Zeriyah

Mr. Bigglesworth, did you hear that? There appears to be a small commotion outside. . . .

Meow?

Intruders everywhere! Who left the door open?! A curse upon you, interlopers! Rouse my undead army!  Bring me my most imposing hat! Things are about to get interesting—now, where did I put my cards. . . .

Meow?

THANK YOU, MR. BIGGLESWORTH! Who’s a good kitty? Ahem, now prepare to face the minions of the great arch-lich Kel’thuzad . . . and witness powers beyond your imagining!

The first wing of Curse of Naxxramas™: A Hearthstone™ Adventure has opened! We know you’re just dying to test your deck against the malevolent undead who roam Azeroth’s most infamous floating necropolis and we have some great news to share. The Arachnid Quarter is now available for free to all Hearthstone players who step into the necropolis during the Curse of Naxxramas launch event, taking place now through early September (we’ll announce the exact end date as it gets closer).

For more information on the Arachnid Quarter’s skittering surprises, click here!

Access to additional wings may be purchased using in-game gold or real world currency. After the Arachnid Quarter, the next four wings can be purchased for 700 gold per wing or $6.99 per wing. Players can earn the in-game gold needed to unlock the next wing by completing various quests or emerging victorious from the Arena—or they can choose to unlock the next available Naxxramas wing using real money.

Curse of Naxxramas bundle packages are also available! With bundle packages, you can unlock any remaining wings you may have at a discounted real-money price.Purchasing Curse of Naxxramas wings in bundles ensures that you’ll be able to dive into the next challenges as soon as they unlock! Check out the bundle prices in the image below!

The undead horrors of Naxxramas await. . . . Enjoy the adventure!

Check out the new Curse of Naxxramas page here!

Are you prepared to face the horrors lurking within the dread necropolis Naxxramas? Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure is just about ready to open its gates to the world. There’s a whole host of undead monsters inhabiting the halls of Naxxramas, ready and waiting to defend their lair against Hearthstone’s heroes. If you . . . somehow . . . manage to defeat them, you’ll be rewarded with ghastly new cards for your Hearthstone collection!

Curse of Naxxramas goes live in the Americas region for Windows^®, Mac^®, and iPad^® on Tuesday, July 22, starting with the Arachnid Quarter, the first of five creepy wings that will be released weekly after the gates are opened. The Arachnid Quarter will be free to play during the Curse of Naxxramas launch event, which will last roughly a month. Those brave enough to step foot into the Arachnid Quarter during the launch event will unlock it permanently for free. Check out our recent blog for further details on how to access the Arachnid Quarter and the subsequent wings of Naxxramas.

Polish up your decks, card-slingers—we’ll see you inside the necropolis soon!

For release information regarding the European region, please go here.

Whether they’ve worked their way up the Ranked Play ladder to become a top 16 Legend or won a seed through a community tournament, the players included in the list below have qualified to participate in a Hearthstone Championship Qualifier Tournament. This list is up to date as of July 16th, 2014 and will be updated as new players qualify. The Hearthstone World Championship $250,000 prize pool awaits!

For more information on how points are calculated, please see the official rules.

The list of qualified players for the European region can be found here.

For more information on community tournaments that award seeds to a Hearthstone Championship Qualifier Tournament, click here.

For more information on the Hearthstone World Championship, click here.

Whether they’ve worked their way up the Ranked Play ladder to become a top 16 Legend or won a seed through a community tournament, the players included in the list below have qualified to participate in a Hearthstone Championship Qualifier Tournament. This list is up to date as of July 16th, 2014 and will be updated as new players qualify. The Hearthstone World Championship $250,000 prize pool awaits!

For more information on how points are calculated, please see the official rules.

The list of qualified players for the European region can be found here.

For more information on community tournaments that award seeds to a Hearthstone Championship Qualifier Tournament, click here.

For more information on the Hearthstone World Championship, click here.

We’re skimming the slime pools, stitching together our finest Abominations, and preparing the Necropolis for an Adventure you’ll never forget—Curse of Naxxramas is coming, and we know you’re just dying to get in and play! In today’s blog, we’ll discuss the details on how you’ll access Curse of Naxxramas, and unveil the Naxxramas Heroic Mode. 

Your All Naxx-cess Pass

Naxxramas is a floating necropolis, home to a host of undead bosses ready to challenge worthy opponents eager to test their card-slinging mettle. To undertake the challenges that lie within each of the five wings of the Adventure, one must first gain access to their secrets. But don’t worry too much about the price of entry—much to Thaddius’ chagrin, it won’t cost you an arm OR a leg.

Naxxramas will open its gates one wing at a time, with a new wing opening each week. The wings of Naxxramas will open in the following order: Arachnid Quarter, Plague Quarter, Military Quarter, Construct Quarter, and Frostwyrm Lair.

Players who begin their adventures in Naxxramas during the launch event will gain free access to the first wing: the Arachnid Quarter. The launch event will last roughly a month or so, meaning you’ll have plenty of time to get your foot in the door—we’ll have more details to share about that later on. The web-choked corridors of the Arachnid Quarter are home to the bosses Anub’Rekhan, Grand Widow Faerlina, and Maexxna. Defeating these bosses will add new cards to your collection and give you a taste of the dangers that await you deeper inside Naxxramas.

After the Arachnid Quarter, the next four wings can be purchased for 700 gold per wing or $6.99 USD per wing. Players can earn the in-game gold needed to unlock the next wing of Naxxramas by completing various quests or emerging victorious from the Arena, or they can choose to unlock the next available Naxxramas wing using real money.

If you’re looking to swing open multiple gates at once, Curse of Naxxramas bundle packages are also available. Spiders are just so good at making things into neat little bundles. . . .

Keep in mind that purchasing Curse of Naxxramas wings in bundles does not open or grant access to those wings faster than the one-wing-a-week schedule, but it does ensure that you’ll be able to dive into the next challenges as soon as they unlock.

