Info
This page aims to chart the major events of Hearthstone The Hearthstone icon Hearthstone (formerly known as Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft 1] 2]) is a free-to-play digital collectible card game from Blizzard Entertainment. It was first announced in a presentation by Rob Pardo at the , from its initial conception to the introduction of the latest feature.
2008
Jun. or earlier
- Team 5 Team 5 (also known as Blizzard Team 5) are the Blizzard Entertainment development team responsible for Hearthstone. A "small and nimble" team of 15 members for much of the game s original development, the team has is created, and development of Hearthstone begins. Ben Brode Ben Brode Type: Minion Rarity: Legendary Cost: 3 Attack: 4 Health: 1 Your volume can t be reduced below maximum.See this card on Hearthpwn data page] "There is no way to contain the Brode." - Yong states that his first records are from Jun. 2008, but that "full-on development didn`t start for a while after that".
Videos
2009
Deadlines for StarCraft II cause all of Team 5 except Eric Dodds Eric Dodds Type: Minion Rarity: Legendary Cost: 6 Attack: 5 Health: 5 Abilities: Summon Battlecry: Summon a 2/2 Pirate and destroy all Ninjas.See this card on Hearthpwn data page] Eric Dodds is a Blizzard employee, and Ben Brode Ben Brode Type: Minion Rarity: Legendary Cost: 3 Attack: 4 Health: 1 Your volume can t be reduced below maximum.See this card on Hearthpwn data page] "There is no way to contain the Brode." - Yong to be reassigned to that game for around a year. Dodds and Brode begin prototyping, rapidly iterating through myriad designs.
2010
Dodds and Brode produce the first working version of Hearthstone, using Flash. The rest of Team 5 return from working on StarCraft II to begin developing Hearthstone from this basic prototype into the full game.
2012
Following mixed responses from within the company to Hearthstone`s initial announcement, in Dec. 2012 the game achieves "broad exposure" across Blizzard, with a substantial portion of employees playing Hearthstone, and beginning to get "really excited" for the game.
2013
Mar. 22nd
- Hearthstone is first announced to the world at the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX)
- A playable alpha The Hearthstone alpha was the alpha test phase in the development of Hearthstone. The alpha test presumably ended on Aug. 16th 2013, when Hearthstone began its closed beta testing phase in the Americas region. An is presented at the expo
- Planned releaseAnnounce date of late 2013
Jun. 22nd - Patch 1.0.0.3388
Aug. 26th
- The game`s closed beta The Hearthstone beta was the beta test phase in the development of Hearthstone, following the alpha test. The beta test began in its closed phase in the Americas region on Aug. 16th 2013, and in begins in the Americas region
Sep. 4th
- The game`s closed beta test begins in the Europe region
Sep. 10th
- Full-size Hearthstone game boards are added to World of Warcraft, with NPCs appearing to play the game
Oct. 2nd - Patch 1.0.0.3890
- All player accounts are wiped as part of the pre-announced beta reset
- Maximum level increased to 60
- Gold earned for winning games increased from 5 gold for 5 wins (1 gold per win) to 10 gold for 3 wins (3.33 gold per win)
- Toasts are introduced for friends lists
Nov. - BlizzCon 2013
- The first Innkeeper`s Invitational The Innkeeper s Invitational edit] League information Organizer: Blizzard Entertainment Event type: Offline Start date: 2013-11-8 End date: 2013-11-9 Links: Website Share this page Tweet The Innkeeper s Invitational is a professional Hearthstone tournament hosted by Blizzard as part of is held, featuring 8 well-known Hearthstone streamers
- Artosis Category:{{{location}}}]] Dan Stemkoski help] edit] Team Information Youtube: ArtosisTV Facebook: http://facebook.com/Artosis Twitter: Artosis Share this Page Tweet Dan "Artosis" Stemkoski is an e-sports commentator and noted player of Starcraft II and Hearthstone. Contents 1 Career narrowly defeats Kripparrian Category:{{{location}}}]] Octavian Moroșan help] edit] Team Information Youtube: Kripparrian Twitter: Kripparrian Share this Page Tweet "Kripparrian smirks into your soul." - TotalBiscuit 1] Octavian "Kripparrian" Moroșan, also known as Kripp or nl_Kripp, is a noted in the final to be crowned the first Grandmaster of the Hearth
- Adventures are announced
- Elite Tauren Chieftain Elite Tauren Chieftain Set: Hall of Fame Type: Minion Rarity: Legendary Cost: 5 Attack: 5 Health: 5 Abilities: Battlecry, Generate Tags: Random Battlecry: Give both players the power to ROCK! (with a Power Chord card)He s is introduced
Dec. 10th - Patch 1.0.0.4217
- The new Ranked The 25 numbered ranks in Ranked play. Ranked (also known as Ranked Play) is the serious side of Play mode, with players able to earn special ranks to reflect their prowess in battle this season. system is implemented, replacing medals with minion-based named ranks
- All golden Golden cards often add movement and visual effects, like with this golden Piloted Shredder "Golden" redirects here. For information on golden heroes, see Golden heroes. Golden cards are special, rarer versions of cards. Each card cards are now animated
- The amount of games playable in Arena is increased from 9 to 12
- The ability to abandon quests is introduced. Prior to this, quests had to be completed or would remain indefinitely, preventing players from gaining new quests.
