The Art of Hearthstone Volume II: Year of the Kraken Hardcover

Something stirs in the dark... The second volume of The Art of Hearthstone dives deep into the depths of the Year of the Kraken, the first year of Hearthstone's standard format. Published by the internal multimedia curators at Blizzard Entertainment, The Art of Hearthstone: Year of the Kraken is a highly sought-after deluxe hardcover biographical and game production chronicle. This book serves as the definitive compilation tracking the legendary digital card illustrations, original board environments, and creative breakthroughs engineered by the Hearthstone team.

Spanning a thorough 144 pages of vivid, high-fidelity color plates and premium heavy paper stock, this comprehensive volume delivers an unmatched look inside the creative engine behind a global gaming phenomenon enjoyed by millions upon millions of players. Consisting of hundreds of illustrations, this collection maps the visual development of the game's earliest standard expansions. Enjoy a stunning deep-dive running the gamut from the corruptive cults of Whispers of the Old Gods, the glamorous disco of One Night in Karazhan, and the turf wars of Mean Streets of Gadgetzan. This book goes into detail about the artistic process for card art, game boards, custom card back cosmetic patterns, and logo designs. Every reference page acts as an educational masterclass in signature, painterly "World of Warcraft Blizzard style" character geometry, theatrical fantasy lighting, and narrative layout spacing.

Individual chapters compile spectacular visual layouts, card anatomy sketches, and fantasy portfolios:

Masterfully compiled and written by experienced Blizzard story developer Robert Brooks, this textbook stands as an incredible tribute to digital illustration. This essential reference manual functions as an absolute crown jewel addition for digital concept artists, card game enthusiasts, Warcraft lore scholars, and dedicated collectors of premium investment-tier video game art books.