If you play Naxxramas during the launch event and decide to purchase the remaining wings with real money, you’ll only have to purchase the 4-Wing bundle to access the remaining wings once they become accessible.

If you unlock additional wings with gold and wish to purchase a wing bundle at a later time with real money to unlock any remaining wings, you can still take advantage of the bundle pricing. For example, if you enter the Arachnid Quarter during the launch event and unlock it for free, then purchase the second wing with gold, the remaining three wings can be purchased with real money at the 3-wing bundle price listed above.

Remember to enter the Necropolis during the launch event so you don’t miss out on all the creepy crawly fun that awaits you in the Arachnid Quarter—for free! 

Heroic Mode

Once you’ve defeated all of the bosses within any given wing for the first time, you’ll unlock the Heroic mode of that wing. Heroic mode bosses are significantly more difficult than their normal versions, and they will prove to be a challenge for even the most veteran Hearthstone players. Defeating all of the bosses in Naxxramas on Heroic mode will unlock a new card back for your collection.

The undead horrors of Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure are dying to meet you. We hope to see you creeping through the necropolis with your own “All Naxx-cess Pass” soon! 

One of the most iconic raid dungeons in World of Warcraft, the floating citadel known as Naxxramas, will soon make its debut in Hearthstone with Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure. Today, we’re going to take a look into the history of Naxxramas for those of you who are unfamiliar with the undead terrors that lurk inside the necropolis’ creepy corridors.

Kel’Thuzad: A Thirst for Power

High above the bitter cold of Dragonblight in the continent of Northrend, the ancient Nerubian necropolis known as Naxxramas looms in the skies, casting a dark shadow on the barren tundra that lies beneath it. Safe from most terrors that may threaten it, Naxxramas is an effective holding ground for a host of undead horrors, ready to strengthen the influence and reach of the undead Scourge at a moment’s notice.

The archlich known as Kel’Thuzad sits at the seat of power within Naxxramas, coordinating the normally mindless Scourge into a fighting force for the Lich King. In his mortal days, Kel’Thuzad was once a powerful human mage and high-ranking member of the Kirin Tor, working under the great Archmage Antonidas, leader of the Kirin Tor at the time. The Kirin Tor had a wealth of secrets and knowledge at their disposal, and Kel’Thuzad spent countless hours devouring every bit of knowledge he could get his hands on—even the darkest and most unthinkable of arcane arts, such as necromancy. He became increasingly more reclusive and shunned by his peers the further he delved into forbidden magic.

The Lich King sought out Azeroth’s most powerful and ambitious individuals to bend to his will, sending out a mental summons to those he thought could easily be swayed by the promise of power. Kel’Thuzad was the first to answer the Lich King’s call. He saw the power the Lich King held over the undead and desired such power for his own, so he offered his services as a mage to the Lich King in whatever manner he desired. After a long, tortured journey to the frozen wastes of Northrend, Kel’Thuzad knelt at the feet of the Lich King and offered him not just his loyalty, but his soul as well.

“As my lieutenant, you will gain knowledge and magic to surpass your most ambitious dreams. But in return, living or dead, you will serve me for the rest of your days. If you betray me, I shall make you into one of my mindless ones, and you will serve me still.”

The Lich King’s words were both a threat and a promise. Kel’Thuzad would become his lieutenant, carrying out the Lich King’s whims, but in return he would gain power beyond his wildest dreams. Kel’Thuzad accepted these terms . . .  as if he had much of a choice in the matter.

Inside the Necropolis

The lich Kel’Thuzad uses Naxxramas as a base of operations for the undead Scourge, separating the citadel into four specialized quarters to train his minions:

The Arachnid Quarter

The Arachnid Quarter houses undead nerubians, an ancient race of intelligent arachnoid beings. Normally highly reclusive and suspicious of outsiders, living nerubians fought valiantly against the undead Scourge, but were overwhelmed by their numbers. While living nerubians were immune to the undead plague, nothing could prevent the Lich King from bringing back the fallen to join the Scourge in undeath. 

One of the minions raised by the Lich King was the Crypt Lord Anub’Rekhan. In life, he was one of the nerubians’ most powerful lords. Now, he guards the doors of the Arachnid Quarter that house . . .

 . . . Grand Widow Faerlina. Once one of the high-ranking members of the Cult of the Damned under Kel’Thuzad, in death she breeds and takes care of the seemingly endless amount of arachnids that swarm from the depths of the citadel. A master of poisons, she has a keen understanding of what makes mortals suffer. The poisons she concocts comes from the spiderlings produced by . . .

 . . . Maexxna, a massive spider taken from the depths of Northrend. She feasts on those foolish enough to enter the necropolis, producing spider after spider that Kel’Thuzad uses to his own foul ends.

The Plague Quarter

Rife with monstrosities twisted by the undead plague, the Plague Quarter produces and refines the plague into highly efficient weapons, bent on destroying all of humanity as a part of Kel’Thuzad’s undead army.

Noth the Plaguebringer was once a reputable mage of Dalaran, who heard the call of the Lich King in much the same way Kel’Thuzad did. Also driven by power, he accepted the summons to serve the needs of the Scourge with his skills in necromancy and curse-weaving. However, when Noth saw that the Third War was taking numerous innocent lives, he began second guessing his decision to join Kel’Thuzad. Kel’Thuzad swiftly dealt with Noth’s growing compassion by freezing the living heart in Noth’s chest.

Heigan the Unclean was the mastermind behind the magic of the cauldrons that quickly spread the undead plague through Lordaeron, corrupting not just the humans, but the flora and fauna in the area as well. The entire wilderness surrounding Lordaeron is now referred to as “the Plaguelands”—thanks in no small part to Heigan’s handiwork.

A prime example of how the plague manifested in the local flora and fauna is the twisted fen creeper Loatheb. In a twisted mockery of the plant kingdom’s natural ability to regenerate, Loatheb can summon deadly spores that quickly spread a sickening miasma that turns magical healing arts against those who wield them.

