Hearthstone's next expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, arrives on 20 October 2026, set thousands of years in Azeroth's past. In March 2027 the Monk becomes the game's first new playable class in six years.
What is confirmed
| Item | Date |
|---|---|
| Aberrations minion type, Battlegrounds | 22 September 2026 |
| Reign of the Black Empire | 20 October 2026 |
| Monk class | March 2027 |
| Journal system overhaul | Announced, no date |
Assemble
The expansion introduces Assemble, a keyword that merges the text of two cards into one. Blizzard has not published the full ruleset — how the merge resolves, what happens with conflicting effects, or how it interacts with existing keywords — so the design space is clear but the detail is not.
Mechanics that combine cards rather than adding a single effect tend to reshape deckbuilding more than the card list alone suggests.
The Black Empire
Setting the expansion thousands of years before Azeroth's present puts it in Old God territory — the Black Empire is the era when the Old Gods ruled. Blizzard has not detailed the card list.
Monk, March 2027
Six years without a new class makes this the most significant structural change Hearthstone has had in a long time. A new class changes every format at once: the meta, the arena pool, and the value of collections built around the existing ten.
Battlegrounds: Aberrations
A new minion type joins Battlegrounds on 22 September, ahead of the expansion. Minion type additions change the mode's economy directly — what you can tier up into and what compositions are viable.
What this means for a collection
Two dated changes are worth planning around. The expansion on 20 October rotates the meta as expansions always do. The Monk in March 2027 is different: a new class means a new card pool nobody owns, so collections that look complete now will not be in six months.
If you are weighing a Hearthstone account, the durable value is in the older, rarer cards — golden legendaries and cards from sets no longer in standard rotation cannot be crafted back cheaply, while the current expansion's cards will be widely owned within weeks of release.
Frequently asked questions
When does Reign of the Black Empire release?
20 October 2026.
What is the Assemble keyword in Hearthstone?
A new keyword that merges the text of two cards into one. Blizzard has not published the full ruleset for how the merge resolves.
When does the Monk class come to Hearthstone?
March 2027. It is the game's first new playable class in six years.
What is changing in Hearthstone Battlegrounds?
A new minion type, Aberrations, joins on 22 September 2026, ahead of the expansion.