Deceptively simple in design but epically engaging, Hearthstone will be instantly accessible to players regardless of their familiarity with Warcraft or collectible card games. Whether players prefer to wield magic or arms in battle, strike from the shadows or head on—or have never given any of that much thought—they’ll be able to jump right in, create a deck, and get in on the card-slinging action.

In addition to honing their skills in practice matches against the computer and taking on their buddies via their Battle.net friends list, players can challenge each other in two competitive game modes. “Play Mode” features traditional head-to-head battles, with players facing off for a chance to increase their medal ranking and earn card packs along the way. And for a different type of challenge, players can enter “The Forge,” where they start each match by building a deck from a new set of cards, and then use that deck to duel other Forge participants. Aside from winning new cards, players will be able to round out their collections by purchasing new card packs or disenchanting some of their existing cards to craft the ones they’re missing.

With hundreds of cards to choose from, featuring a wide range of colorful Warcraft spells, weapons, and characters, players will have limitless possibilities for developing and fine-tuning their deck-building strategies.

Prepare yourself, brave champion, for in the coming weeks an eerie darkness will weave its way into the tavern, filling its patrons with a spine-tingling uneasiness—and everything will change.

Whispers of the Old Gods, the third expansion for Hearthstone, will unleash an ancient evil from deep within Azeroth, bringing with it 134 twisted, tentacle-packed cards—along with the legendary power of C’Thun, N’Zoth, Yogg-Saron, and Y’Shaarj.

Whispers of the Old Gods takes everything familiar in Hearthstone and turns it . . . inside out. Under the sway of the four Old Gods of Azeroth, familiar friends have been corrupted (and have sprouted a few extra eyeballs in the process), new monstrosities have appeared, and unrest spreads throughout the tavern with every turn. As the Old Gods and their crazed followers join you in battle, there’s no telling how much havoc you can wreak with their unique abilities and game-changing powers. By the same token, you’ll want to pay great attention to each play you make—for it could well be your last in the newest Hearthstone expansion.

Whispers of The Old Gods card packs will be winnable in Hearthstone’s Arena mode, and purchasable with in-game gold or real money at the same prices as Hearthstone’s other card packs. Starting next week, and up until the expansion is released, those brave enough to call forth this ancient and incredible power in battle can pre-purchase Whispers of the Old Gods card packs in a special 50-pack bundle, on any platform, for a one-time price of $49.99 (one purchase per account). Whoever does so and lives to tell about it will receive a unique themed card back.

Hearthstone’s Whispers of the Old Gods expansion will be available to purchase via the in-game shop on April 26 in the Americas and Europe regions (in Asia on April 27th), and pre-purchased card bundles can be opened on the official release of Whispers of the Old Gods as well.

 Key Features

• Collection Manager: Peruse your ever-expanding card collection and build a variety of custom decks to suit all kinds of strategies. If you’re new to deck-building, you can also get guided help here on how to fill out your deck for competitive play.
• Crafting: Disenchant those extra cards in your collection to receive arcane dust, the building block used to construct Hearthstone cards. You can then use this dust to craft the cards needed to complete one or more of your decks or your overall collection. 
• Friendly Duels: Want to challenge your buddy to a quick match (or just show off your shiny new cards)? Hearthstone is connected to Battle.net, so you’ll be able to fire up a game with a friend right from your friends list.
• Three Different Game Modes
  • Play Mode: Duel opponents online to boost your medal ranking and earn packs of cards. Whether you’re a grizzled veteran, curious newcomer, or fall somewhere in between, our matchmaking system will pit you against worthy competition.
  • The Forge: Put your skills to the test in this mode where deck-building is half the fun. You'll be presented with a series of card choices from which you must forge your deck, and then you’ll bring that deck into battle against other duelists. In addition to having a chance to win card packs as prizes if you duel well, all participants will keep the cards they selected for their Forge deck.
  • Practice Mode: Hone your skills and test out new deck ideas against basic or expert AI opponents, and unlock eight playable heroes in the process.