The Military Quarter

Many of the humans and their loyal mounts who were once soldiers in Lordaeron’s army now find their martial talents put to use in Naxxramas’s Military Quarter. Here, in service to Kel’Thuzad and the Lich King, they hone their skills far past what they could have accomplished in life. Leaders, trainers, and military coordinators—all use their talents to coordinate the Scourge into a powerful fighting force rather than a mindless horde. Many Death Knights begin their training within this quarter under the direction of its powerful lieutenants.

Instructor Razuvious is the trainer of the Death Knights, the fiercest and most loyal of the Lich King’s servants. His strikes are sure and deadly, and it is rumored that only students under his tutelage can withstand even a single blow of his deadly runeblade.

Gothik the Harvester, master of necromancy, teaches young Death Knights the power of summoning the undead to their aid. Even the most novice Death Knight can call the lifeless from their graves, thanks to Gothik’s dark and sinister techniques. Ghosts, ghouls, skeletons—none are safe from Gothik’s influence.

Kel’Thuzad’s royal guard can be found in the Four Horsemen, each with their own twisted powers at their disposal: Lady Blameaux is a master of the shadow, able to drain the essence of life from those she encounters; Thane Korth’azz controls the destructive power of fire, and can even call forth fiery meteors from the skies; Sir Zeliek was once a paladin, so powerful in life that he can still wield the Light in death; and Baron Rivendare, once a friend of Kel’Thuzad, now continues to serve his old comrade in death with his corrupting powers and skeletal Deathcharger.

The Construct Quarter

The Construct Quarter houses various nightmarish abominations stitched together from the once-living. A steady stream of toxic slime flows through this wing of Naxxramas; though it doesn’t pose a threat to the undead constructs that shamble about within, the viscous ooze is deadly to those who still enjoy doing things like breathing and having a pulse.

Patchwerk is one of Kel’Thuzad’s most powerful abominations—his strength and speed come as a shock to those that may face him in combat. Far from a sluggish, mindless undead, Patchwerk uses his immense power to pulverize any tiny meat thing that may face him with a flurry of potent, powerful attacks. He just wants to play!

Grobbulus lurks deeper in the Construct Quarter, carrying the same ooze that flows through Naxxramas within its hulking form. Grobbulus is a flesh giant, the first successful one of its kind, created to build a formidable army capable of quickly spreading the undead plague. One of Grobbulus’ limbs has been replaced with a syringe, which it uses to inject the plague slime of Naxxramas into its enemies.

The undead plague-dog Gluth sits obediently within Naxxramas, awaiting orders from his masters. No doggie biscuit can satisfy Gluth’s ravenous hunger. It is rumored that Gluth can easily devour an army of undead on a daily basis, which Gluth uses to knit his own decaying flesh back together.

The final hulking horror that stands within the Construct Quarter is Thaddius. Pieced together from the flesh of the innocent, this massive abomination dwells in one of Naxxramas’ experimental laboratories, flanked by two huge wights—Stalagg and Feugen. Powerful bolts of electricity arc through the laboratory, supercharging Thaddius and his wight minions.

Frostwyrm Lair

At the pinnacle of Naxxramas awaits Kel’Thuzad himself, who is protected by the ancient skeletal frost wyrm Sapphiron. 

Once one of Malygos’ blue dragonflight, Sapphiron was slain by Arthas Menethil and raised from the dead to guard Kel’Thuzad for all of eternity. Like many of the blue dragonflight, Sapphiron had immense magical power, which was only magnified by the fact that the Lich King personally resurrected him to serve the Scourge. The chill of frost is at his command, and he uses his magic to defend Kel’Thuzad at all costs. 

The true mastermind behind the secrets of the necropolis (just kidding—he’s just a cat!), Mr. Bigglesworth is said to be the last thing connecting Kel’Thuzad to his once mortal life. Meow!

Are you ready to face the terrors of Naxxramas in some epic card-slinging Hearthstone strategy? The wretched champions of the Scourge and their minions await your challenge in Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure, coming soon!

The fourth official Hearthstone Ranked Play Season is now live! Best of all, we’re unveiling a new card back you can add to your collection!

Protect yourself against the swarms of undead by shambling your way up the Ranked Play ladder and earn the mildly cursed* Naxxramas card back! You will only be able to earn this card during the month of July.

These card backs replace the art decorating the reverse side of your cards and are a great way to show off your Hearthstone accomplishments. Add the Naxxramas card back to your collection by hitting Rank 20 in Ranked Play mode. The Naxxramas card back will be awarded to you at the end of July’s Ranked Play Season.

Don’t forget—the further you move up the Ranked Play ladder, the more bonus stars you’ll receive next season. In Ranked Play, you’ll receive bonus stars based on your performance from the previous season —one bonus star per rank you attained. Please note that even if bonus stars from the previous season get you directly to Rank 20 or above, you still have to log in at least once each Ranked Season to qualify for the card back reward!

If the living-impaired aren’t proving to be a challenge, then hone your heroic efforts in on the biggest prize of them all – the $250,000 prize pool at the Hearthstone World Championship! The top 16 players from Ranked Play Season 4 will qualify to participate in a Hearthstone Championship Qualifier Tournament. Click here for more info on the Hearthstone World Championship.

Battle your way up the Ranked Play ladder with our fourth official Ranked Play Season, running through the month of July!

*Curses inflicted may vary in potency and duration. Please remit all complaints about inflicted curses to the Warlock department. 

Ranked Play Season 3: Colors of the Rainbow! is coming to a close at the end of the month, and with it your chances of acquiring the Rainbow! card back for your collection. The Rainbow! card back will only be available during Ranked Play Season 3, so be sure to hit Rank 20 before July 1st in order to qualify and don’t miss out! Reach Rank 20 or better and the card back will be awarded to you at the end of the season.

A $250,000 prize pool awaits at the Hearthstone World Championship: Are you game? The top 16 Legend players from Ranked Play Season 3 will qualify to participate at a Championship Qualifier Tournament! For more information on the Hearthstone World Championship, click here.

Ranked Play Season 4—and a new card back along with it—await you in July!

Ranked Play Season 2: Brave the Black Temple is coming to a close at the end of the month, and with it your chances of acquiring the Black Temple card back for your collection. The Black Temple card back will only be available during Ranked Play Season 2, so be sure to hit Rank 20 before June 1 in order to qualify and don’t miss out! Reach Rank 20 or better and the card back will be awarded to you at the end of the season.

If you play well and become a top 16 Legend player in each Ranked Play season, you may find yourself on your way to becoming a Hearthstone World Champion! We announced how you can qualify to participate in the Regional Qualifier Tournaments, along with the $250,000 Prize Pool at the Hearthstone World Championship here, so check out that link if you are looking for more information.

Ranked Play Season 3—and a new card back along with it—await you in June!

The Hearthstone Propaganda Poster contests were a huge success—many talented artists submitted their best digital artwork to us for a chance at winning an iPad Air®. We’ve reviewed all the entries, and the finalists were chosen by our very own Hearthstone developers. Ultimately, it was you who voted on your favorite entries and chose the top three contest winners. Raise your mugs and salute the winners of the Hearthstone Propaganda Poster contests!

United States and Canada

Ava Sawicka (Neareida) -- Wai Kin Lo (Kin Gor) -- Garrick Gilmore 

Europe

Alexandra Forman -- Adrien Chenet -- Marcos Raya Delgado

We’d like to thank everyone who submitted artwork for the contest—the creativity and talent in the Hearthstone community never ceases to amaze! 

In case you missed it, check out the other finalists for the Hearthstone Poster Contest here! 

The third official Hearthstone Ranked Play Season is now live! Best of all, we’re unveiling a new card back you can add to your collection!

Partake in some merry battles up the Ranked Play ladder to earn the joyful Rainbow! card back. You will only be able to earn this card during the month of June.

These card backs replace the art decorating the reverse side of your cards and are a great way to show off your Hearthstone accomplishments. Add the Rainbow! card back to your collection by hitting Rank 20 in Ranked Play mode. The Rainbow! card back will be awarded to you at the end of June’s Ranked Play Season.

Don’t forget—the further you move up the Ranked Play ladder, the more bonus stars you’ll receive next season. In Ranked Play, you’ll receive bonus stars based on your performance from the previous season —one bonus star per rank you attained. Please note that even if bonus stars from the previous season get you directly to Rank 20 or above, you still have to log in at least once each Ranked Season to qualify for the card back reward!

If you’re looking for a challenge, aim for the real pot of gold at the end of the rainbow – the $250,000 prize pool at the Hearthstone World Championship at BlizzCon 2014! Click here for more info on the Hearthstone Regional Qualifiers and here for the details on the Hearthstone World Championship.

Craft a deck, take a seat in the tavern, and admire all the Colors of the Rainbow! with our third official  Ranked Play Season, running through the month of June!

Whether they’ve worked their way up the Ranked Play ladder to become a top 16 Legend or won a seed through a community tournament, the players included in the list below have qualified to participate in a Hearthstone Championship Qualifier Tournament. This list is up to date as of June 19th, 2014 and will be updated as new players qualify. The Hearthstone World Championship $250,000 prize pool awaits!

For more information on how points are calculated, please see the official rules.

The list of qualified players for the European region can be found here.

For more information on community tournaments that award seeds to a Hearthstone Championship Qualifier Tournament, click here.

For more information on the Hearthstone World Championship, click here. 

The Hearthstone World Championship table has seats reserved for the best players in the world. Read the details and full rules for our Hearthstone Americas Qualifier Tournament here.

The Hearthstone World Championship will bring together some of Hearthstone’s best players from around the world for a climactic showdown at BlizzCon 2014! The Hearthstone World Championship will offer a total prize pool of $250,000, with the first place winner receiving a whopping $100,000!

Before that happens, there will be some friendly competition that will ultimately decide who will qualify to attend the Hearthstone World Championship with our Americas Qualifier Tournament. We’re ready to share the details of this tournament with you today!

How can I qualify for the Americas Qualifier Tournament?

There are a few ways to qualify. A total of 130 players will be participating in the Americas Qualifier Tournament:

• Be a top 16 Legend player from Ranked Play in April, May, June, July, or August.
• Top players from select community tournaments between April and August will be invited to participate in the Americas Qualifier Tournament. We will highlight those tournaments as well as how many qualifier spots are available in that tournament.
• A Last Call Tournament will be held before the Americas Qualifier Tournament to determine any remaining qualifier spots, up to 130 participants. Players must be a resident of the countries noted below and must have achieved Legend rank on the Americas Ranked Play ladder at least one time between April and August. Players residing in these countries are eligible to participate in the Last Call Tournament for the Americas region: United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Chile.
• Players cannot compete in multiple Qualifier Tournaments. If a player qualifies for multiple, they must choose one to compete in.

What can I expect at the Americas Qualifier Tournament?

The Americas Qualifier Tournament will have a total of 130 players and takes place in two phases. These 130 players will be matched against each other based on their cumulative placements in the Americas Ranked Play Rankings from April to August. The top 2 players with the highest cumulative placements will immediately advance to Phase 2 of the Tournament. Play your best each season!

All matches will follow a best of five “Last Hero Standing” format. Each player will bring three different decks to each match. If a deck is defeated during a game of the match, that player must change to a different deck for the next game of the match.

Phase 1 of the tournament will consist of “The Constructed Arena Phase.”

• Players will be matched against each other in a Swiss format based on their initial seeding.
• If a player loses three matches (not games) in Phase 1, that player will be eliminated from the tournament.
• If a player ends a round of the Swiss format tournament with a +5 match record, that player will advance to Phase 2. (Match records are determined as Wins minus Losses. 5-0, 6-1, or 7-2 records are all considered +5 match records.)