- The Players Near Me From the cut and thrust of glorious battle to the cunning construction of an indomitable deck, this page offers a rough guide to Hearthstone s gameplay. Use this as a helpful guide to getting started in and Recently Played Opponent From the cut and thrust of glorious battle to the cunning construction of an indomitable deck, this page offers a rough guide to Hearthstone s gameplay. Use this as a helpful guide to getting started in featuresSpecial attraction are added
2014
Jan. 21
- The game enters its open beta The Hearthstone beta was the beta test phase in the development of Hearthstone, following the alpha test. The beta test began in its closed phase in the Americas region on Aug. 16th 2013, and in phase, available in all regions by Jan. 23rd
- For the first time, the game is fully available for all players
Mar. 11
- Hearthstone is released!
- Immediately preceded by Patch 1.0.0.4944
- Golden heroes A hero is a character in the Warcraft universe representing the player. In Hearthstone, this concept is expressed in three interrelated but distinct ways: Heroes are gameplay characters representing players or bosses within a match. and card backs added to the game
- The Ranked The 25 numbered ranks in Ranked play. Ranked (also known as Ranked Play) is the serious side of Play mode, with players able to earn special ranks to reflect their prowess in battle this season. system now features only a soft-reset at the start of each season
- The reconnection featureSpecial attraction is added. Prior to this there was no way to reconnect to a game in progress when disconnected mid-game. Be that as it may, the feature is quickly disabled due to reconnection issues.
- Global Play Hearthstone is divided into four geographical regions: Americas, Europe, Asia and China. Each country Hearthstone is available to play in is assigned to one of these regions. Each player by default uses their Battle.net account is enabled, allowing players to switch regions
- Secrets A Secret is a spell card that is cast normally but has a delayed, hidden effect, which only takes place when a specific event occurs. When a Secret is played, a Secret icon appears on can no longer be activated during the controlling player`s turn. Prior to this players could in some cases intentionally trigger their own secrets (mainly paladins).
- Initially available on Windowsis a separate viewing area on a computer display screen in a system that allows multiple viewing areas as part of a graphical user interface and OS X operating systems
- The World of Warcraft Hearthsteed mount is introduced as a reward for winning 3 games in Hearthstone, marking the first significant and rewarding cross-over between the two games
- Immediately preceded by Patch 1.0.0.4944
Mar. 21
- The remaining duration of the current Ranked season is now shown in-game. Prior to this players had to search outside the game to find out when the season would end.
Apr. 1
- The first full Ranked Play The 25 numbered ranks in Ranked play. Ranked (also known as Ranked Play) is the serious side of Play mode, with players able to earn special ranks to reflect their prowess in battle this season. season begins.
Apr. 2
- Hearthstone is released for iPadtablet made by Apple in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Apr. 8
Apr. 11
- Hearthstone`s first adventure Choosing an adventure Game formats Each Standard year, any adventures released prior to the previous calendar year are marked as Wild format. The adventures are removed from the Shop, and players will be unable to , Curse of Naxxramas "Whispers of an ancient tomb… holding horrors in every room. Ghastly ghouls, poisons galore… but in the shadows lurks something more. Knights of death and abominations… cleaving your bits for new creations. And if by , is announced at PAX East.
