Hearthstone 'Whispers of the Old Gods' expansion: full breakdown (Aug 26)

Hearthstone "Whispers of the

Old Gods" — full expansion breakdown

Hearthstone's Whispers of the Old Gods expansion launches August 26, 2026. The expansion is the first Old Gods-themed expansion since the 2016 original, and the most-anticipated Hearthstone expansion since Murder at Castle Nathria (2022).

The expansion adds 135 new cards, the Corruption keyword, the Old Gods neutral minion cycle, and the return of Twist mode. The launch is bundled with 110 free packs for existing players, the most- generous launch reward in Hearthstone history.

The Corruption keyword

Corruption is the new Hearthstone keyword for Whispers of the Old Gods. The keyword:

• Cards with Corruption are

sold at a discount from the start

• After you play a card

with Corruption, the card is "upgraded" — the stats, effects, or both improve on the next turn

• The Corruption upgrade is

permanent for the rest of the game

Example cards:

• Corrupted Cleric (1

mana, 1/2) — On turn 2, becomes a 2/3 with +1/+1 and "Deathrattle: Draw a card"

• Corrupted Acolyte (2

mana, 2/3) — On turn 3, becomes a 3/4 with Battlecry: "Give a random friendly minion +2/+2"

• Corrupted Cultist (3

mana, 3/4) — On turn 4, becomes a 4/5 with "Battlecry: Discover a spell"

• Corrupted Old God (7

mana, 7/7) — On turn 8, becomes an 8/8 with "Battlecry: Destroy all enemy minions"

The Corruption keyword is a slow-burn tempo mechanic. The card is under-statted on turn 1, but over-statted on turn 2+. The trade-off is tempo for value.

The Old Gods neutral minion

cycle

The 4 Old Gods (C'Thun, Yogg-Saron, Y'Shaarj, N'Zoth) are the headline cards of the expansion. Each is a 10-mana legendary with a unique win condition:

C'Thun (the final boss)

• 10 mana, 10/10
• Battlecry: Deal 10

damage to all enemy minions

• C'Thun counters: deal

30+ damage split across multiple enemies

• Best in: Control

Warrior, Control Priest

Yogg-Saron (the wild card)

• 10 mana, 10/10
• Battlecry: Cast all

spells you've played this game on random targets

• Yogg-Saron counters:

play 10+ spells in the game

• Best in: Spell Mage,

Miracle Rogue

Y'Shaarj (the summon)

• 10 mana, 10/10
• Battlecry: Summon a

random minion from your hand and attack with it

• Y'Shaarj counters: play

high-cost minions

• Best in: Big Priest,

Big Warrior

N'Zoth (the resurrector)

• 10 mana, 10/10
• Deathrattle: Resummon

all your Deathrattle minions that died this game

• N'Zoth counters: play

5+ Deathrattle minions

• Best in: Deathrattle

Hunter, Deathrattle Rogue

The 110 free packs

The launch includes 110 free packs for existing players:

• 10 free packs on

login (Aug 26-30)

• 10 free packs for

winning 5 Standard games (Aug 26-Sep 2)

• 10 free packs for

winning 5 Battlegrounds games (Aug 26-Sep 2)

• 10 free packs for

winning 5 Mercenaries games (Aug 26-Sep 2)

• 10 free packs for

completing 5 Solo Adventures (Aug 26-Sep 2)

• 20 free packs for

playing 30 games in any mode (Aug 26-Sep 30)

• 20 free packs for the

Twitch Drops event (Aug 26-Sep 9)

• 20 free packs for

the YouTube drops event (Aug 26-Sep 9)

Total: 110 free packs, enough to guarantee 1-2 Legendary cards (with pity timers). The 110 free packs are the most-generous launch reward in Hearthstone history.

The Twist mode return

Twist mode returns as a permanent mode with 3 formats:

• Whispers Twist — only

Old Gods cards allowed

• Standard Twist — only

the current Standard rotation

• Wild Twist — every

card ever printed

Twist mode has been a rotating limited-time mode since 2022. The Whispers of the Old Gods expansion makes it permanent for the first time.

