Patch 31.6, launching today, opens the portal to Hearthstone’s next expansion, Into the Emerald Dream, brings a massive mid-season shakeup to Battlegrounds, and more!
Pre-Purchase Into the Emerald Dream
Prepare to drift off Into the Emerald Dream on March 25! The Emerald Dream, the magical realm from which all Nature flows, is under attack. The Old Gods are spreading their corrupting influence and turning the Dream into a Nightmare! Imbue yourself with the power of the World Tree or Discover the Old Gods’ Dark Gifts, rallying dragons, druids, and Wild Gods to your side. The portal is open, it’s nearly time to step Into the Emerald Dream!
Into the Emerald Dream has 145 new collectible cards. You can learn more about all the dreams and nightmares in the Into the Emerald Dream Announcement Blog. Dreamy pre-purchase bundles are available now!
Log in and Get Ysera, Emerald Aspect for Free!
Log in to Hearthstone now to get the guardian of the Dream herself, the Ysera, Emerald Aspect Legendary card for free!* Merely adding her to your deck lets you dream bigger; playing her can make your dreams come true.
* Limit one per account. After Patch 32.4, Ysera, Emerald Aspect will be granted upon opening your first Into the Emerald Dream pack, instead of upon login.
Claim the Gift of Madness from the Shop
Head to the in-game Shop and claim your first Dark Gifts: 2 copies of the Common card, Creature of Madness, for free!* Discover the power of Old Gods’ corruption and give your opponents nightmares.
* Available in the in-game Shop until Patch 32.4. Available through packs and card grants with Patch 32.0 and available through all normal means with the launch of Into the Emerald Dream.
In-Game Event: Release the Raptor!
Sink your teeth into a new in-game event before we head Into the Emerald Dream and kick off the Year of the Raptor! From March 4 to March 25, complete event quests to earn XP on the special rewards track. Complete the rewards track to start your new Hearthstone year off right with: 2 Raptor Herald Epic minions,* 2 Golden Raptor Herald Epic minions, 2 Into the Emerald Dream Packs, 2 random The Great Dark Beyond Epic cards, 2 Golden Creature of Madness Common minions, 2 Tavern Tickets, and the Soulbringer Inge Death Knight Hero Skin.
* Raptor Herald will be added to the special Event set and will be playable immediately upon earning. Raptor Herald is scheduled to stay in Standard until the 2026 Standard rotation along with Champions of Azeroth, Bob the Bartender, and Avatar of Hearthstone (Harth Stonebrew and the 11 “Gift” cards are leaving in the upcoming 2025 Standard rotation).
Battlegrounds Updates
Dev Comment: This mid-season update is a big one! It brings StarCraft to Battlegrounds with new heroes and the rewards track cosmetics unlocks; it brings back and updates Anomalies; and it brings a much requested feature: combat speed-up! There’s so much to cover that we can’t even fit it all in the patch notes. So, jump into the Tavern and see it for yourself—all these changes are live now!
Anomalies Return!
Anomalies are back in Battlegrounds and, for the first time, in Duos! Anomalies are tavern-transforming effects that apply to all players from the start of each game. Adapt to the chaotic influence of the Old Gods to claim your crown!
Compared to last time they were in the Tavern, we removed several of the less popular Anomalies, adjusted some that are returning, and created 21 new Anomalies (4 of which are Duos-only).
The new Anomalies will be more likely to appear for the first two weeks of the patch. Secrets of Norgannon (Tavern Tier 7) has returned and also has an increased appearance rate. Here are all the Anomalies that will be in the pool:
- Lay of the Land: The Tavern offers 1 extra Tavern spell after each Refresh.
- Continuing Education: At the start of each turn, get an Evolving Scroll. Each turn, it transforms into a Tavern spell from a higher Tier.
- Rising Current: After you upgrade the Tavern, Discover a Tier 1 spell. (Improves every 2 turns!)
- Sin’dorei Mirror: After you buy your first Tavern spell each turn, get an extra copy of it. (Unlocks on Turn 5.)
- Marin’s Treasure Box: Trinkets are in this game. All heroes are Marin the Manager.
- Mystical Blossom: At the start of each turn, Discover a Tavern spell. (Unlocks on Turn 3.)
- Elven Elite: The Tavern only offers cards of your Tier.
- Incubation Mutation: Minions with no type have all minion types.
- Dev Comment: Note that neutral minions that were turned into All type minions are still not included in type-specific random generation/Discover pools. Also, Knockoff Wisdomball is banned with this Anomaly.