Apr. 17
Apr. 26
- The first Fireside Gatherings Fireside Gatherings are real-world gatherings of people to play Hearthstone in mostly public places. They are intended to be an opportunity for Hearthstone players to meet, mingle and form real-life friendships, as well as enjoy take place, with around 40 events featured in official listings.
Jun. 5
- With recently unveiled planned class cards for Curse of Naxxramas showing a tendency not to state when certain effects are random, Ben Brode Ben Brode Type: Minion Rarity: Legendary Cost: 3 Attack: 4 Health: 1 Your volume can t be reduced below maximum.See this card on Hearthpwn data page] "There is no way to contain the Brode." - Yong releases a blog sharing the team`s approach to the word `random`, explaining that by not explicitly stating the randomness of effects in `hidden` game areas, groundwork can be laid for future shortening of text. Despite this explanation, continued feedback from players finding the new cards` descriptions confusing and ambiguous eventually lead the team to alter their stance, with an announcement a few days later that the word `random` will be added to the cards` text.
Jun. 24
- Several claimed screenshots of Curse of Naxxramas "Whispers of an ancient tomb… holding horrors in every room. Ghastly ghouls, poisons galore… but in the shadows lurks something more. Knights of death and abominations… cleaving your bits for new creations. And if by are leaked, showing numerous game details and three unannounced legendary cards. Blizzard neither confirm nor deny the details revealed in the screenshots. Be that as it may, the adventure`s official release nearly a month later confirms the screenshots as genuine.
Jul. 22
- Hearthstone`s first adventure Choosing an adventure Game formats Each Standard year, any adventures released prior to the previous calendar year are marked as Wild format. The adventures are removed from the Shop, and players will be unable to , Curse of Naxxramas "Whispers of an ancient tomb… holding horrors in every room. Ghastly ghouls, poisons galore… but in the shadows lurks something more. Knights of death and abominations… cleaving your bits for new creations. And if by , is released worldwide.
Aug. 15
- Blizzard release an official statement regarding botting Bots are player accounts being run by an automated piece of software, which calculates and makes moves on behalf of the player, without need for player intervention. Using third party programs to automate Hearthstone play in Hearthstone, stating that "A fun, fair, and competitive environment is at the very heart of the Hearthstone experience", and that use of botting software is against the game`s Terms of Use. The announcement comes as bots rise to prominence in the game for the first time.
Sep. 15
- Blizzard announces that more than 20 million players have now played Hearthstone.
Sep. 18
- For the first time, player distribution across Ranked The 25 numbered ranks in Ranked play. Ranked (also known as Ranked Play) is the serious side of Play mode, with players able to earn special ranks to reflect their prowess in battle this season. play rankings is released, in an announcement blog titled You`re Better Than You Think! The title refers to widespread underestimation of player ranking in Ranked mode, due to the pattern of player distribution, with the top 50% of ranks held by around the top 5% of players.
Oct. 21
- The first is released, revealing statistics including that the game has so far been played for 2 billion hours in total; that 69 million Hounds Hound Set: Classic Type: Minion Subtype: Beast Class: Hunter Rarity: Common Cost: 1 Attack: 1 Health: 1 Abilities: Charge ChargeSee this card on Hearthpwn data page] Hound is an uncollectible hunter minion summoned by the have been unleashed Unleash the Hounds Set: Classic Type: Spell Class: Hunter Rarity: Common Cost: 3 Abilities: Charge, Summon Tags: Battlefield-related, Beast-generating For each enemy minion, summon a 1/1 Hound with Charge.You must read the name of this ; and that the longest ever Play mode win streak was 24 games.
Oct. 27
- Blizzard announce the temporary banning of several thousand accounts that were associated with the use of third-party botting Bots are player accounts being run by an automated piece of software, which calculates and makes moves on behalf of the player, without need for player intervention. Using third party programs to automate Hearthstone play software. Furthermore, it is announced that any accounts found using botting software from this point on will be permanently banned without warning. It would later be stated that over 10,000 accounts were banned from the game for botting.
