while I haven't really invested much time (or any money) into Hearthstone, I saw that the first section in Blizzard's outline of expansion Curse of Naxxramas' pricing structure is titled "All Naxx-cess Pass" and thought, "Damn it, now I can't use my pun." I guess I should  dig into Hearthstone soon. Now seems to be a fairly opportune time given that the Naxx expansion will offer the improbably popular card game's first real single-player campaign, unlockable or purchasable bit-by-bit or all at once.

Here's how the pricing will break down when Naxxramas launches soon (there's no precise date just yet):

Most simply, you'll be able to snag all five wings of Naxxramas for a flat fee of £17.49/$24.99. Alternatively, you can take the slower, more hard-fought route, which will begin with the Arachnid Quarter open for free if you start your quest during the expansion's launch month. After that, individual wings will be available for either 700 gold (which is entirely earnable in-game) or £4.99/$6.99 a piece.

There will also be dungeon bundles based on how many wings you already own. So you could grind your way toward opening up a few, decide you're sick of the slog, and plunk down a less hefty sum on the two remaining ones.

Naxxramas won't close its doors forever just because you gave mean ol' Kel'Thuzad the worst paper cut of his life, though. There will be a WoW-like Heroic mode for players who breeze right on through, and it'll work like this: "Heroic mode bosses are significantly more difficult than their normal versions, and they will prove to be a challenge for even the most veteran Hearthstone players. Defeating all of the bosses in Naxxramas on Heroic mode will unlock a new card back for your collection."

So that's Naxx in a nutshell. I remember when my WoW guild first tried to raid the original Naxx, and now it's a card game. Really puts it all in perspective. Shows that a) times and tastes change massively and b) Blizzard will always find a way to make money hand over fist despite that.