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During the Hearthstone Spotlight 2026, which aired earlier this morning, developers revealed a new era for Hearthstone with the upcoming launch of the game’s epic new expansion.
You can watch the Spotlight event in full below:
Slated to launch on 18 March 2026, Hearthstone: Cataclysm, reimagines World of Warcraft’s iconic 2010 expansion of the same name, but with a major narrative twist that would have the heroes of Azeroth shaking in their best-in-slot boots.
It’s a bold move that speaks to the team’s ambitious vision for pushing Hearthstone to new heights as it enters its 12th year.
Following the conclusion of Hearthstone’s 31stexpansion, Across the Timeways, Murozond has pulled an alternate version of Deathwing the Destroyer into the Hearthstone universe to further disrupt the Timeways.
In Hearthstone: Cataclysm, this version of Deathwing has triumphed in his efforts to reduce Azeroth to ashes, leaving it up to players to help Chromie and the Dragonflights rally the Heroes of Time from across Hearthstone’s history to defeat the most powerful Deathwing ever known.
Gameplay Features
As well as the new story arc, Hearthstone: Cataclysm adds a bunch of new cards, plus new and returning fan-favourite mechanics and gameplay features.
- Colossals Return to Hearthstone
Originally featured in the 2022 expansion, Voyage to the Sunket City, colossals are massive minions that can summon one or more additional minions when played. In Hearthstone: Cataclysm, each class has its own Colossal, though six of these are Deathwing’s Lieutenants. By choosing a class that aligns with Deathwing’s Lieutenant’s, players can experience the war on Azeroth from behind enemy lines.
- New Keywords
“Herald” is a new keyword used by classes aligned with Deathwing’s Lieutenants.
For classes aligned with the Dragonflights, “Shatter” is a new keyword that splits cards with this keyword into two halves when drawn, allowing players to cast them separately or combine the halves again for twice the power and value.
- Triumphs and Last Stands
Triumphs and Last Stands are class spell cards that feature each of the class’ unique Hero of Time, portraying them either claiming victory or making a final heroic stand against Deathwing and his forces.
Hearthstone is easy to pick up, whether you’re a veteran card game player or not and if you’re keen to check out the upcoming Cataclysm expansion next month, it’s free to play on mobile and PC. The game also features plenty of tutorialsYou can learn more about the basics of Hearthstone right here.