- Factory Line: At the end of every 2 turns, get a plain copy of your left-most minion.
- Knockoff Wisdomball is banned with this Anomaly.
- Magic Shop: Spell Tickets are in the Tavern! Get 3 to Discover a Tavern spell of your Tier.
- Light the Way: After you Refresh two times, gain 1 Gold next turn.
- Emergency Landing: Twice per turn, you can remove all copies of a minion in the Tavern from your pool.
- Knockoff Wisdomball is banned with this Anomaly.
- Scout’s Honor: Start with a Patient Scout in play.
- Cosmic Duality: At the start of the game, Discover a second Hero Power.
- Golden Arrow: Every 3 turns, get a ‘Golden Arrow’.
- Golden Arrow [Spell]: Choose a minion in the Tavern. Make it Golden.
- Planar Alignment: At the start of each turn, get a random minion of your most common type. (Unlocks on Turn 2.)
- Instant Warband: Start with 3 different Tier 1 minions in hand.
- (Duos) Golden Friendship: Once per game, you can Goldenize and Pass a minion.
- (Duos) All Bottled Up: At the start of each turn, get a ‘Portal in a Bottle’.
- (Duos) Line in the Sand: Start with Sandy in play.
- (Duos) Pooled Resources: You can send your Gold to your teammate.
- A Faire Reward: Instead of a minion, Triple Rewards Discover a Tier 1 Darkmoon Prize. (Improves in 4 turns!)
- Treasure-Seeker Elise banned with this Anomaly.
- Anomalous Evidence: At the start of your turn, choose from 2 new Quest Rewards.
- Bring Home the Bacon: Start with two upgrading ‘Piggy Banks’. Break them open to gain Gold!
- Bring in the Buddies: Buddies are in the Tavern!
- Denathrius’ Anima Reserves: Quests and Rewards are in this game. All heroes are Sire Denathrius.
- Double Header: The first time you buy a card each turn, get an extra copy of it.
- False Idols: You only need 2 copies of a minion to make it Golden. Instead of a Triple Reward, get a Gold Coin.
- Treasure-Seeker Elise, Captain Sanders, Upbeat Impressionist, Elemental of Surprise, Festergut, and Devils in the Details are banned with this Anomaly.
- Gladiator’s Spoil: After you win a combat, Discover a minion of your Tier. Otherwise, get a random one of a Tier lower.
- Golganneth’s Tempest: Minions cost 2 Gold. You cannot Refresh the Tavern. It Refreshes itself after you buy a card.
- Chromie, Treasure-Seeker Elise, Malchezaar, and Bloodsoaked Tome are banned with this Anomaly.
- Grapnel of Titans: The first minion you buy each turn is free.
- Match Fixing: Guess which player will win your next combat. If you’re correct, get 3 Coins.
- Mimiron’s Clockwork Stadium: You cannot upgrade the Tavern with Gold. It upgrades itself every 2 turns.
- Money Match: Start at 10 Gold.
- Nguyen’s Shifting Disks: All heroes are Master Nguyen.
- Overseer’s Orb: After you upgrade the Tavern, Refresh it with minions of your most common type.
- Packed Stands: The Tavern always has 7 cards.
- Path of the Treasure-Seeker: After you Refresh 5 times, find the Golden Monkey!
- Prudence of Amitus: Unspent Gold carries over to your next turn. If you saved at least 5, gain 1 extra.
- Secrets of Norgannon: Tavern Tier 7 exists. Start with 10 extra Armor.
- Summoning of Champions: At the start of the game, all players Discover a Tier 6 minion from the same choices.
- The Golden Arena: ALL minions are Golden, but you do not get Triple Rewards.
- Treasure-Seeker Elise, Captain Sanders, Upbeat Impressionist, Elemental of Surprise, Festergut, Stolen Gold, Pilfered Lamps, The Golden Hammer, Kidnap Sack, Doppelganger’s Locket, Golden Touch, and Eyes of the Earth Mother are banned with this Anomaly.
- The Yogg-iseum: At the start of each turn, spin the SAME Wheel of Yogg-Saron.
- Treasure Hoard: On Turn 5, Discover a Golden Tier 3 minion.
- This Anomaly has versions for Tiers 3-7, each instance one tier and one turn later.
- Uncompensated Upset: Start at 1 Gold. Minions cost (1) but sell for (0). Upgrading the Tavern costs (2) less.
- Freedealing Gambler, Tortollan Blue Shell, Corpse Refiner, Time Saver, and Bloodsoaked Tome are banned with this Anomaly.
