Summary
Hearthstonejust revealed some massive plans for the Year of the Raptor, the standard year for 2025, including three exciting expansions, new types of cosmetics including evolving game boards and Pets, and a revival of its esports program. The Year of the Raptor officially kicks off inHearthstonestarting with the launch ofInto the Emerald Dream, the first new card set of 2025.
During the recent Warcraft Direct,Hearthstonerevealed some exciting new information, including the Heroes of StarCraft Mini-Set forThe Great Dark Beyond, plus the three expansions coming in 2025:Into the Emerald Dream,The Shrouded City, andThe Heroes of Time. Though theStarCraftMini-Set forHearthstonehas since been released, Blizzard had not shared much else about what was in store for the CCG in 2025 since then.
Now,Hearthstonehas broken its silence in a big way. Blizzard recently shared a bunch of details about the Year of the Raptor – theHearthstonestandard year for 2025 – including a cinematic trailer music video teasing all three new expansions. In addition to manycards being added and removed from theHearthstoneCore set this year, three brand-new cards are coming as well: Falric and Poison Breath for Death Knight, and Babbling Bookcase for Mage. These cards will be added to the game shortly before those fromInto the Emerald Dream, which fans will start seeing over the course of the next several weeks leading up to the expansion’s release.
The Year of the Raptor also adds a twist to how certain cosmetics work. ThoughHearthstonerecently stopped adding new boards for every expansion pack, it is now introducing evolving boards with the Year of the Raptor. This single board is inspired by all three of the card sets coming in 2025 and will feature unique lighting, music, and other components that will change for each expansion. What’s more, the mysterious Pets collectible cosmetics are expected to arrive inHearthstonewith the final update ofInto the Emerald Dream, right whenThe Shrouded Citycard reveals begin.
Afterbeing dialed back inHearthstonefor the last couple of years, esports is also returning in a big way, with two Seasonal Championships and the World Championship currently planned as the core of the competitive year. Fans can look forward to hearing dates, prize pools, and other information aboutHearthstoneesports soon.
There are plenty of other things for players to look forward to in the Year of the Raptor as well, including amajor Arena overhaul inHearthstoneplanned for the first major update afterInto the Emerald Dreamlaunches, the Unleash the Raptor in-game event leading up to the new Core set rotation, and Mini-Sets and events during all three expansions. While the excitement doesn’t have an exact release date yet, fans can expect to learn whenInto the Emerald Dreamand the Year of the Raptor Core set refresh will arrive when card reveal season begins the week of February 18.
Hearthstone
WHERE TO PLAY
Deceptively simple, insanely fun. Sheathe your sword, draw your deck, and get ready for Hearthstone—the fast-paced strategy card game that’s easy to learn and massively fun. You’ll play your cards to sling spells, summon creatures, and command the heroes of Warcraft in duels of epic strategy. Did we mention it’s free to play? Get Packed for Paradise with Hearthstone’s newest expansion, Perils in Paradise.Play on your own schedule—most games take less than 10 minutes whether you’re battling your friends or the AI. Hearthstone’s easy to learn and extremely accessible gameplay is available for Windows, Mac, and iPad.Your deck is centered around a legendary hero and composed of minions, spells, items, and abilities from the epic Warcraft universe. While you play, the sights, sounds, and other details packed into Hearthstone bring the Warcraft universe to life in a way you’ve never experienced before.
