Blizzard 35's Hearthstone Spotlight is finally here and we've got an expansion announcement for the first set of 2026's Year of the Scarab. Welcome to Hearthstone: Cataclysm.

Blizzard has been teasing us a little bit over the past few days, some players have been speculating that we could see Deathwing back, and now the floodgates are open. Hearthstone's new set brings in Deathwing and the Cataclysm to Azeroth's Taverns on March 17, 2026, with Trial Cards arriving one week earlier.

The hourglass of time was shattered in the previous expansion and now we are traveling to a different timeline where Deathwing WAS successful during the Cataclysm.

New Cards

We know everyone is excited the most about new cards, so here they are! You'll want to continue reading though to learn more about these cards - you likely have questions.

Log in to Hearthstone to receive the Legendary Warmaster Blackthorn card, ready to play with immediately.

Cataclysm Cinematic Trailer

Colossals Return

All classes are getting a brand new Legendary Colossal card in Cataclysm. The new Herald keyword is tied to Deathwing's arrival, so only the six classes aligned with him reap its benefits: Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Rogue, Shaman, Warlock, and Warrior.

Here's the first new colossal card reveal for Warrior featuring Ragnaros.

The remaining 5 classes will also see their own Legendary Colossal minions, here's the Paladin one.

Meet Deathwing Worldbreaker

Deathwing is a neutral hero card which unleashes your own Cataclysm.

Herald - New Keyword

The Herald keyword reflects Deathwing's rising strength and the escalating danger that builds over the course of a game.

• Herald delivers instant value by summoning a Colossal Soldier and keeps scaling in strength throughout the game.
• Playing a Herald minion summons a Soldier that has the same ability as your class Colossal's appendages.
• Each Herald use upgrades both the Soldier and your Colossal’s appendages. Herald twice to double their power, four times to double it a final time.
• Herald also empowers Deathwing, Worldbreaker, increasing the number of Cataclysms he unleashes when played. Herald twice to play two Cataclysms, four times to use all four.

Shatter - New Keyword

Deathwing’s destruction is spreading across Azeroth, and our heroes are doing their best to pick up the pieces. Enter Shatter, a new keyword for the dragonflight-aligned classes. When you draw a card with Shatter, it breaks into two pieces that move to opposite ends of your hand. You can play the pieces separately, but if you manage to bring them back together by playing the cards in between, they recombine into a single card that’s doubly strong.

Hand Targeting Cards

You can now target specific cards in your hand with new cards like Battlefield Blaster and Chamber of Aspects.

Introducing Class Sets

Instead of doing the typical mini-set between expansion launches, the Hearthstone team is instead going to be releasing Class Sets.

Instead of adding a couple of cards for each class in a mini-set, they will give a few classes many additional cards at "key points" during the year. No plans were shared on exactly when these would launch nor did they state which classes would get first dibs.

Cataclysm Game Board

What's Next for Hearthstone Expansions?

After Cataclysm, we can expect 2026's second expansion to feature Vanessa VanCleef making a jailbreak from the Violet Hold. The third expansion is not being teased yet, but we will learn more about it at this year's BlizzCon.

Rally Point Online Event

From February 9 - March 17, visit our CATACLYSM Rally Point page to take part in the Hearthstone community’s effort to prepare for Deathwing’s attack. Help rally the dragonflights by signing up for our email list, claiming drops on Hearthstone streams, and interacting with Hearthstone content across our social media channels. Help the community unlock all the dragonflights to earn a free Legendary Ebyssian and two Signature copies of Envoy of the End!

That's a wrap for Hearthstone Cataclysm's Announcement. Who is excited?