10/02/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/02/2026 11:08
The battle for ancient Azeroth is about to begin as the Old Gods clash with the Titan-forged in Reign of the Black Empire. Join us for community celebrations, the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl, and more as corruption spreads and madness follows in its wake.
The Old Gods' corruption is spreading everywhere, and its reach knows no bounds! Theorycrafting has been infused with their dark power, expanding from a single day into nearly a full week of early access content. Join your favorite creators as they experiment with new decks, discover powerful interactions, and put Reign of the Black Empire through its paces before launch.
The battle for the Black Empire isn't limited to Azeroth.
During Theorycrafting, Team Dev and Team Streamer will clash for glory, bragging rights, and rewards. Every five victories earned by Team Streamer will unlock surprise rewards for randomly selected Theorycrafting participants to share with their communities, so every win counts.
To make sure more players can join the action, this year's Theorycrafting event spans multiple regions and multiple days. Participating creators will stream from their own channels throughout the event, while our developers enter the fray during the opening play session.
Check the schedule below to see when your favorite creators will be live, then tune in to watch new decks emerge, mind-bending combos take shape, and the first Reign of the Black Empire experiments unfold.
Drops enabled! Watch any stream in the Hearthstone category to earn rewards.
Note: Theorycrafting participants will stream on their own channels.
October 8 - 9
Who dares face the Old Gods? Rarran and DaneHearth do! Join them as they host a two-day gauntlet packed with custom rules, chaotic outcomes, and plenty of shenanigans. This isn't Theorycrafting, it's TheoryCORRUPTION.
Join Raven, Sottle, Edelweiss, and Lorinda as they return to guide you through the most exciting moments of Reign of the Black Empire Theorycrafting. Watch as players experiment with new decks, uncover mind-bending combos, and push the expansion's cards in directions nobody expected, not even our veteran casters. They'll also provide live play-by-play coverage of the Devs vs. Streamers rivalry, breaking down the action as it unfolds and keeping track of which side is pulling ahead with an on-stream score tracker.
Drops enabled! Watch any stream in the Hearthstone category during Theorycrafting to earn rewards.
Jump into Reign of the Black Empire early with our Pre-Release Tavern Brawl, now with an updated format!
* Please note these Reign of the Black Empire trial Common & Rare Cards are available to play for this event only and not permanently added to your collection. The cards can be obtained for your collection by opening Reign of the Black Empire packs.
All players will get one entry into the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl for free. After that, each entry will cost 2 Tavern Tickets, 300 Gold, or 400 Runestones. On each run, lock in a deck and play until you get either 6 wins or 3 losses and earn more new cards based on how well you do!
The Black Empire's influence is still spreading!
From October 13 at 10:00 a.m. PDT - October 17 at 10:00 a.m. PDT, participate in Hearthstone Community Days and celebrate the discoveries, decks, and Reign of the Black Empire. Tune into any participating Hearthstone stream to earn up to 3x Standard Packs and 2x Tavern Tickets just for watching.
The whispers are calling. Will you answer?
Tune in during Theorycrafting for an early look at some of the new features, events, and collectibles arriving in Patch 37.0.
The new Journal is your go-to destination for story content, events, Tavern Brawls, free rewards, and more. Get a first look at what awaits within its pages before it opens to everyone in Patch 37.0.
Get ready to celebrate 30 years of terror with a special Hearthstone crossover featuring Diablo himself. From an all-new in-game event to the return of a fan-favorite Tavern Brawl and themed rewards in the Shop, there's plenty of fire and brimstone on the horizon. Players exploring the new Journal may uncover an early glimpse of what's to come, with full details arriving soon.
The Old Gods are making their presence known throughout the Tavern, and collectors will soon be able to claim the Y'Shaarj Mythic Hero Skin, N'Zoth Pet, and C'Thun Signature Card. Plus, a new Old God Card Back featuring all four Old Gods can be earned through a special collector Achievement arriving in Patch 37.0. More details will be revealed in the Patch 37.0 notes.
Prepare for the coming war before Reign of the Black Empire unlocks on October 20. The Pre-Purchase Mega Bundle comes packed with 80 packs, 10 Golden packs, the Golden Legendary C'Thun, Eye of the Empire, and the Signature Legendary Drest'agath, making it easy to start experimenting with Old Gods decks right away. The bundle also includes 6 Tavern Tickets for entry into the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl.