Break Free

Pre-Purchase

Escape from Violet Hold

They say no one escapes the Violet Hold. A group of Azeroth’s most infamous criminals is about to put that to the test. To break out of Dalaran’s maximum-security prison, these Rulebreakers will need to Prepare for any circumstance, use clever Disguises, and, when all else fails, Bribe the guards. The alarms are blaring. Magical defenses are activating. Warden Maiev is locking down the prison. In other words, everything is going exactly to plan. It’s time to make a daring Escape from Violet Hold!

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Expansion Features

Meet the Rulebreakers

Defy authority with the new Rulebreaker cards! Each class is getting a Legendary Rulebreaker minion, like Hogger or Irida Sinseeker, that bends a core Hearthstone rule to give you an advantage so unbelievable it feels downright illegal. With shocking abilities like adding an EXTRA copy of each Legendary to your deck or drawing TWO cards per turn instead of one, it’s no surprise these outlaws are among Azeroth’s most wanted.

New Keyword: Prepare

Every prison break starts with a daring plan. Start yours with the new keyword, Prepare! Drag a card to your deck to spend all your remaining mana and discount it by that much, plus one extra. Set up a big play now and cash in for a huge payoff later.

Sneak onto Your Opponent's Board

For the first time in Hearthstone history, you can play a minion on your opponent’s side of the board! Disguised minions bring sneaky abilities you can use for yourself or turn against your opponent when you play them to their side.

Bribe Your Way to Victory

Escaping from the Violet Hold doesn’t mean picking every lock and dodging every trap. Sometimes it means greasing a guard’s palm so they’ll look the other way while you make your break. Bribe cards offer you a great benefit and give your opponent a little something, too.

FAQ

When will Escape from Violet Hold release?

July 7, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

What is the Violet Hold?

For centuries, the floating city of Dalaran has kept Azeroth’s most dangerous criminals locked away in the Violet Hold, a magical prison built to be inescapable. Protected by powerful arcane barriers, deadly traps, and heavily guarded by elite wardens, it has a reputation as one of the most secure places in all of Azeroth. But even the strongest prison has its weaknesses. Deep within its cells, the cunning Vanessa VanCleef has begun assembling a crew of notorious outlaws, each with the skills needed to pull off the impossible. With schemes brewing, security systems on high alert, and Warden Maiev closing in, the stage is set for one of the most daring prison breaks Azeroth has ever seen.

Who is Vanessa VanCleef?

Vanessa VanCleef is the mastermind behind the breakout, a cunning and resourceful leader with a talent for deception and sabotage. She’s the daughter of Edwin VanCleef, the infamous leader of the Defias Brotherhood, and has followed in his footsteps as a brilliant and dangerous strategist. Now imprisoned in the Violet Hold for her crimes against Stormwind, she’s once again assembling a crew of notorious outlaws, determined to do the impossible: escape Dalaran’s most secure prison. This expansion takes place just as Vanessa puts her escape plan into motion with her crew of misfits. Step one: take out the warden and throw the prison into chaos. But that may have only sealed their fate, as Warden Maiev is called in to put a stop to the breakout. But the plan is already in motion. The escape is underway, and there’s no turning back now!

What are the Escape from Violet Hold promotional cards?

There are four free cards leading up to the launch of Escape from Violet Hold! Vanessa the Ringleader is the free Legendary card available now just for logging in. Three more cards, Tunneling Geomancer, Commisary Crook, and Deadly Bribe, will be available for free as rewards for in-game events in Patch 35.6. See the 35.6 Patch Notes for details.

How will Catch-Up Packs work in Escape from Violet Hold?

There will be new Catch-Up Packs with Escape from Violet Hold. As always, those Catch-Up Packs will catch you up to the expansion by featuring the past sets that will still be in Standard when Violet Hold launches: Into the Emerald Dream, The Lost City of Un’Goro, Across the Timeways, and CATACLYSM. These Catch-Up Packs will include 5-50 cards per pack, with 1-13 cards per set per pack. Previous Catch-Up Pack logic will remain unchanged no matter when you open them. In-game Catch-Up Pack grants will swap over to the new Catch-Up Packs with Patch 36.0. You can tell which Catch-Up Pack you are opening by looking at the set symbols on the pack. See the Disclosure Page for more details.

What’s the best Escape from Violet Hold pre-purchase bundle?

We’re offering three pre-purchase bundles this expansion: our usual Pre-Purchase Bundle and Mega Bundle options, plus the Sequence Bundle (unlocked after getting the other two pre-purchase bundles). The Sequence Bundle offers the best value for players who want the most packs possible at launch. For players who plan to choose just one Pre-Purchase bundle, the Mega Bundle is the better value option for Hearthstone Mode. The Sequence Bundle provides the best value for players who want the largest number of packs at launch, and it features the Victor Nefarius Diamond Legendary Card. For players choosing just one pre‑purchase bundle, the Mega Bundle offers the strongest overall value for Hearthstone Mode.

When can I open my pre-purchased packs?

Pre-purchase packs (as well as any other Escape from Violet Hold Packs accumulated at that time) will initially be able to be opened during the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl, from June 30 - July 7. Outside of that, Escape from Violet Hold packs will be able to be opened when the expansion launches on July 7.

What is the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl?

The Pre-Release Tavern Brawl will return for Escape from Violet Hold, running from the launch of Patch 36.0 on June 30 until the launch of the expansion on July 7. In the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl, you will be able to open your Escape from Violet Hold packs, build decks, and play with them in a mini-competition. Prizing will match the prizing structure from last Pre-Release Tavern Brawl based on how well you do, but will award cards and packs from Escape from Violet Hold, so you can take your winnings and go again! Everyone will get one free entry; each subsequent entry will cost 2 Tavern Tickets, 300 Gold, or 400 Runestones.

The Escape from Violet Hold Pre-Release Tavern Brawl features a brand new format. You’ll build a deck using only cards from Escape from Violet Hold, and you can combine cards of ANY class in one deck. To help you get started, everyone is getting free trial copies* of all Common cards from Escape from Violet Hold, which you can use alongside any other new cards you open.

* Escape from Violet Hold free trial common cards will be available until expansion unlock on July 7 at 10:00 a.m. PT.

Where can I find card reveals?

Head over to the official Card Library to see all the cards that have already been revealed, as well as a schedule for future reveals!

Where can I plan my decks with the new cards?

The official Hearthstone Deck Builder is a great place to scope out Esacpe from Violet Hold before the expansion goes live. Stay tuned for more details on upcoming theorycrafting streams, where your favorite content creators will dive into the timestream to explore new strategies!