- Up-Prizing: After you upgrade the Tavern, Discover a Tier 1 Darkmoon Prize. (Improves in 3 turns!)
- Audience’s Choice: At the start of each turn, one player chooses a card for ALL players to get at end of turn.
- Updated to include Tavern spells.
- Tavern Special: All minions types are in the Tavern. It always has 7 cards.
- Updated to include Tavern spells.
- Temperance of Aman’Thul: Start of Tavern Tier 3 with 9 Gold. All cards in the first shop are Tier 3.
- Anomolous Wisdomball: You occasionally get helpful Refreshes! (Unlocks on Turn 6.)
- Text reword, new unlock vfx; Wondrous Wisdomball and Knockoff Wisdomball are banned with this Anomaly.
- No Face, No Case: Every 4 turns, get a Faceless Manipulator.
- Text reword, added vfx.
- Perfected Alchemy: Start with a Goldenizer.
- Text reword.
- Eleventh Hour: The first time your hero takes fatal damage in combat, prevent it and gain 11 Gold next turn.
- Added “in combat”; banned in Duos.
The Heroes of StarCraft Come to Battlegrounds
Kerrigan, Queen of Blades (12 Armor)
- Spawning Pool [7 Gold]: Unlock Tier 2 Zerg. Costs (1) less each turn. Passive: Start the game with a 2/2 Larva.
- Evolution Chamber [7 Gold]: Unlock Tier 3 Zerg. Costs (1) less each turn. Passive: Your Larva can morph into a Tier 2 Zerg.
- Ultralisk Cavern [Passive]: Your Larva can morph into a Tier 3 Zerg.
- Dev Comment: You will always be offered an option from your Zerg Tier.
- Larva: 2/2. At the start of each turn, choose a Zerg to morph into. It keeps stats and enchantments.
- Zergling [Tier 1]: 2/2. Start of Combat: Summon a copy of this minion. (Morphs each turn!)
- Roach [Tier 1]: 2/2. Taunt. At the end of your turn, gain Health equal to your Tier. (Morphs each turn!)
- Hydralisk [Tier 1]: 2/2. Windfury. Whenever this attacks, permanently gain Attack equal to your Tier. (Morphs each turn!)
- Baneling [Tier 2]: 2/2. Deathrattle: Deal damage equal to this minion’s Attack to a random enemy minion. (Morphs each turn!)
- Mutalisk [Tier 2]: 2/2. Whenever this attacks and kills a minion, gain +4/+4 permanently. (Morphs each turn!)
- Lurker [Tier 2]: 2/2. Stealth. Avenge (2): Gain +1/+1 permanently. (Morphs each turn!)
- Viper [Tier 3]: 2/2. Venomous. Immune while attacking. (Morphs each turn!)
- Infestor [Tier 3]: 2/2. After you play a minion, give your minions +1/+1. (Morphs each turn!)
- Ultralisk [Tier 3]: 2/2. Also damages adjacent minions. Start of Combat: Double this minion’s stats. (Morphs each turn!)
Jim Raynor (12 Armor)
- Lift Off [Passive]: Start with a 2/2 Battlecruiser that adds an Upgrade to the Tavern whenever it is Refreshed.
- Battlecruiser: 2/2, Mech. The Tavern offers an extra Battlecruiser Upgrade each time it is refreshed.
- Dev Comment: The Upgrades are a special pool of spells that upgrade your Battlecruiser with additional stats and effects. They have a range of Tavern Tiers and Costs, and can be bought from the Tavern, but they don’t count as Tavern Spells. You can get each Upgrade as many times as you want, except for four that you can only get once: Advanced Construction, Fortified Bunker, Missile Pod, Ultra-Capacitor. See the official Card Library for the full list of Upgrades.
Artanis (15 Armor)
- Warp Gate: At the start of the game, choose from 2 Protoss minions to get after you buy 16 cards.
- Colossus [Tier 5, Mech]: 6/12. Whenever this attacks, deal 1 damage to the target’s neighbors. (Upgrades when you spend Gold!)
- Carrier [Tier 5, Mech]: 12/4. Avenge (4): Summon a 3/3 Interceptor that attacks immediately. Then improve this permanently.
- Immortal [Tier 5, Mech]: 8/8. Start of Combat: Gain the stats of adjacent minions.
- Void Ray [Tier 5, Mech]: 7/1. Divine Shield. Whenever a friendly minion attacks, give it and this minion +5 Attack permanently.