Oct. 30
- Just over a week ahead of BlizzCon, press and members of the Hearthstone community begin receiving special "blueprints" for various mechanical minions in the game, sparking speculation among players. The blueprints are accompanied by a note which reads "Making plans for BlizzCon - I hope you like my invention!", the latter line referencing the summoning quote of the Novice Engineer Novice Engineer Set: Basic Type: Minion Cost: 2 Attack: 1 Health: 1 Abilities: Battlecry, Draw cards Battlecry: Draw a card."Half of this class will not graduate… since they ll have been turned to chickens." - Tinkmaster , reinforcing the mechanical theme. Designs include the Harvest Golem Harvest Golem Set: Classic Type: Minion Subtype: Mech Rarity: Common Cost: 3 Attack: 2 Health: 3 Abilities: Deathrattle, Summon Tags: Mech-generating Deathrattle: Summon a 2/1 Damaged Golem."Overheat threshold exceeded. System failure. Wheat clog in port , Demolisher, Poultryizer and Repair Bot.
- Blizzard announce that they have recently banned a number of accounts found to be engaging in win-trading. Following the recent mass-ban of botting accounts, the announcement is used to further emphases Blizzard`s commitment to "fair play" in Hearthstone, and encourage players to abide by the rules.
Nov. 7
- The first Hearthstone expansion Goblins vs Gnomes is announced at BlizzCon 2014.
Nov. 20
- The Goblins vs Gnomes DeviantART challenge is announced. The challenge is to create an original artwork based on Goblins vs Gnomes, and features a total prize pool of $8,500, as well as various other rewards.
Dec. 8
- Hearthstone`s first expansion, Goblins vs Gnomes, is released in the US region. The expansion is released in the other regions over the course of the next 2 days.
2015
Jan. 29
- Patch 2.1.0.7628 sees a minor adjustment to the China, Korea and Taiwan clients which cause the player `Hello` emotes to instead say `Happy New Year`. While trivial, this mark`s the game`s first seasonal customisation.
Feb. 26
- Information gathered by fan sites from an upcoming patch leads to speculation regarding the game`s next adventure. With data referring to Molten Core, Ragnaros and `brm`, Blackrock Mountain is speculated to be the theme. The patch comes roughly a week before PAX East, where the new game`s content is widely expected to be announced.
Early Mar.
- An animated elemental is added to the official site, just above the site navigation bar (see right). In addition, the sample cards on display are changed to Leeroy Jenkins, Twilight Drake, Core Hound, Dark Iron Dwarf and the ever-popular Magma Rager, all characters taken from Blackrock Mountain, apparently confirming the speculation regarding the theme of the adventure.
- Screenshots of several claimed cards from the new content are released through third-party forums.
Mar. 3
- The official PlayHearthstone @@@#@@@Twitter(twitter.com)###@### account tweets an image of a Hogger plushie holding a Hearthstone plushie, with the caption "Adventure Awaits!" (see right). The background also appears to depict Redridge Mountains, a zone immediately to the south of the Burning Steppes, the zone in which Blackrock Mountain is located.
Mar. 6
- Hearthstone`s second adventure, Blackrock Mountain is officially announced at PAX East.
Apr. 2
- The first wing of Blackrock Mountain is released.
Apr. 14
- Hearthstone is released for iOSApple iOS is a proprietary mobile operating system for the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. and Android phones.
May 11
- All EU accounts more than a week old are awarded two free Classic card packs in compensation for extensive server outages the previous week.
Jun. 3
- A new Innkeeper`s Journal blog hints at the arrival of a mysterious new patron at the inn.
Jun. 4
- The alternate hero feature is announced, and the first alternate hero, Magni Bronzebeard is revealed.
Jun. 10
- The Tavern Brawl game mode is revealed.
Jun. 11
- The second alternate hero, Alleria Windrunner, is revealed.
Jun. 12
- The third alternate hero, Medivh, is revealed.
Jun. 15 - Patch 2.7.0.9166
- The alternate hero feature is activated, with Magni, Alleria and Medivh available for purchase.
- In anticipation for the coming Tavern Brawl mode, the as yet blank fourth button on the game box begins to sparkle each time the player enters the main menu.