Phase 2 of the tournament is the “Final Qualifying Round.”

• In Phase 2 of the tournament, only 16 players will remain from the initial 130 participants.
• Players will be randomly seeded into four tournament groups of four.
• The top two players from each group are placed in an eight-player single elimination bracket.

The top four players will advance to the Hearthstone World Championships at BlizzCon 2014!

Hearthstone Qualifier Tournament Comprehensive Rules

Keep in mind that not all countries are eligible to participate in the Hearthstone World Championship or the Qualifier Tournaments. Please refer to the comprehensive rules below for a list of eligible countries.

For the comprehensive Americas Qualifier Tournament rules please go here.

For the European Qualifier Tournament rules please go here.

For the Taiwan Qualifier Tournament rules please go here. 

We’ll see you at the Americas Qualifier Tournament table. A seat is waiting for you!

The Hearthstone World Championship table has seats reserved for the best players in the world. Read the details and full rules for our Hearthstone Americas Qualifier Tournament here.

The Hearthstone World Championship will bring together some of Hearthstone’s best players from around the world for a climactic showdown at BlizzCon 2014! The Hearthstone World Championship will offer a total prize pool of $250,000, with the first place winner receiving a whopping $100,000!

Before that happens, there will be some friendly competition that will ultimately decide who will qualify to attend the Hearthstone World Championship with our Americas Qualifier Tournament. We’re ready to share the details of this tournament with you today!

How can I qualify for the Americas Qualifier Tournament?

There are a few ways to qualify. A total of 130 players will be participating in the Americas Qualifier Tournament:

• Be a top 16 Legend player from Ranked Play in April, May, June, July, or August.
• Top players from select community tournaments between April and August will be invited to participate in the Americas Qualifier Tournament. We will highlight those tournaments as well as how many qualifier spots are available in that tournament.
• A Last Call Tournament will be held before the Americas Qualifier Tournament to determine any remaining qualifier spots, up to 130 participants. Players must be a resident of the countries noted below and must have achieved Legend rank on the Americas Ranked Play ladder at least one time between April and August. Players residing in these countries are eligible to participate in the Last Call Tournament for the Americas region: United States, Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Argentina, Brazil, Columbia, Costa Rica, and Chile.
• Players cannot compete in multiple Qualifier Tournaments. If a player qualifies for multiple, they must choose one to compete in.

What can I expect at the Americas Qualifier Tournament?

The Americas Qualifier Tournament will have a total of 130 players and takes place in two phases. These 130 players will be matched against each other based on their cumulative placements in the Americas Ranked Play Rankings from April to August. The top 2 players with the highest cumulative placements will immediately advance to Phase 2 of the Tournament. Play your best each season!

All matches will follow a best of five “Last Hero Standing” format. Each player will bring three different decks to each match. If a deck is defeated during a game of the match, that player must change to a different deck for the next game of the match.

Phase 1 of the tournament will consist of “The Constructed Arena Phase.”

• Players will be matched against each other in a Swiss format based on their initial seeding.
• If a player loses three matches (not games) in Phase 1, that player will be eliminated from the tournament.
• If a player ends a round of the Swiss format tournament with a +5 match record, that player will advance to Phase 2. (Match records are determined as Wins minus Losses. 5-0, 6-1, or 7-2 records are all considered +5 match records.)

Phase 2 of the tournament is the “Final Qualifying Round.”

• In Phase 2 of the tournament, only 16 players will remain from the initial 130 participants.
• Players will be randomly seeded into four tournament groups of four.
• The top two players from each group are placed in an eight-player single elimination bracket.

The top four players will advance to the Hearthstone World Championships at BlizzCon 2014!

Hearthstone Qualifier Tournament Comprehensive Rules

Keep in mind that not all countries are eligible to participate in the Hearthstone World Championship or the Qualifier Tournaments. Please refer to the comprehensive rules below for a list of eligible countries.

For the comprehensive Americas Qualifier Tournament rules please go here.

For the European Qualifier Tournament rules please go here.

For the Taiwan Qualifier Tournament rules please go here. 

We’ll see you at the Americas Qualifier Tournament table. A seat is waiting for you!

Time weathered and powerful, Malfurion Stormrage was the first night elf Druid, and trained under the tutelage of one of the most powerful demigods of Azeroth in the days of yore.

Ten thousand years into Azeroth’s past, Malfurion Stormrage was the student and brightest scholar of the demigod Cenarius, Lord of the Forest. As the years passed under Cenarius’ wise instruction, Malfurion became the first Druid, able to use the powers of nature to the Kaldorei’s benefit. Druidism became an integral part of Malfurion’s people directly through his guidance.

Malfurion and his people were called the Kaldorei, or “children of the stars”, and were nocturnal, cunning humanoids. Malfurion deeply loved one of his fellow Kaldorei, Tyrande Whisperwind, the high priestess of Elune. However, Malfurion’s twin brother, Illidan Stormrage, also fell in love with Tyrande, but his feelings for her were unrequited. 

Malfurion admired and respected the ruler of the Kaldorei people, the venerated Queen Azshara. Azshara was powerful, charismatic, and beautiful beyond compare. Over the ages, Azshara’s confidence evolved into extreme narcissism, her cunning dipped into madness, and her lust for power became all consuming. She surrounded herself with the most powerful, skillful, and wealthiest of the Kaldorei, those that were worthy of being in her presence, and named these people the Highborne.

At the center of the lone continent of Kalimdor sat the Well of Eternity, a fount of arcane power that fueled the magical energies throughout Azeroth. Azshara and her Highborne began utilizing the Well of Eternity for their own needs, and began restricting access to the Well of Eternity to those that were worthy of its power—the Highborne and Azshara herself. What the Highborne did not know at the time was that the magic that flowed from the Well of Eternity which they recklessly utilized were both addictive and dangerous.

