Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment in 2014. Set in the Warcraft universe, a vast fantasy world full of different characters and locations, Hearthstone features iconic characters, spells, and abilities from Blizzard’s long-running franchise. The game has gained and maintained significant popularity since its release years ago, with an estimated 314,894 active players as of February 13, 2025. The game’s presence on streaming platforms like Twitch has also been notable, with Hearthstone events on Twitch averaging around 15,000 viewers in October 2024.
The game revolves around turn-based card battles that task players with acting as a hero from one of the game’s many factions, such as the Alliance or Horde. Players can pick their hero from one of nine possible fantasy classes in the game, including Warrior, Mage, Druid, and others. As with any class system, each choice has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Players build decks of 30 cards before entering a match, which include minions, spells, and weapons. After that, players move from turn to turn, playing as many cards as they can against their opponent before running out of available mana.
Blizzard Entertainment announced a new event for Hearthstone via a post on the game’s official X (formerly Twitter) account called “Year of the Raptor.” The post declares that Hearthstone will be celebrating the Year of the Raptor by providing some new event themed content. It includes an embedded YouTube video, featuring a minute long Hearthstone cinematic themed around the Year of the Raptor. Characters all throughout the presumable Warcraft universe band together and explore as new enemies arise, all while a motivational song plays in the background. The video ends by stating “New year. New adventures. Will you answer the call?”
The Year of the Raptor will bring three new Hearthstone expansion packs in 2025, along with Mini-Sets, and Battlegrounds seasons which Blizzard Entertainment claims will continue to “make up the core Hearthstone experience and [their] primary focus for the year.” The year’s first expansion pack is named Into the Emerald Dream, and the game will feature a special in-game event in the weeks leading up to its launch, as well as a new Year of the Raptor themed game board.
Blizzard Entertainment also emphasizes that when it comes to esports in 2025, Hearthstone is all in. Its competitive system will consist of two Seasonal Championships and the World Championship, and the competition will partner with Netease Thunderfire for a total of at least $600,000 in prizing.
Hearthstone is available for free on both iOS and Android devices.