- Mothership [Tier 5, Mech]: 6/8. Avenge (5): Get a random Protoss minion.
- Dev Comment: This gives any of the other Artanis minions.
For two weeks following Patch 31.6 all three new Heroes will be in the initial hero offerings for every game, which also means they can’t be rerolled into during that period.
Minion Pool Changes
The following minions have been removed from the minion pool:
- Assistant Guard
- Bazaar Dealer
- Blazing Skyfin
- Briarback Bookie
- Corpse Recycler
- Critter Wrangler
- Ensorcelled Fungus
- Ghoul-acabra
- Hunter of Gatherers
- Inspiring Underdog
- Lightfang Enforcer
- Lil' Rag
- Mutated Lasher
- Resourceful Soldier
- Saloon Dancer
- Silver-Handed Recruit
- Sleeping Sea Glass
- Smoldering Gardener
- Tea Master Theotar
- Three Lil' Quilboar
- Volcanic Visitor
- Papa Bear (Tier 7)
- Recurring Nightmare (Tier 7)
- Granite Guardian (Tier 7)
The following minions have been returned to the minion pool:
- Cyborg Drake
- Deadstomper
- Shellemental
- Cave Hydra
- Floating Watcher
- Pilgrimp
- Low-Flier
- Lighter Fighter
- Bassgill
- Bream Counter
- Mrglin' Burglar
- Shell Whistler
- Gemsplitter
- Tough Tusk
- Geomagus Roogug
- Bristleback Knight
- Eternal Knight
- Eternal Summoner
- Tidemistress Athissa
- Mystic Sporebat
- Mythrax the Unraveler
- Fireworks Fanatic (Solo only)
- Nalaa the Redeemer
- Arm of the Empire
- Winged Chimera
New Minions
Technical Element [Tier 3, Elemental/Mech]
- 5/5. Magnetic. Can Magnetize to both Mechs and Elementals.
Captain Bonerender [Tier 4, Pirate/Undead]
- 5/5. After you summon a different minion in combat, summon an extra copy of it.
- Dev Comment: This doesn’t loop with itself.
Gentle Stag [Tier 3, Beast]
- 1/5. Whenever you summon a minion in combat, give your right-most minion +1/+1 permanently.
Bellowing Tyrant [Tier 7, Beast]
- 3/2. Taunt. Has +3/+2 for each Beast you’ve summoned this game (wherever this is).
Arcane Behemoth [Tier 7, Elemental]
- 4/8. Taunt. After you sell an Elemental, gain its stats.
Stitched Salvager [Tier 7, Undead]
- 20/4. Start of Combat: Destroy the minion to the left of this. Deathrattle: Resummon an exact copy of it.
Changed Minions
Tortollan Blue Shell [Tier 4]
- 3/6. If you lost your last combat, this minion sells for 5 Gold.
Mythrax the Unraveller [Tier 4]
- 4/2. At the end of your turn, gain +2/+1 for each different friendly minion type.
Shellemental [Tier 4, Elemental/Naga]
- 4/4. Spellcraft: Choose a minion in the Tavern. Give its stats to a random friendly minion until next turn.
Sprightly Scarab [Tier 3, Beast]
- 2/1. Choose One – Give a Beast +1/+1 and Reborn; or +8 Attack.
Mystic Sporebat [Tier 5, Beast]
- 8/1. Deathrattle: Get a random Tavern Spell.
Ichoron the Protector [Tier 4, Elemental]
- 3/1. Divine Shield. Whenever you play an Elemental, give it Divine Shield until next turn.
- Dev Comment: This is just switching from “after” to “whenever” timing.
Tidemistress Athissa [Tier 6, Naga]
- 2/6. Whenever you cast a spell, give your Naga +1/+1.
Spell Pool Changes
- Unmasked Identity and Boundless Potential have been removed from the Spell Pool.
- Sacred Gift has been returned to the Spell Pool (at Tier 7).
New Spells
Forest’s Bounty [Tier 4]
- [2 Gold] Choose One – Give a minion +7/+7; or Give your minions +2/+1.
Sharing is Caring [Tier 7]
- [2 Gold] Start of Combat: Your left-most minion gains stats equal to the nearest enemy minion’s.
Blade of Ambition [Tier 7]
- [6 Gold] Choose a minion. Set its Attack and Health to match the highest in your warband.
Hallowed Ritual [Tier 7]
- [5 Gold] Discover a Tier 7 minion.
