Hearthstone Dev Tracker

Casper "Hunterace" Notto is the only person that can say “I am the number one point-earner worldwide.” He is also the only player competing at the upcoming HCT 2019 World Championship that did not play on stage at HCT Summer, HCT Fall, or HCT Winter. You take these facts, and you add it to the major set change upheaval in the professional scene, and suddenly people start doubting the wunderkind.

This is foolish of course, as Hunterace is approximately the most consistent Hearthstone player to ever touch the game. His laundry list of merits is a parade of single-digit placements. Out of the 9 HCT Tour Stops Hunterace played in last year, he placed top 8 at seven of them, including wins in both Seoul and Italy, 2nd place in Toronto and Germany, and a semifinal finish in Tokyo. He was the first player to ever hit 3-Star Master—the highest points status tier a player could achieve in the previous system.

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Over the past few weeks we’ve unveiled both the Asia-Pacific and European Hearthstone Grandmasters roster for the first two seasons. Today we’re ready to share 15 of the 16 competitors that will represent the Americas region! The 16th spot is reserved for the Americas player with the best placeme...

The Hearthstone Championship Tour (HCT) 2019 World Championship kicks off in Taipei on April 25 with the world’s 16 best Hearthstone players from the Americas, Asia-Pacific, China, and Europe competing to win the 2019 Hearthstone World Champion title and the lion’s share of the $1,000,000 prize pool.

Choose Your Champion

We’re excited to share that Choose Your Champion will be returning for the ...

Team China’s 3:0 win over Brazil at the 2018 Hearthstone Global Games Finals was one for the history books. China has always had a massive competitive presence, with some of the scenes largest third-party events taking place in the country. Ahead of the 2019 HCT World Championship we wanted to give a brief introduction to the three players representing the region at the most prestigious tournament of the year.

Xu "LFyueying" Kai

To play on stage at the Hearthstone World Championship is a dream come true for LFyueying. “I just want to tell people not to give up easily in anything you do,” he said. “I experienced a down period in my Hearthstone career as well. I lost every tournament narrowly. It was very difficult, but I managed to pull through, so here I am. I think if you have a goal, you should try your best. Do not leave room for regrets.”

LFyueying was born in Haikou City, Hainan, but currently resides in Zhenjiang,...

The final results for Hearthstone Ranked Standard and Arena play in March 2019 are in!

The players featured below have employed top notch deck building skills, in-the-moment decision making, and unyielding dedication to achieve a most noteworthy feat!

Dynamic ladder rankings are now also available for the Standard and Wild ladders. Moving forward, Arena rankings will reflect players’ best 30 consecutive runs throughout a season. The first Rise of Shadows Arena season began on April 9th, and will run for about two months.

Pull up a chair and join us as we toast to the month’s best players!

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The tavern is decked out in typical Noblegarden finery and our Hearthstone heroes are full of festive cheer. This isn’t your typical spring fling, though - the League of E.V.I.L. is in town, which means that this year’s celebrations have been tainted by the terrible tinkerer himself – Dr. Boom!

The Ignoblegarden festivities last from April 17 – 21. Here's what's in store:

New Tavern Brawl!

According to Dr. Boom, what a holiday really needs to succeed is tons of big-kaboom explosives. Play around with some adorable Egg-Bombs in the Tavern Brawl during this year’s (ig)Noblegarden event, but be careful, some of them might be rotten!

Cho...

Before going pro in Hearthstone, Tyler “Tyler” Hoang Nguyen was a well-known fashion blogger and photographer. With over one million (!) followers on his companies Instagram, he was invited to cover New York Fashion Week in 2014 as an influencer.

“I was getting connections with other Instagram bloggers and fashion bloggers and I was d...

The launch of Hearthstone Grandmasters is a little over a month away! Today we’re ready to unveil 15 of the 16 players competing on behalf of Europe for the first two seasons. The 16th spot is reserved for whichever player from the region has the best placement at the ...

The Hearthstone Championship Tour (HCT) concludes with one final epic showdown between the very best Hearthstone players in the world at the 2019 HCT World Championship in Taipei on April 25–28, and you won’t want to miss experiencing all the fun in person! In addition to watching the thrilling matches that will determine who will go home with the lion’s share of the tournament’s $1 million prize pool—and the title of Hearthstone World Champion—Blizzard Entertainment is transforming Heping Basketball Gymnasium and the surrounding area into a celebration of all things Hearthstone.

Watch the Best Hearthstone Pros Compete to Become World Champion¹

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In the leadup to the launch of Hearthstone Grandmasters on May 17, we’ll be introducing you to the players that will make up each region for the first two seasons. The following players have been invited to join Grandmasters based on criteria including lifetime earnings, points earned during HCT 2018, seasonal points leaders, contributions to the Hearthstone community, and more.

Here are your Asia-Pacific Hearthstone Grandmasters, including their all-time favorite decks, cards, and cardbacks!

