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.

Hearthstone's Descent of Dragons expansion has set the stage for the final battle between Azeroth’s mightiest heroes and wickedest villains, as on January 21, players will take flight in Galakrond’s Awakening, the Solo Adventure that brings the Year of the Dragon to a close.

The story takes place across two campaigns: one where players fight as the League of E.V.I.L. to carry out the nefarious Archvillain Rafaam’s plot to resurrect Galakrond, the progenitor dragon; and another where they’ll lead the intrepid League of Explorers into battle against the bad guys to foil their plans and save the world.

Galakrond’s Awakening will be the culmination of the year-long narrative that took place throughout Hearthstone in 2019—the Year of the Dragon. Galakrond’s Awakening also marks a return to the game’s original Solo Adventure format, where players tackle a series of unique boss encounters with pre-built decks to earn 35 new collectible cards. Once earned, these cards can be added to Standard and Wild decks, adding fun new options to further shake up the meta game. Upon completing Story mode as the League of E.V.I.L. and League of Explorers, players will unlock Heroic mode, where they can take on harder versions of the encounters armed with their own decks, which can include any of the cards in their Collections.

“The Year of the Dragon has been a dynamic and exciting one for Hearthstone, with a series of meta-shifting expansions, an ambitious year-long story, and a rapid cadence of new features and updates that have fundamentally evolved the game,” said J. Allen Brack, president of Blizzard Entertainment. “Galakrond’s Awakening will bring the story we’ve been telling in the game all year to an epic and fitting conclusion, and we can’t wait to share it with everyone.”

Both League of E.V.I.L. and League of Explorers chapters in Galakrond’s Awakening will unlock on the following dates:

• Chapter 1 – January 21
• Chapter 2 – January 28
• Chapter 3 – February 4
• Chapter 4 – February 11

Each installment includes two chapters—one covering the League of E.V.I.L., and another covering the League of Explorers—for a grand total of eight chapters in this Adventure. Individual Installments will be available for $6.99 or 700 in-game gold, or as a complete bundle for $19.99 USD. The first installment, Battle of the Frozen Coast, will be available on January 21, and all players can experience the League of E.V.I.L.’s chapter completely free, along with the ability to earn four new cards for completing it.

For a limited time, players who pre-purchase the bundle will receive a Golden Classic Pack in addition to the full Adventure.