In the World of Warcraft, Pandaria is a China-themed continent featured in the 2012 expansion Mists of Pandaria. The new Hearthstone skins call back to many characters, factions, and threats faced during the colorful expansion.
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The skins themselves feature reimaginings of several of the face characters for the playable deck classes in Hearthstone. Jade Serpent Thrall, Red Crane Jaina, and Black Ox Rexxar are themed after the August Celestials Yu’lon, Chi-Ji, and Niuzao respectively–three of Warcraft’s take on the Four Gods of Chinese myth. An Old-God-corrupted Sha Illidan sees the iconic demon hunter overcome by the embodiments of negative emotion, while the Mogu’shan Gul’dan sees the warlock outfitted in armor of the antagonistic stone sentinels. Lastly, Xuen, the white tiger and final August Celestial, is available as an alternate Druid hero.
These new skins join the many Hearthstone has offered in the past. Last year saw four Romance of the Three Kingdoms skins released, with Diao Chan Valeera, Guan Yu Uther, Lu Bu Garrosh, and Zhuge Liang Anduin. Other Blizzard games are getting in on the Lunar New Year celebration as well, with new skins in Overwatch and a flying water-elemental tiger mount in World of Warcraft.
Hearthstone fans are always glad to see new skins they can use to customize their decks and heroes, and these stunning skins are no different. The art, animations, and new voice lines allow players to breathe new life into their decks–for those willing to buy them in the cash shop–and the skins available during the Lunar New Year are always unique ideas of the highest quality.
Many fans wonder, however, if these skins could be a hint as to the future of World of Warcraft. With Shadowlands wrapping up soon, speculation as to the next WoW expansion is running rampant. There has been some evidence that elements from Mists of Pandaria could play into the next expansion, leading many players to wonder if the strong connections to the August Celestials, Sha, and Mogu in these skins could be a clue. However, previous Lunar New Year cosmetics in Hearthstone have rarely hinted at anything upcoming in World of Warcraft, so it is unlikely to be the case this time either–especially in the face of mounting evidence of a dragon-themed expansion coming to World of Warcraft next.
Hearthstone is currently available for Mobile and PC.
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Source: Wowhead
