Hearthstone: Reign of the Black Empire Brings the Old Gods and a New Keyword

Daniel Carter14/09/20262 min read

Hearthstone’s next chapter is going back to the very beginning of Azeroth’s darkness. At BlizzCon 2026, Blizzard revealed Reign of the Black Empire, a new expansion built around the Old Gods, launching October 20.

The Old Gods and a new keyword

Reign of the Black Empire takes the game back to ancient Azeroth, when the Old Gods were at the height of their power. Its headline mechanic is a new keyword, Assemble, which merges two cards into a single stronger one, opening the door to some wildly unpredictable combinations. Blizzard is also rolling out an overhauled Journal that ties every expansion’s quests, achievements and events together in one place.

Aberrations for Battlegrounds, and the Monk arrives

Battlegrounds gets a new minion type, Aberrations, on September 22, born from the corruption and experimentation of the Old Gods. And the big one for veterans: the Monk bursts onto the scene in March 2027 as Hearthstone’s first new playable class in six years, since Demon Hunter in 2020, bringing a fluid, adaptable playstyle to the Tavern.

A rare new class, and a familiar threat

The Old Gods are well-trodden ground for Hearthstone, going back to 2016’s Whispers of the Old Gods, but Reign of the Black Empire is pitched as the definitive take, set at the height of their power. The Assemble keyword is the kind of build-around mechanic that keeps the meta fresh, and the overhauled Journal is a quality-of-life win. But the headline for veterans is the Monk. New classes are extremely rare in Hearthstone, this is only the second in six years, and each one reshapes the entire game. Add the Aberrations shake-up for Battlegrounds, the mode that carries much of the game’s day-to-day player base, and Blizzard is clearly swinging for a strong finish to the year.