Blizzard has created a lot of lasting memories over the past decade of Hearthstone. Most players who have been with the game since day one can still hear the haunting call of "LEEROOOOOOYYYYYY JEEEEEENKINS!!!" This next Standard year is a special one for Hearthstone, as it's the game's tenth anniversary. It also means a new Core set will be introduced, featuring a handful of new cards and some returning ones, including everybody's old friend, Leeroy Jenkins.

The following message from Game Director Tyler Bielman was posted to the Hearthstone website:

Greetings, denizens of the Tavern!

This year, we’re celebrating 10 years of Hearthstone. That’s 10 years of defining the digital card game genre through iconic characters, tall tales in the tavern, new and familiar friends, and lots of fun! Over that time, Hearthstone expanded into a wide range of game modes. As we move into the future, we’re focusing on the areas where we can surprise and delight the most players with our absolute best ideas. We’re excited to spend all year celebrating the past and the future of Hearthstone with you.

It all starts soon with birthday giveaways, in-game events, a spicy Core Set update, and the first of three lively card set expansions. Then, just a little further down the line, we’ll be launching Battlegrounds Duos! We’re excited to bring this cooperative experience to Hearthstone, where friends and strangers alike can work together to build up each other’s boards and take the crown. We saw a great response to the mode at BlizzCon (shout out to those of you we got to meet in person), and your energy is what keeps us moving in the right direction. Alongside our regular Standard and Battlegrounds updates, the team is working on fascinating Twist formats and Arena updates for even more fun all year long!

The Year of the Pegasus is shaping up to be a great year for Hearthstone. To all our players who champion and challenge the game, we hear you and thank you for being so passionate about Hearthstone. I look forward to chatting with you in the Tavern.

A separate blog post details pieces of the Year of the Pegasus Core set. Returning cards include the aforementioned Leeroy Jenkins and the Hero Power-boosting Justicar Trueheart. Notably, the Shaman's Spell Damage-boosting Air Totem will return to its Hero Power rotation. Interestingly, new cards based on Warcraft Rumble will be included in this new Core set. These new cards include:

• (6) Gnomelia, S.A.F.E. Pilot (4/2) (Neutral, Legendary) - Rush. Also damages minions next to whomever this attacks. Deathrattle: Deal 2 damage to all enemies.
• (5) Warsong Grunt (3/6) (Neutral, Common) - Rush. After this attacks and kills a minion, it may attack again.
• (5) Night Elf Huntress (3/3) (Neutral, Common) - Battlecry: Deal 3 damage to three different enemies. (You pick the targets!)
• (4) Footman (2/5) (Neutral, Rare) - Taunt. Adjacent minions are Immune while attacking.

Another item to note is that there is now a new catch-all keyword for minions that cannot be targeted by spells or Hero Powers. That word is Elusive and will make its official debut soon. The Hearthstone team notes that Elusive will be used more in this year's new sets.

Hearthstone's development team appears to have some ambitious plans for the game's tenth year. This includes the debut of Battlegrounds Duos, which will debut later this year. For more, check out our hands-on preview from BlizzCon. The team will be challenged to fulfill its goals in the year ahead, especially in the wake of massive layoffs from new parent company Microsoft.

The Year of the Pegasus will officially begin later this year with Hearthstone's next expansion. We'll have more details in the weeks ahead. Keep it on Shacknews, especially as we look into what's going in and what's coming out of the Core set rotation.