- The Collection is upgraded, allowing players to assign a specific card back (and soon a specific hero) to each custom deck.
Jun. 17
- The first Tavern Brawl, Showdown at Blackrock Mountain, is released.
Jul. 2
- Blizzard begins sending special packages to the press, which when opened play the fanfare from the Argent Tournament theme. Inside is a scroll which reads:
- Champions are gathering from around the world to witness the next exciting thing Hearthstone has in store. News travels far and wide in search of brave new faces ready to answer the call to arms — Are you one of them? Muster for battle and mark Jul. 22 on your calendar. The next bit of news won’t come by carrier pigeon — thankfully, we have much better ways of communication now. Victory awaits.
Jul. 8
- The latest The Innkeeper`s Tale blog is released, apparently a teaser for the coming expansion. The blog specifically describes a large gathering, with everyone wearing plate - even the magic users and murlocs - as well as a unicorn. The blog ends by teasing that all will be revealed soon.
Jul. 9
- The official PlayHearthstone TwitterTechnology company account begins a series of tweets with a theme of "champions".
Jul. 15
- The official`s site menu is changed to tease the coming announcement. Opening loading the main page, a sword falls from above the window down into a pile of snow, becoming thoroughly embedded in the menu bar. The sword remains there, with occasional golden sparks appearing from the blade.
Jul. 22
- Hearthstone`s second expansion, The Grand Tournament is announced by Eric Dodds Eric Dodds Type: Minion Rarity: Legendary Cost: 6 Attack: 5 Health: 5 Abilities: Summon Battlecry: Summon a 2/2 Pirate and destroy all Ninjas.See this card on Hearthpwn data page] Eric Dodds is a Blizzard employee, at a special event at The Foundry, Los Angeles.
Aug. 24
- The Grand Tournament is released.
Oct. 20
- Added with Patch 3.2.0.10604, Hearthstone launches in Japan, with a fully localised client. This is the first major new territory since China`s addition during the game`s beta. Players in Japan are granted immediate access to the current version of Hearthstone, including all card sets, making this the first territory to join the game in a relatively advanced stage.
Nov. 4
- Hearthstone`s first cooperative Tavern Brawl, Unite Against Mechazod!, is released, marking the first cooperative two-player experience within the game.
Nov. 6
- Hearthstone`s third adventure, The League of Explorers is announced at BlizzCon 2015.
Nov. 12
- The first wing of The League of Explorers is released.
Dec. 2
- With disconnections and downtime in the Europe region coinciding with the release of the latest Tavern Brawl becoming a regular occurrence, Blizzard announce that they will be adding additional testing measures to help prevent this in the future.
Dec. 9
- Hearthstone`s first seasonal event is added, in the form of Winter Veil. The event brings snow-laden versions of the Stormwind and Orgrimmar battlefields, festive Greetings emotes, a sale on Classic card packs, and a themed Tavern Brawl - Gift Exchange - awarding the special "Winter Veil Wreath" card back The Collection s Card Backs tab Some of the game s card backs Card backs are a feature which allows players to replace the standard design on the reverse of their cards with alternate designs. Players can .
Dec. 15
- As part of efforts to reduce downtime following the release of new Tavern Brawls, the release schedule is changed to have new Brawls debut in the Americas region instead of the Europe region, better suiting the development team`s working hours.
2016
Feb. 2
- Plans to introduce game formats are announced, providing a solution to the problem of the game`s ever-increasing card pool. Scheduled for spring 2016, it is stated that the arrival of Standard format will also see balance changes to numerous Basic and Classic cards, as well an increase in the pace of the release cycle, with two new expansions and one new adventure each year.
Mar. 4
- A blog on the official site announces that Hearthstone will become available in Thailand, as part of the Americas region, later in the month. Senior Game Producer Yong Woo explains, "It`s took a little while for the Innkeeper to learn Thai, but he`s super excited to try it out!"
- A blog announces that the upcoming expansion will be revealed in a live stream on Mar. 11. The blog begins with the text "Something inside the Tavern stirs . . . what could it be? Don’t worry – you won’t be alone!", inviting readers to "Tune in Mar. 11 at 10:00 a.m. PST to see what has been lurking unfold live on Twitch!"
