World of Warcraft's Cataclysm Expansion is Coming to Hearthstone

Hearthstone is set to receive a brand-new expansion based on World of Warcraft‘s iconic Cataclysm storyline. Blizzard’s popular card battler set in the Warcraft universe is approaching its 12th anniversary, and to celebrate, Hearthstone has some big things in store for the coming year. Not only is Hearthstone: Cataclysm set to be a major expansion complete with new gameplay features and mechanics, but the inclusion of a free card trial for two full Hearthstone sets means it’s never been a better time to jump into the game.

Over the past 12 years, Hearthstone has released dozens of expansions that have revamped the game in a variety of ways. In 2025 alone, Hearthstone saw the release of content like the Heroes of Starcraft mini-set, Into the Emerald Dream, The Lost City of Un’Goro, and Across the Timeways. Now, Hearthstone: Cataclysm will kick off a new era for the game in 2026, heralding some major changes that will appeal to both veterans and newcomers alike.

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Hearthstone: Cataclysm Brings the Game into a New Era on March 17

Deathwing the Destroyer World of Warcraft Cataclysm

Announced as a part of the Hearthstone Spotlight Event 2026, Blizzard unveiled the first look at the Cataclysm expansion coming to Hearthstone on March 17. Inspired by the 2010 World of Warcraft expansion of the same name, Hearthstone: Cataclysm will feature iconic characters from this storyline with a new twist. In Hearthstone‘s version of Cataclysm, Murozond brings an alternate version of Deathwing that succeeded in bringing about the Hour of Twilight in Azeroth into the world of Hearthstone.

To fight back against this new threat, Chromie must travel through time to recruit heroes from across Hearthstone‘s history. Together with the Dragonflights, the Heroes of Time will need to join forces to save this reality from being destroyed by Deathwing’s onslaught, and Hearthstone players will be able to help by collecting new cards and participating in limited-time events.

Features Coming to Hearthstone: Cataclysm

Return of Colossals
New Keywords: Herald and Shatter
Triumphs and Last Stands Spell Cards
New visuals, music, and game boards
Free card trials for Into the Emerald Dream and The Lost City of Un’Goro

With Deathwing joining the roster of Hearthstone cards in the Cataclysm expansion, it’s only fitting that Colossals return to the game as well. Colossal cards are minions that have multiple appendages that take up individual minion spots on the game board, and were first introduced with the Voyage to the Sunken City expansion back in 2022. Hearthstone: Cataclysm is bringing these minions back with new characters like Chromatus and Ragnaros for players to collect.

In addition to the return of Colossal minions, Hearthstone: Cataclysm is introducing several new gameplay mechanics as well, including the “Herald” and “Shatter” keywords. Herald can only be found on Deathwing-aligned cards and has the ability to buff Deathwing and his Lieutenants the more times the player uses cards with Herald. Shatter, on the other hand, can only be found on cards aligned with the Dragonflights and has the ability to split a card into two when drawn, giving players the choice to either play them separately or re-combine them for double the power.

New class spell cards are also coming in Hearthstone: Cataclysm, with Triumphs and Last Stands featuring each class’s Hero of Time. Each one of these spells depicts the hero either victorious (Triumph) or making a final stand against Deathwing’s army (Last Stand).

New Hearthstone players are getting access to two entire sets during the Free Card Trials event that runs concurrently to Cataclysm. This free trial gives players access to every card from the Into the Emerald Dream and The Lost City of Un’Goro sets for the duration of the Cataclysm expansion cycle. Between these trials, the Core Set update for Hearthstone, and other in-game events, players will basically have access to two-thirds of the entire available library of standard cards for free when Cataclysm drops.

Hearthstone players who already own the majority of Into the Emerald Dream or Lost City of Un’Goro cards will receive a signature Ysera, Emerald Aspect, and/or Endbringer Umbra, respectively.