Hearthstone: Reign of the Black Empire launches October 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The expansion returns to ancient Azeroth, when the Old Gods ruled the world and fought the Titan-forged armies sent to stop them.
The two main gameplay additions are new Old God cards and the Assemble keyword. Players can also open packs and try a special format during the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl from October 13 through October 20.
Reign of the Black Empire: quick facts
- Release date: October 20, 2026.
- Release time: 10:00 a.m. PT.
- Setting: the Black Empire at the height of the Old Gods' power.
- Old Gods: C'Thun, N'Zoth, Yogg-Saron and Y'Shaarj.
- New keyword: Assemble.
- Pre-release: October 13–20 through a special Tavern Brawl.
- Game platforms: Windows PC, macOS, iOS and Android.
When does Reign of the Black Empire release?
The expansion unlocks October 20 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Blizzard lists that exact hour on the official expansion page rather than giving only a general October window.
The time converts to 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the same day. Other regions can use the Pacific launch as the fixed reference, but Blizzard has not published a separate regional table on the page. A server or maintenance delay would require a new official update.
Pack opening starts earlier for pre-release participants. Those packs remain tied to the Tavern Brawl until the full expansion unlocks.
What is the Black Empire setting?
The set takes place before the Old Gods were imprisoned and before modern Azeroth existed. Its central conflict is the war between the four Old Gods and the Titan-forged forces created to oppose them.
That period lets Hearthstone use C'Thun, N'Zoth, Yogg-Saron and Y'Shaarj at the height of their power. The official page treats them as active rulers of the world rather than returning villains from a later Warcraft era.
The cinematic trailer shows the conflict but does not explain card rules. The mechanics come from Blizzard's written expansion page and gameplay demonstrations.
How do the four Old Gods work?
Each Old God is a Legendary Neutral card, and a deck may include only one of them. C'Thun, Eye of the Empire; N'Zoth, Dream's End; Mastermind Yogg-Saron; and Y'Shaarj, Titan Bane each have four unique powers.
Instead of attacking, an Old God can invoke two of its powers in a turn. Each power can be used only once per game. After all four are spent, the Old God can attack normally.
Their deck plans are different. C'Thun rewards completing objectives, N'Zoth uses Deathrattle setups, Yogg-Saron can produce major control effects, and Y'Shaarj supports decks built around large minions.
How does the Assemble keyword work?
Assemble adds a minion to your hand and replaces part of its card text. The replacement comes from another minion selected from a curated pool.
The player is not writing custom text or combining any two cards in the collection. The game presents controlled choices, and the selected text becomes part of the assembled minion. The result can change how the card fits a deck without changing its entire identity.
The important decision is which effect to keep. Cost, stats, timing and the available replacement pool will determine whether a combination is useful in a specific match.
Which Reign of the Black Empire cards are free?
M.O.T.H.E.R. is available as a free Legendary card for logging in. Three more cards are planned as free rewards through Patch 36.6 events.
Those event rewards are Arrival of the Old Gods, Arrival of the Titans and Dark Terraforming. Blizzard has not yet placed the full event schedule on the expansion page, so the exact tasks and deadlines still need the Patch 36.6 notes.
The four promotions are separate from pre-purchase bundles. Players do not need to treat a paid bundle as the only way to begin collecting cards from the set.
How does the October 13 pre-release work?
The Pre-Release Tavern Brawl runs from October 13 until the October 20 launch. It begins with Patch 37.0 and lets players open accumulated Reign of the Black Empire packs before the full release.
The format uses only cards from the new expansion. Common and Rare cards are available as temporary trial cards inside the event, and players choose from predefined multi-class combinations before building a deck. One option combines two classes and emphasizes C'Thun.
Every player receives one free entry. Additional entries cost two Tavern Tickets, 300 Gold or 400 Runestones. The trial cards stop working when the expansion unlocks.
Is the Monk class part of this expansion?
No. Monk is scheduled for March 2027, several months after Reign of the Black Empire. Blizzard announced both during BlizzCon, but it did not place the new class inside the October set.
The current Monk announcement does not include a Hero Power, class keyword or starting card list. Read the separate Hearthstone Monk guide to the March 2027 reveal for the confirmed window and remaining questions.
What is Hearthstone?
Hearthstone is Blizzard's free-to-play digital strategy card game. Traditional mode uses decks built around Warcraft classes and Hero Powers, while Battlegrounds is an eight-player mode that does not require a personal card collection.
The game launched on March 11, 2014 and now supports Windows PC, macOS, iOS and Android. A Battle.net account provides cross-progression between supported computers, phones and tablets.
The Hearthstone game page collects the platforms, modes, trailer, screenshots and related release coverage.
Reign of the Black Empire FAQ
What is the Reign of the Black Empire release date?
Reign of the Black Empire launches October 20, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT.
What does Assemble do in Hearthstone?
Assemble adds a minion to your hand, then lets you replace part of that card's text with text from another minion in a curated pool.
Does Reign of the Black Empire include Monk?
No. Monk is a separate permanent class addition scheduled for March 2027. Blizzard has not announced the exact day or full class mechanics.