Spell Changes
Fandral’s Fortune [Tier 6]
- [3 Gold] Discover a Choose One card. It has both effects combined.
Sacred Gift [Tier 7]
- [4 Gold] Give a minion Divine Shield.
General Updates
- StarCraft cosmetics online! The StarCraft-specific cosmetics on the second half of the Battlegrounds Rewards Track have now been unlocked to be earned and claimed.
- Combat speed up: Combat animations will now accelerate as the battle rages on (and then slow down towards the end, for a dramatic finish), to even out longer combat phases!
- Certain cards will now give a Consolation Coin when they have no target for their effect (e.g. Chef’s Choice).
- Invigorating Conch, Divine Armor, and Soul Pact have been removed from the Quest Reward pool.
Arena Update
When Patch 31.6 launches, all current Arena runs will end and a new Arena season will begin. The Arena pool will be adjusted so that the following sets make up the card pool this season:
- Festival of Legends
- TITANS
- Showdown in the Badlands
- Whizbang’s Workshop
- Perils in Paradise
- The Great Dark Beyond
- AND Wayward Probe, Raptor Herald, and Creature of Madness
Bug Fixes and Game Improvements
- [General] Updated recommended device specs: players using mobile devices with 4GB or less memory are advised to turn off the “High Quality Mode” option (within Settings -> Downloads). Note that this will disable all voicelines, including from hero skins.
- [Hearthstone] Changed the card name Brood Queen to Hive Queen, to better match the lore.
- [Hearthstone] Updated Aman’Thul’s text to reflect that it only Discovers class Legendaries.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where certain animations could cause crashes. Those animations were temporarily turned off while this bug was addressed and will be turned back on with this patch.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where multiple Carriers’ effects could trigger at the same time, resulting in the second one not summoning all their Interceptors even if the first one’s Interceptors are functionally dead.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a visual bug where Starship launchpads wouldn’t glow if their launch cost was reduced.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where an Uluu, the Everdrifter with both Choose One effects combined couldn’t choose a target for a targeted effect.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug causing Screaming Banshee sometimes summoned a Die-Hard fan of the wrong stats.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where cards that stole a minion for a turn worked inconsistently when cast twice by cards like Sunsapper Lynessa or Solar Eclipse.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where summoning Rangari Scout with a Discover effect (like Eternal Servitude) would result in Scout immediately getting a copy of itself.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Xor’toth, Breaker of Stars could do too many instances of 5 damage when the Stars were copied in hand.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where specific spell school Spell Damage didn’t buff Spirit Claws.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Clutchmother Zavas kept the Temporary effect when drawn and discarded by The Soularium.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Fatespinner’s chosen Deathrattle wouldn’t activate if it was returned to hand and replayed.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Cutthroat Buccaneer could sometimes fail to grant its buff to a weapon already buffed by Swarthy Swordshiner.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a visual bug where playing a Hero card after playing Shudderblock could cause the hero to appear in Shadowform.
- [Hearthstone] Fixed a bug where Hero Power tooltips were sometimes not displaying properly.
- [Battlegrounds] Deaths will now resolve from Start of Combat Hero Power effects before Start of Combat minion effects trigger.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Rerolling a Hero could result in the wrong Armor value being displayed.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Tickatus’s Hero Power didn’t have hand space protection after the first activation.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Doubloon Grifter’s effect tracker would reset when she got directly goldenized by an effect.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Bob-blehead sometimes didn’t block Tier 1 and Tier 2 minions from appearing in the Shop.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Sire Denathrius with Ethereal Evidence would still get offered two Quest Rewards after swapping hero powers.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where repeated end of turn triggers could cause crashes in Duos.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed a bug where Private Chef’s Spellcraft effect could cause a Triple before passing.
- [Battlegrounds] Fixed bugs where ‘Loc Prince’s effect would work incorrectly with some stat-setting effects, like Magnanimoose and Transmuted Bramblewitch, and end-of-turn stat buffs.
- [Progression] Fixed a bug where the Legend gem went missing in ranked rewards and end-of-season pop-ups.
- [Progression] Fixed a bug where the Master Cloner Achievement didn’t track top 4 finishes correctly.
- [Progression] Fixed a bug where the Astronomical! Achievement didn’t track first place finishes correctly.
- [Cosmetics] Fixed a bug making Mythic Kerrigan’s defeat animation incomplete.
- [Cosmetics] Fixed a bug where some Game Board clickables stopped working.
- [General] Fixed various performance and connectivity bugs.
- Misc. other bug fixes and game improvements.
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