Mar. 5
- The card carousel on the official site is updated to feature a new selection of cards: Faceless Manipulator, Mind Blast, Cult Master, Void Terror and Dark Wispers. Echoing a similar change prior to the announcement of Blackrock Mountain, the change is speculated to foreshadow the theme of the coming expansion.
Mar. 7
- Invitations are sent to select gaming press, inviting them to join the revealing of the upcoming expansion on Mar. 11. The invite reads "There are whispers around the Tavern…"
Mar. 8
- Deck Recipes are announced as an upcoming feature.
Mar. 9
- Pictures surface of half-painted murals boldly proclaiming the new expansion and its title, and depicting what are clearly faceless ones and other Old God-related creatures.
Mar. 11
- Hearthstone`s third expansion, Whispers of the Old Gods, is announced live on the Americas Winter Championship stream, on the second anniversary of the game`s full release.
Mar. 14
- Lady Liadrin is announced as the paladin alternate hero, available for free through the game`s first Hearthstone to World of Warcraft cross-promotion.
- Patch 4.2.0.12051 brings 9 new deck slots, as well as substantial upgrades to the Collection Manager`s search function. The patch also implements the previously announced Deck Recipes and support for the Thai language.
Mar. 16
- A few days after being revealed, a special poll is opened on the official forums allowing players to vote on which text will become C`Thun`s official flavor text, as seen in-game in the Collection. The poll, titled The Old God C’Thun DEMANDS flavor text, mortal!, runs from Mar. 16 to Mar. 20, and is presented with the introduction "The bane of contact lenses everywhere, the ancient many-eyed Old God C’Thun is great at winking, but not particularly good at describing itself. That’s where you come in! Cast your vote on what flavor text makes it into Hearthstone for the Legendary card, C’Thun!" While voting on card reveals has become common practice for new releases, this is the first time players have been able to determine actual in-game content, albeit only flavor text.
Apr. 24 - Patch 5.0.0.12574
- `Sorry` emote is replaced by the new `Wow` emote
- The largest set of card changes since the game`s release is made, nerfing Basic and Classic cards in preparation for game formats
- The special quests that originally awarded the Reward cards are removed, with the cards now craftable
- The addition of card data for Fandral Staghelm marks the first time a set had added new cards to another set, with Whispers of the Old Gods serving to add three new minions to the Classic, Blackrock Mountain and The Grand Tournament sets
Apr. 26
- Whispers of the Old Gods is released in the Americas region
- Game formats are added to the game, and the first Standard year - the Year of the Kraken - begins
Jun. 1
- The official Chinese Hearthstone site announces the first ever seasonal rewards for Arena play. Each month the players with the highest number of 12 win-runs are eligible for special prizes, including tickets to BlizzCon 2016.
Jun. 11
- Hearthstone`s official Brazilian @@@#@@@Facebook(facebook.com)###@### account posts an image depicting an "Old Gods Travel Agency". The image features leaflets for three destinations: Icecrown Citadel, the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and the Dark Portal, with the image of each destination featuring the Old Gods` distinctive tentacles invading the area. Some speculated that this could be a teaser for an upcoming adventure, or another feature.
Jul. 12 - Patch 5.2.0.13619
- The Recruit A Friend system is added, bringing with it Morgl the Oracle.
- The "Play a Friend!" quest See quests which reward gold. For the spell card, see Quest (ability). A quest in Hearthstone refers to a specific action or objective that the player can perform or achieve in order is added, marking the first in-game reward specifically for playing with friends.
Jul. 16
- Players at a Fireside Gathering on the UCI campus in California receive a special golden invite. The invite reads,
- "You are cordially invited to a most majestic, marvelous, magical event, the likes of which have never been seen before! It is our most sincere hope that you`ll be able to join us!"
- The invite is widely taken as referring to the upcoming revealing of the game`s next adventure.
Jul. 18
- The Friendly Feud event is revealed, allowing players to complete quests by competing in Friendly Challenges.
Jul. 19
- Evidence begins to surface of an upcoming Public Test Realm.
- Emails are sent from the developers to the fansites and other game press containing a special invite, reading,
- "Greetings, my dear friend! Your valiant effort and masterful display of strategy in channeling the power of the Old Gods has won you the admiration of people across Azeroth.
