A long-running rumor, which suggests that Blizzard's Hearthstone development team is considering adding a co-op mode to the game, has resurfaced following the discovery of new hints within the latest patch update.

　　On Tuesday, Blizzard deployed the game's 3.0 update which, among other fixes, paves the way for the game's next major expansion, The Grand Tournament, which is due for release in August.

　　However, data-miners have noticed references within the update's code that shows the game now includes audio and text referencing a co-op mode. A Reddit user, going by the name "Insydr," published the following script from the 3.0 patch:

　　Added VO_HRW_TEST_00.AUDIOFILE: "test"

　　Added VO_HRW_TEST_01: "Well done! You've defeated the boss together.\n\nBoth players win!"

　　Added VO_HRW_TEST_01.AUDIOFILE: "test"

　　Added VO_HRW_TEST_02: "Defeat Gearmaster Mechazod together to win!"

　　The nature of the text suggests that, should Hearthstone introduce co-op, it may be against AI in a future adventure expansion. It could also suggest that co-op wouldn't necessarily require two players, but one player and an AI sidekick.

　　However, this discovery comes five months after an unverified report claimed that Blizzard was preparing to introduce a 2v2 mode to the game. Other information revealed in that report, such as the game's player numbers, was debunked by Activision, leading some to believe that the co-op mode rumor was also inaccurate.

　　Hearthstone's Grand Tournament expansion is set to introduce 132 new cards to the game. Below is a list of 82 Hero cards added to the game, and click through he link to peruse all of Hearthstone's 50 Grand Tournament Neutral Cards.

　　Blizzard is believed to be earning some $20 million each month from Hearthstone, according to recent research.

The Grand Tournament: All New Hero Cards

Druid

Hunter

Mage

Paladin

Priest

Rogue

Shaman

Warlock

Warrior

Click here to view the set of 50 new Neutral Cards.