Malfurion watched as his Queen slipped into madness, and knew that at the heart of her obsession with power was the Well of Eternity. To an extent, he was correct—the abuse of the powers that the Well of Eternity offered caught the attention of the ruler of the Burning Legion, the dark titan Sargeras, who saw that Azshara and her chosen Highborne could be easily manipulated by their hunger for power.

Beguiled by the machinations of Sargeras, Azshara used the powers of the Well of Eternity to open a portal between Azeroth and the Twisting Nether, where the armies of the Burning Legion lay in wait. When the portal between the two worlds opened, the demonic army of the Burning Legion devoured everything in their path, seeking to drain the energy from Azeroth itself.

Realizing the Kaldorei needed to be saved from the imminent demonic invasion, Malfurion led his people against the forces of the Burning Legion. Malfurion, Illidan, and Tyrande sought the assistance of Cenarius, hoping the demigod would provide them with aid. But, the demonic armies that poured from the Twisting Nether were seemingly endless, and even the assistance of both Cenarius and Alexstrasza the Dragon Queen alongside the forces of the Kaldorei could not save Azeroth. Malfurion decided that for the good of the world, the portal would have to be destroyed. If doing so affected the Well of Eternity, then so be it.

However, Azshara was ready for Malfurion’s strike against the portal. Her immense magical power tore through Malfurion’s army, and things looked hopeless for the Kaldorei— Tyrande had fallen in battle, Illidan had betrayed his people, and Malfurion faced off against the demons of the Burning Legion in a battle of arcane magic versus the power of Druidism.

As Malfurion’s battle against The Burning Legion raged on, the portal that spanned the two realms in the Well of Eternity grew increasingly more unstable. Malfurion’s last, desperate spell would tear the demons from the soil of Azeroth and send them hurtling back into the Nether, but would also take the land, Azshara’s palace, and everything surrounding the Well with it. Sargeras panicked, seeing his opportunity to enter Azeroth coming to a violent end and attempted to enter the world via the unstable vortex only to become trapped between the Twisting Nether and Azeroth. The flux of conflicting energies collapsed the unstable portal and caused a catastrophic explosion that destroyed the Well of Eternity and changed the face of Azeroth forever— The Sundering.

Malfurion and Tyrande survived the explosion and left the ruins of the Well of Eternity. Led by Cenarius, they sought a new home for their people. Before they had ample time to rebuild and settle on a safe haven, Malfurion discovered that his brother had water from the Well of Eternity and was seeking to rebuild the Well in a lake atop Mount Hyjal. Fearing a second Sundering would destroy Azeroth, they did not try to outright destroy this second Well of Eternity, but instead began taking great efforts to protect it from harm.

Malfurion imprisoned and warded his brother below Mount Hyjal while working alongside the Dragon Aspects Alexstrasza, Nozdormu, and Ysera to build a means to protect the new Well of Eternity. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of Nordrassil the World Tree over the waters of the well. Malfurion, the Kaldorei Druids, and the green Dragonflight pledged to protect the World Tree as long as they lived, and in return, the Tree would be linked to the Druids that safeguarded it.  In order to being the process of rebuilding their home, the Druids would have to spend hundreds of years at a time in slumber, traversing the Emerald Dream— the spiritual verdant realm of the Green Dragonflight that would help them rebuild Azeroth after the Sundering.

Ten thousand years passed before the Burning Legion became an imminent threat to Azeroth once more, forcing Tyrande to awaken Malfurion from his mystical slumber. Demons led by the Eredar Lord Archimonde sought out the Well of Eternity to reopen the portal between Azeroth and the Twisting Nether. Archimonde wanted the powers held beneath the World Tree for his own, which would give him abilities that would rival Sargeras’ own.

Archimonde’s ascent of Mount Hyjal was met with fierce resistance from numerous forces, including Tyrande’s, human forces led by Jaina Proudmoore, and orcish forces led by Thrall. Archimonde and his lieutenants tore through the camps set up to defend the World Tree, until Archimonde himself approached the Tree and prepared to take its powers for his own. Overconfident after his victory over the assorted armies that lay in waste behind him, he was unaware of Malfurion awaiting him at the World Tree.

Malfurion sounded the Horn of Cenarius and summoned thousands upon thousands of the ancestral guardians of nature known as wisps to his aid. The wisps assaulted Archimonde relentlessly and detonated their magical energy in an explosion that annihilated the Eredar Lord, shattering the World Tree. The impending invasion from the Burning Legion was brought to an end once more.

Malfurion continues to be a protector of both the Emerald Dream and Azeroth, battling against ancient and familiar enemies, such as Azshara’s demonic advisor Xavius, to protect his people. His wisdom and experience as a Druid have been honed to a fine point over the course of more than 10,000 years, and he continues to lead the Night Elf people to this very day alongside his beloved wife.

Malfurion’s ages of experience as a Druid come to life in Hearthstone! Without his mentor, the demigod Cenarius, Malfurion may not have ever learned how to make nature rise against his enemies! You can use the Legendary power of the Lord of the Forest himself in Hearthstone in your favorite Druid deck. Cenarius gifts the Druid’s loyal allies with the incredible powers of the land that bolster their Attack and Health, or summons Treants to protect your allies from harm.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look into Malfurion’s history and his role in Hearthstone. What class would you like to see featured next? Tell us in the comments below!

Read about the history of the other Heroes of Hearthstone here:

Rexxar – Gul’dan – Valeera – Anduin – Thrall – Jaina – Uther

Well met, fellow tavern-goers! Do you love Hearthstone? Looking for other worthy opponents to challenge? Want to just enjoy the game with likeminded Hearthstone players in your area? Then Fireside Gatherings are exactly what you’re looking for!

Join us as we celebrate the launch of Hearthstone on iPad by attending a Fireside Gathering.  Fireside Gatherings are get-togethers in public hangouts like coffee shops, book stores, and dorms where you can meet and mingle with local Hearthstone players. Trade strategy secrets, show off your decks, or even host mini tournaments—it’s all up to you! These events range in size from 5-10 people in a small group to 100+ in a huge gathering, and require absolutely no minimum skill level. The more the merrier! 