- We would would be honored if you would join us for a once-in-a-lifetime event that will be full of magic and celebration. We also have something very special in store for you!
- Please be prompt, as we have an unforgettable adventure planned!
- Stream date and link
- Sincerely,
- An old friend!"
- Both the invite`s text and graphic details are widely taken as confirming Karazhan as the upcoming adventure, with the visual style and celebratory tone making many think of a "magical dinner party" at the tower, and the feathers seen at the top and bottom of the invite widely assumed to represent Medivh.
Jul. 22
- Paper versions of the emailE-mail (electronic mail) is the exchange of computer-stored messages by telecommunication invites previously sent out are sent to members of the Chinese community, coming in decorated envelopes complete a ribbon and Hearthstone swirl wax seal. The text of the invites is largely the same, but also includes a footnote translated as "Please open at night". When opened in the dark, the invite was revealed to feature glow in the dark properties, with the embossed sections illuminated in similar colours to the email invite, but with one notable difference: the star in the top-left corner is replaced by a glowing eye, precisely matching the design shown on Arcane Intellect.
- The official Hearthstone TwitterTechnology company account begins tweeting images of preexisting card art, modified to fit a "party" theme.
Jul. 25
- An official announcement confirms that the upcoming adventure will be revealed in a special presentation stream from China, making it the first Hearthstone content to be revealed from somewhere other than the US.
Jul. 28
- One Night in Karazhan is revealed as Hearthstone`s fourth adventure, in a special stream from ChinaJoy in Shanghai.
Aug. 11
- One Night in Karazhan is released.
Sep. 8
- An official blog announces the removal of 45 cards from the Arena, marking the first large-scale effort to balance the format separately to constructed play.
Sep. 12
- The Welcome Bundle is announced, a limited-availability card pack bundle offering cards from the Classic set at a deeply discounted price.
Sep. 30
- The first alternate hero for the priest class, Tyrande Whisperwind, is released.
Oct. 3
- Patch 6.1.3.14830 brings changes to seven cards, moderating the dominant aggro/midrange shaman decks, weakening Yogg-Saron, Hope`s End and tempering the "evergreen" Standard format sets.
Oct. 20
- Patch 6.2.0.15181 brings unexpected card changes to five cards, moderating Ethereal Peddler`s effect and removing most of the board-wide synergy previously seen in the Murloc minion type.
Oct. 24
- The official Twitter account releases what appears to be a teaser for the upcoming expansion, titled "Greetings from Gadgetzan". The image contains a lengthy hidden text in exceedingly small letters, providing comprehensive disclaimers for any and all eventualities that may result due to visiting the city or receiving the goblin-made postcard.
Oct. 25
- Apparently as part of the same teaser campaign, the official Twitter account posts the first of several pages of the "The Gadgetzan Gazette" ("The city`s BEST newspaper. The city`s ONLY newspaper.").
Nov. 2
- The official Instagram account posts an image of the Gadgetzan postcard, along with a handful of pirate coins bearing the text "Absolutum Dominium".
Nov. 4
- Mean Streets of Gadgetzan, Hearthstone`s fourth expansion, is announced at BlizzCon 2016.
Mid-Nov.
- Blizzard quietly change the title of the game from Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft to simply Hearthstone. Logos on the official site are changed, and the developers ask the moderator`s on the game`s subreddit to update their logo to match the new title, but no press release or statement is made. The change is widely considered to mark (if somewhat belatedly) the game`s shedding of its initial identity as a "spin-off" from World of Warcraft. Yong Woo would later confirm the change was not intended to mean "anything special".
Nov. 25
- The official Twitter account shares a link to a Hearthstone Murloc Yule Log video, featuring a variety of carols sung by murlocs.
Dec. 1
- Mean Streets of Gadgetzan is released in the Americas region, followed by the other regions on Dec. 2.
- A Hearthstone commercial for The Murloc Winter Veil Album is released. A telephone number provided to order the album leads to an encounter with murloc line operators.
2017
Feb. 9
- The first ever official Arena rankings are posted, listing the top 100 players in the Americas and Europe regions.
Feb. 23
- The first ever official Wild format Ranked play standings are released, for the Jan. season.