Blizzard held a live broadcast dedicated to the future of the Hearthstone trading card game. The main announcement was the next addition called “Cataclysm”, inspired by the expansion of the same name for the MMORPG World of Warcraft. The update will become available on March 17, 2026 and will bring with it a storyline that continues the events of “Through the Streams of Time.” A portal to an alternate reality opened the way for Deathwing, who in his timeline won a complete victory over Azeroth. Now players, along with Chromie and the dragon aspects, will have to stop the Destroyer, introduced in the game as a new hero card.
With the release of the expansion, the Colossus mechanic, which first appeared in Journey to the Sunken City, returns to the game. This time, each class will get its own gigantic minion. Six classes will side with Deathwing and gain the new Herald keyword, empowering Colossi and their minions with repeated use. The remaining five classes will unite with the dragon factions, and the “Sundering” mechanic will become available to them. Cards with this property, when in hand, are divided into two parts, which can be played separately or combined into one powerful card by playing all the cards lying between them.
Along with the announcement of the expansion, Blizzard announced the beginning of the “Year of the Scarab” and a new Core Set rotation. In 2026, the developers intend to strengthen class identity and make the meta more fluid. Due to this, many classic maps will be leaving the standard mode, including Brawl and Shadowstep, whose places will be taken by new tools like Havoc and Shadow of Death. To support players during this transition period, the company is launching a special promotion. Starting March 10, all users will have full access to all maps in the Into the Emerald Dream and The Lost City of Un’Goro sets for the duration of one expansion cycle.
Plans for 2026 also include the release of a second expansion, focusing on Vanessa van Cleef’s escape from the Violet Keep, and the introduction of a new Class Set system, which will replace the usual mini-sets and focus on deep support for only a few classes at a time. For those who are ready to join the confrontation immediately, in-game events are already available that will allow you to obtain the legendary Ebyssian card and a skin for Ragnaros. Early access to new content will open as part of a special brawl on March 10th.