Behold . . . the power of friendship! Fireside Gatherings offer the opportunity to add the new “Fireside Friends” card back to your collection! This card back can be obtained by playing three matches against another player on the same network using the following criteria:

• At least three people (including yourself) must be logged into Hearthstone on the same subnet.
• Each match must be played against a player that is playing on the same subnet as you.
• These matches can be played against your friends or using the Player Near Me feature, as long as the above two criteria are met.

The Fireside Friends card back will become available starting on Saturday, April 26th for a limited time! The last day that you can add the Fireside Friends card back to your collection will be announced at a later date. Be sure to attend a Fireside Gathering near you or utilize the Players Near Me feature in Hearthstone so you don’t miss out on this opportunity to collect this unique card back that’ll make you feel right at home.

While you don’t need to attend a Fireside Gathering to get this card back, attending a Fireside Gathering is a great opportunity to meet some new friends, enjoy a few rounds of Hearthstone with good company,  and gain this card back in the process! The Fireside Friends card back will be instantly added to your collection as soon as you finish your three matches provided that they follow the friendly guidelines above!

To find an official Hearthstone get-together in your area, visit the all-new Fireside Gatherings website here. These events are hosted in direct partnership with Blizzard Entertainment and are a great place to take your iPad and meet up with other Hearthstone-loving locals. To host these awesome events, we’ve partnered with colleges such as Brigham Young University Hawaii, University of California Irvine, University of North Texas, and University of North Carolina Charlotte!

Can’t find a Fireside Gathering nearby? Don’t sweat it. Hosting a Fireside Gathering is easy! Head over to the official Fireside Gatherings website for all the resources you will need to get started. You’ll find helpful tips and tricks about how to host a great event, as well as a poster template that you can print and display at your venue!

When you’re ready to share your event with the world, or to find locally-run events in your area, visit LiquidHearth. LiquidHearth’s event listing can be used to promote your event and find other Hearthstone players in your community to play with.

We want to encourage Fireside Gatherings everywhere there are passionate Hearthstone players, so if you don’t find an event near you, don’t hesitate to work with local gaming groups in your community to spread awareness of Fireside Gatherings near and far.

Well, what are you waiting for? Sign up to attend or host a Fireside Gathering today!

In this Hearthstone patch, we’re addressing some bugs as well as making a balance change to Unleash the Hounds. To view our in-depth explanation on the Unleash the Hounds change, please visit our forum post here.

The full patch notes are below!

General

• Improved friends list sorting based on player status.
• Breaking News will now properly be shown when Hearthstone is undergoing maintenance.
• Reconnect functionality has been enabled for Practice Mode.
• Games in Friendly Play now have a turn timer.
• [iPad] Deck Rename and Deck Delete is now easier to find.

Card Changes

• Unleash the Hounds (Hunter) now costs 3 (up from 2).
  • After much consideration, we have decided to increase the mana cost of Unleash the Hounds to 3. Unleash the Hounds has been dominating all levels of play for quite some time. This change should make the card more fun to play against while still allowing for some big plays when combined with other Hunter cards.

Bug Fixes

• Winning a game as Lord Jaraxxus will now properly grant credit towards unlocking the Warlock golden hero. You win... BUT YOUR WORLD IS STILL DOOMED!

• Returning an opponent’s minion to their hand will no longer occasionally leave behind a facedown card on the game board.
• Resolved issues that prevented the Fireside Friends card back from being properly unlocked under certain conditions.
• [iPad] Resolved an issue that was causing a client crash when choosing between two options of certain Druid cards.
• [iPad] Resolved an issue where new chat notification bubbles would appear behind the keyboard when in the chat window interface.
• [iPad] Adjusted the location of where enlarged versions of cards appear so that they are easier to see when selected.
• [iPad] Resolved an issue where the client may sometimes use the incorrect default language.
• Other bug fixes and UI improvements.

The legendary Uther Lightbringer was the first Paladin of the Knights of the Silver Hand and a champion of the Light, sworn to defend the Alliance of Lordaeron from any potential threat. Wise, pious, and a beacon of hope to his allies, Uther is regarded as one of the greatest knights to ever live.

The kingdom of Stormwind was once a land of peace and prosperity. The age of tranquility came to a sudden end when orcs swarmed into Azeroth from the Dark Portal—a magical gate that connected the world of Azeroth with the orcish homeworld of Draenor. The Orcs assaulted Stormwind’s kingdom, eager to plunder and claim its lands for their own. This was the start of what is now called the First War.  

The clerics of Northshire took up arms to defend their lands from the orcish invasion, but it became evident that it would take incredible efforts to defeat the evils that threatened them. Their holy order of clerics took great losses; as strong as they were in spirit, they lacked the formal martial training of knights and had little understanding of the art of war.

Archbishop Alonsus Faol formed a new order that would combine the restorative and destructive powers of the Light with the strict martial training of the knights. Archbishop Faol chose his apprentice Uther to be the first of this new order. These holy knights became known as Paladins, with Uther being appointed the First Paladin.  

The order started by Archbishop Alonsus Faol was known as the Order of the Silver Hand. The Archbishop recruited knights willing to learn how to wield the Light and clerics ready to take up arms for their noble cause. The Paladin’s potent combination of fighting prowess and holy powers made them incredibly formidable opponents in battle, and Uther was the greatest among them.

After the First War, many of the survivors of Stormwind traveled to Lordaeron to seek aid and succor from King Terenas Menethil II. The leader of Lordaeron formed alliances between the human kingdoms to unite them against the orcish Horde that swarmed over the lands.

