It's a big day for Hearthstone, with a new year, a new expansion, and a new class for the first time ever, but a lot is happening in the Hearthstone Battlegrounds world as well. In the latest update, some Battlegrounds heroes were thrown out of the pool, others were invited in, several balance updates were made, and a new tavern pass was added with access to a variety of perks and bonus content.

The Tavern Pass costs $20 or 2500 gold and, despite the name, is not a battle pass. Instead, you get four Arena tickets (used to access the Hearthstone Arena, usually $2 or 150 gold), more advanced stats, visual emotes, two more heroes to choose from at the start of the game, and a Hearthstone Battlegrounds new heroes and be the first to access them when they are introduced.

Battlegrounds players can already gain several benefits by purchasing Descent of Dragons card packs, including bonus status screens and the ability to choose from four heroes at the start of a match. Players who have already unlocked a Perk will receive an equivalent new Perk on March 26, but all Perks earned through pack purchases (including new Perks) will expire when Hearthstone's next expansion, Ashes of Outland, is released on April 7

This update will be available on the Hearthstone website.

This update also removes Ragnaros, Sylvanas, and Patches from the hero pool and returns Sir Finley Mrrglton and Professor Putricide to the hero pool.

Other cards have also been changed:

Further updates are scheduled for March 26, and the new rank system will go live on April 1. More information can be found at playhearthstone.com.