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.

Venture into the dark, winding dungeons deep beneath Azeroth in search of ancient, legendary treasures in the upcoming Hearthstone expansion, Kobolds & Catacombs.

Those daring enough to brave the hazards and monstrosities of this subterranean realm will have ample chance to stuff their bags with awe-inspiring treasures in the form of 135 wondrous new cards!

Pesky Kobolds have been tunneling beneath Azeroth for thousands of years, uncovering and hoarding artifacts long forgotten by mortals and surface dwellers . . . but whispers of these mighty treasures ripe for the taking have begun to spread throughout taverns far and wide. Some of the most alluring rumors speak of powerful Spellstones among the 135 cards included in Kobolds & Catacombs: enchanted items that you hold in your hand to empower before playing. Intrepid adventurers will also be able to arm themselves with one of nine new class-specific Legendary Weapons! Players will receive one free Legendary Weapon the first time they log in to Hearthstone after Kobolds & Catacombs has launched.

The bravest and most foolhardy adventurers will need all the help they can get as they delve into Hearthstone'sfree new single-player game mode: Dungeon Runs! Coming with the launch of Kobolds & Catacombs, Dungeon Runs will send Hearthstone players on challenging, high-stakes subterranean adventures inspired by the classic fantasy dungeon crawl. Players start with a novice deck from their class of choice and face a series of progressively stronger foes, randomly selected from a huge pool of unique bosses. As they progress, they'll bolster their decks with cards looted from defeated bosses, including some immensely powerful treasures exclusive to Dungeon Runs. Heroes should plunder with caution, however, because losing a single battle will spell the end of their Dungeon Run.

Coming this December to Windows and Mac PCs; Windows, iOS, and Android tablets; and mobile phones, Kobolds & Catacombs card packs will be winnable in Hearthstone's Arena mode and players can purchase them with in-game gold or real money at the same prices as Hearthstone's other card packs.

Starting today and up until the expansion is released, eager treasure seekers can pre-purchase Kobolds & Catacombs card packs in a special 50-pack bundle for a one-time price of $49.99 on Blizzard Battle.net and in Blizzard's game shop (one purchase per account) and receive the sparkling, jewel-encrusted "For the Hoard!" card back for free! Starting November 6, this pre-purchase offer will also be available in-app for iOS and Android players for 49.99 USD, and will reflect local pricing in Canada for 69.99 CAD.