The orcs assaulted numerous cities and key points throughout the Eastern Kingdoms, with the Alliance doing their best to try and stop the them. However, not all human kingdoms within Lordaeron rallied to the Alliance’s cause. The Kingdom of Alterac, led by Lord Perenolde, chose to instead strike a deal with the Horde, fearing that the Horde would emerge victorious over the newfound Alliance once the smoke had cleared. This treachery caused numerous problems for the Alliance, and led to an attempt on Uther’s life.

The Horde’s forces were slowly weakening against the growing Alliance. In a mighty push, the Alliance assaulted a major Horde fortress located in the Burning Steppes. Uther and his Paladins were on the front lines in the battle of Blackrock Spire, and he earned the honorific “Lightbringer” after the battle. 

With the capture of the Horde Warchief, the Alliance pressed on to the orc’s last stand: the Dark Portal itself. General Turalyon led the Alliance’s charge against the orcs at the Dark Portal in what was considered the fiercest battle of the Second War. The Azerothian side of the Dark Portal was destroyed, thanks in part to the bravery and skill of Uther Lightbringer and the Order of the Silver Hand.

After the Second War, Uther continued to bravely serve the Alliance and its people, mentoring new Paladins to the Order and serving as a shining example to aspiring knights and clerics throughout the Eastern Kingdoms. Uther took on the task of tutoring King Terenas’s talented son, Prince Arthas Menethil, in the ways of the Paladin. Arthas and Uther trained together for years and grew as close as a family.

As the Third War began, Uther’s assistance was requested and he met with the young Jaina Proudmoore. Jaina brought dire news—the mysterious plague that was ravaging the kingdom was turning the infected into the undead Scourge, and Hearthglen was under attack from the seemingly endless army of undead victims that had fallen to this horrific illness. Uther and his Paladins came just in time to help Jaina and Arthas, saving Hearthglen with their combined efforts.

Determined to save his kingdom, Arthas pressed on to Stratholme, but it was too late—the townsfolk had consumed tainted grain, the mechanism for quickly and efficiently spreading the plague throughout the kingdom, and would soon become the Scourge. Arthas ordered Uther and the Knights of the Silver Hand to destroy the town and the innocent people within. Uther adamantly refused the orders of the young Prince, telling Arthas he would not follow such an order—even if Arthas was the king himself. Furious with Uther’s defiance, Arthas accused Uther of treason and relieved Uther from command of the Knights of the Silver Hand and ordered those loyal to Lordaeron to join him in purging Stratholme of the impending evil. Uther took the Paladins that remained loyal to him and left Stratholme, abandoning Arthas to his barbaric actions.

Uther informed King Terenas Menethil of his son’s inhumane actions in Stratholme, and much to the sorrow of the King, they agreed that Arthas’ judgment, and perhaps sanity, was wavering. Terenas sent an emissary to recall Arthas’ expedition in Northrend and order their return to the Kingdom of Lordaeron.

Arthas returned some time later, to the joy and celebration of Lordaeron’s townsfolk. However, Uther and the townsfolk were all shocked as Arthas drew the cursed Runeblade, Frostmourne, and slew his father in the Lordaeron throne room.

Uther had lost his king and one of his closest friends. He vowed to personally guard the king’s remains, which were placed in a ceremonial urn within Andorhal. There would be no safe haven for Uther and the remaining Order of the Silver Hand. Arthas, now a death knight, commanded his undead forces and swarmed the town, intent on taking Terenas’s urn for their own dark purposes. Uther would not back down from the impossible odds, bravely and defiantly standing toe to toe against the death knight to defend Terenas’ remains in a battle for the ages. Uther met his end at the hands of his former pupil, whom he once loved and cared for like his own son.

Uther’s tomb can be found in the Western Plaguelands, a shining beacon of hope in a land once overcome by darkness. His legacy lives on through the actions and teachings of the Paladins, Azeroth’s brave defenders of the Light.

Uther’s legend lives on in Hearthstone, and his legacy of the Light (and how to swing it) shines on in every Paladin today. One of the Paladin’s staple abilities, the Hand of Protection, erects a Divine Shield around a minion, protecting it from a single source of damage. Protect your minions from even the most devastating damage with a Hand of Protection and they’ll thank you for it! 

We hope you’ve enjoyed this look into Uther’s history and his role in Hearthstone. What class would you like to see featured next? Tell us in the comments below!

Read about the history of the other Heroes of Hearthstone here:

Rexxar – Gul’dan - Valeera - Anduin - Thrall - Jaina

Attention card-slingers! A fresh batch of Hearthstone goodies has arrived in the Blizzard gear store! You’ll find just the right stuff for showing off your love for all things Hearthstone. Let’s check out all the sweet swag. . . .

First up is the adorable plush Hearthstone Throw Pillow. It measures 46cm tall and is emblazoned with an embroidered Hearthstone rune. A perfect addition for any couch or bed, this is one stone that’s safe (and comfortable) to squeeze! Home is where the hearth is, right?

When you need a spot to set your mug on a Friday night, be sure to set it down on our new full color Hearthstone coasters! This set of four fine sandstone coasters will keep the table at your inn safe from moisture. Ready for another round?

Speaking of drinks, why don’t you enjoy your next warm beverage in a Hearthstone Swirl Mug? This ceramic mug emblazoned with the blue Hearthstone swirl will hold all of your favorite drinks and keep you coming back for more . . . after a short cooldown, of course.

We understand that when you’re diligent about completing your daily quests, game time often ends up overlapping with meal time. But even Valeera Sanguinar agrees that greasy fingertips and iPads make for a terrible combo. Enter the Hearthstone Screen Cleaner! Styled after the Hearthstone box, this cloth is perfect for keeping any screen shiny and free of fingerprints.

The Hearthstone logo tee proudly displays the Hearthstone compass rose on the front and the Blizzard logo on the back. Available in both men’s and fitted women’s sizes, these soft 100% cotton T-shirts are a great way to meet new friends that share your love of Hearthstone! Just be sure to use the secret handshake.

Visit the Blizzard gear store and pick up some Legendary Hearthstone loot of your own today!