The Twist format ladder is separate from Standard and Wild — your Twist rank is independent.

The new Solo Adventures

3 new Solo Adventures are included with the expansion:

• The Old Gods Await —

8 bosses, the main campaign

• C'Thun's Return — 4

bosses, the C'Thun finale

• Whispers of the Past —

4 bosses, the Old Gods flashback

The Solo Adventures are free with the expansion purchase (or free with the preorder bonus). Each Adventure rewards 2 packs on first clear.

The new class cards

Each of the 11 Hearthstone classes gets 2 class Legendaries in the expansion. The headline class cards:

• Warrior: **Deathwing

the Corrupted** (8 mana, 8/8) — Battlecry: Destroy a minion and gain its stats

• Priest: **Ysera the

Corrupted** (7 mana, 7/7) — Battlecry: Add a random Old God to your hand

• Mage: **Archmage

Antonidas the Awakened** (8 mana, 5/7) — Your spells cost (1) less

• Rogue: **Tess

Greymane the Corrupted** (7 mana, 6/6) — Battlecry: Cast all spells from your opponent's class

• Hunter: **Deathstalker

Rexxar the Awakened** (6 mana, 5/5) — Battlecry: Add a custom beast to your hand

• Paladin: **Tirion

Fordring the Corrupted** (8 mana, 6/6) — Divine Shield, Taunt, Deathrattle: Summon an Old God

• Warlock: **Wilfred

Fizzlebang the Corrupted** (6 mana, 5/5) — Your spells cost (0)

• Druid: **Cenarius

the Corrupted** (8 mana, 8/8) — Choose One: Summon a 6/6 Treant or gain 6 mana crystals

• Shaman: **Al'Akir

the Corrupted** (5 mana, 5/5) — Windfury, Divine Shield, Taunt

• Mage: **Jaina

Proudmoore the Awakened** (9 mana, 7/7) — Battlecry: Cast 3 random Mage spells

• Demon Hunter: **Illidan

Stormrage the Corrupted** (7 mana, 7/7) — Battlecry: Summon 2 3/2 Illidari

What's next

• Aug 26: Whispers of

the Old Gods launches

• Sep 2: First balance

patch (expect C'Thun and Yogg-Saron nerfs)

• Sep 30: First Solo

Adventure clear reward deadline

• Q4 2026: The next

expansion (rumored to be "Festival of the Damned")

FAQ

When does Whispers of

the Old Gods launch?

August 26, 2026.

What is the Corruption

keyword?

A keyword where a card is sold at a discount and "upgrades" on the next turn. The card is under-statted on turn 1 but over-statted on turn 2+.

What are the 4 Old Gods?

C'Thun (AoE damage), Yogg-Saron (cast random spells), Y'Shaarj (summon from hand), N'Zoth (resurrect Deathrattles). All 10 mana, all Legendaries.

Are there free packs for

existing players?

Yes, 110 free packs for login, wins in various modes, Twitch drops, and YouTube drops. The most- generous launch reward in Hearthstone history.

When is the next Hearthstone

expansion?

Q4 2026, rumored to be "Festival of the Damned" (a Halloween-themed expansion).

Is Twist mode permanent?

Yes, Whispers of the Old Gods makes Twist mode permanent for the first time, with 3 formats (Whispers, Standard, Wild).

What is the best Old God?

C'Thun is the most- consistent (the 10 damage AoE is good in any meta). Yogg-Saron is the most- fun (the random spell casting is high-variance but high-reward). N'Zoth is the most-competitive (the resummon is the strongest Deathrattle effect).

How much does Whispers

of the Old Gods cost?

$49.99 for 60 packs (plus the 110 free packs for existing players). $79.99 for the Mega Bundle (80 packs + 2 Golden Legendaries + the new Druid Hero + a Whispers card back).