Ng “Blitzchung” Wai Chung, Hong Kong – Top Points Earner

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The Rise of Shadows is nearly upon us! In this Hearthstone update we’re sharpening swords, feeding familiars, and stockpiling staves in preparation for descent into Dalaran and the launch of Rise of Shadows on April 9. This expansion introduces 135 devious new cards to add to your collection, kicks off the Year of the Dragon, adds in our first Arena set rotation, and much more!

Read on for details on everything that’s new in the tavern, and what’s included in the upcoming Rise of Shadows expansion!

Live Now!

Archmage Vargoth

Try Archmage Vargoth early, for free! This Neutral Legendary spinner of spells and defender of Dalaran will be automatically added to your collection and can be played RIGHT NOW in Standard & Wild matches before Rise of Shadows officially launches on April 9.

Greetings, everyone! I’m Tian, a Senior Data Scientist on the Hearthstone team, and I’m here to talk about the new smart deck builder feature. I’m hoping to answer some of the questions that have bubbled up in the community since this feature was recently introduced.

Let’s start off with a simple introduction to the feature before we dive into what I know you’re really here for – the science!

What is the Smart Deck Builder?

We know that creating a new Hearthstone deck can be a fun and rewarding experience for a lot of experienced players, but maybe you’ve taken a break from Hearthstone, or you’re new to the game, or you’re on a time crunch, or just need a little help turning your collection of cards into something you’re proud to take to the ladder. That’s where the smart deck builder comes in. Its purp...

Last month we revealed the new three-tiered Hearthstone Masters program which is now well underway with ongoing Masters Qualifiers sending approximately 250 players to the ...

At two mana a pop, Hunter Secrets can add up throughout the early game in Hearthstone, especially in a deck like Spell Hunter, where tripping up an opponent on a Freezing Trap or a Wandering Monster can be the difference between a win and a loss. Get the low-down on how to mitigate those pesky Hunter Secrets with this week’s episode of Well Played!

There you have it! Let us know how your Secret Hunter–hunting goes, whether on ladder or in a ...

Introduced in Rastakhan’s Rumble, Mojomaster Zihi is a disruptive six-mana 5/5 with a spicy Battlecry ability that sets each player’s Mana Crystals back to five. Learn how Mojomaster Zihi can turn the tide of battle in the latest episode of Well Played, which is all about effective card timing.

Next time you’re worried about that enemy Clone Priest playing Zerek’s Cloning Gallery, slam down the Mojomaster and watch their game plan fall to the wayside for a few more turns. Thanks for watching and stay tuned for another episode of Well Played soon.

Fireside Gatherings are a big part of Hearthstone. There’s nothing quite like going to a coffee shop, game store, restaurant, inn, or tavern with a group of friends and indulging in one of your favorite pastimes. Fireside Gatherings have taken off in a big way since they were first introduced in 2014, and we want to get that experience to even more players than ever before.

In 2019, we hope you’ll pull up a chair by the hearth at a Microsoft Store near you!

It’s Pre-Release season once more, and it feels like the shadows are creeping up on us. There’s certainly something villainous in the offing—scowls and menacing looks abound as the unmistakable scent of E.V.I.L. fills the air.

Embrace the E.V.I.L. this Pre-Release season by hosting a Pre-Release party! The Rise of Shadows Pre-Release will run from 10 a.m. PDT on April 5 to 10 a.m. PDT on April 8. (Secret passwords at the door are recommended for maximum effect.)

If you haven’t attended a Pre-Release party before, click here for a refresher on what to expect.

Rise of Shadows Pre-Release Parties

Hearthstone: Rise of Shadows!

Do you sense that? Forbidden whispers echoing in the wind. The groan of a coiled spring aching to be sprung. Pilfered coins clinking as they’re counted under candlelight. The distant croak of a frog . . . in a witch’s hat? Something evil is assuredly afoot, and it has designs on the mystical floating city of Dalaran!

Launching worldwide on April 9, Rise of Shadows is Hearthstone’s newest expansion, featuring 135 new cards, a host of game improvements—including Arena rotations—and brand-new mechanics!

Under the leadership of Arch-villain Rafaam, notorious ne’er-do-wells from across Hearthstone’s history have heeded the call and banded together under the decidedly unsubtle but exceptionally fitting moniker—the League of EV.I.L.!

After years working on their own and constantly being foiled, fluste...

The HCT 2019 World Championship, the biggest Hearthstone tournament of the year, will take place this April in Taipei, where 16 exceptional players from around the globe will come together to duel not only for the title of World Champion, but for their share of the $1,000,000 prize pool. Four groups of four players will compete in a dual-tournament format until only eight remain, at which point the competition will shift to a single-elimination bracket.

There are many reasons to watch the Hearthstone World Championship this year. It’s the last event ever for the Hearthstone Championship Tour (HCT), marking the beginning of a ...

The final results for Hearthstone Ranked Standard and Arena play in February 2019 are in!

The players featured below have employed top notch deck building skills, in-the-moment decision making, and unyielding dedication to achieve a most noteworthy feat!

Dynamic ladder rankings are now also available for the Standard and Wild ladders.

Pull up a chair and join us as we toast to the month’s best players!

• Standard
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