Patch 37.0 arrives October 13, expansion launches October 20 (per Blizzard)
Blizzard has published the Hearthstone 37.0 Patch Notes, outlining what’s coming when the update goes live on October 13, and how it feeds into the next expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, launching on October 20. For MacGaming.com readers who keep up with live-service card games, this is one of those “systems plus season reset” patches: it introduces a new in-client progression structure, updates Arena, and sets up multiple limited-time events and cosmetics.
Reign of the Black Empire: 135 cards, Old Gods, and the Assemble keyword
Blizzard says Reign of the Black Empire is a 135-card expansion featuring the four Old Gods “at the height of their power,” plus a new Assemble keyword that lets players create custom minions. Blizzard also notes you can browse cards in the in-game Card Library and that pre-purchase bundles are available ahead of launch.
Rewards Track refresh: new track and a level 100 Diamond card
With the expansion, Blizzard is refreshing the Rewards Track with the usual spread of XP boosts, cards, Gold, and packs. Blizzard adds that players who acquire the Tavern Pass and reach level 100 can claim the Diamond Rajh card.
Blizzard also says each class will receive an updated Deck Recipe featuring new expansion cards, alongside two additional recipes: one using Core cards and another featuring cards from Escape from Violet Hold.
New: Tavern Rewards (earn “Tavern Tender” from eligible shop purchases)
A major new system highlighted in Blizzard’s notes is Tavern Rewards, described as a way to earn extra in-game items via eligible purchases in the Hearthstone Battle.net Shop. Blizzard’s summary is straightforward: Shop. Earn. Redeem. Eligible purchases award Tavern Tender at no additional cost, which can be redeemed in a Tavern Rewards Vault on Battle.net for a rotating selection of rewards.
Blizzard says the Vault will include a mix of packs, signature cards, card backs, hero skins, and more, with items rotating over time. Blizzard also notes Tavern Rewards will be available in all Hearthstone regions except Mainland China.
Additionally, Blizzard says the Battle.net Shop will offer a free weekly reward claimable every Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. PDT.
The Journal gets bigger: “Journey” is now live
Blizzard has also launched Journey, found inside the Hearthstone Journal. Blizzard frames Journey as the expansion’s hub, combining story (including voiced vignettes), Journey Quests, rewards, events, and seasonal experiences into a single campaign structure. The same section notes that Achievements are now called “Feats”, with Blizzard emphasizing it’s a name change rather than a functional overhaul.
Pre-Release Tavern Brawl returns with a new deckbuilding format (Oct 13–20)
Blizzard is bringing back the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl, running from October 13 at 10:00 a.m. PDT (when Patch 37.0 goes live) through October 20 at 10:00 a.m. PDT (when the expansion launches). The hook this time is an updated structure designed to push early experimentation with the new set.
Key rules and details, per Blizzard:
Decks can be built using only cards from Reign of the Black Empire. Players get temporary trial copies of all Common and Rare cards from the expansion during the event. Before building, players choose from predefined multi-class combinations (most are three-class combinations), with one special two-class option featuring enhanced C’Thun synergies. Blizzard notes the card generation pool includes Reign of the Black Empire and Standard.
Blizzard says all players receive one free entry. After that, each entry costs 2 Tavern Tickets, 300 Gold, or 400 Runestones. Runs end at 6 wins or 3 losses.
Blizzard also adds two new Feats tied to the mode, including rewards like Tavern Tickets, a pack, and a card back for an undefeated run.
Arena reset and new season card pool (starts Oct 13)
For Arena regulars, Blizzard says Patch 37.0 will end all ongoing runs on October 13 and start a new Arena season. The season’s set lineup, per Blizzard, includes:
Reign of the Black Empire, Across the Timeways, TITANS, Showdown in the Badlands, Perils in Paradise, the Core Set, and Event Set.
Notably, Blizzard states that cards from Reign of the Black Empire will enter the Arena pool on October 13, a week before the expansion fully releases on October 20.
Blizzard also highlights an Arena reward update: achieving 12 wins in Underground now awards the Il’gynoth Hero Skin for Demon Hunter. After unlocking it, Blizzard says subsequent 12-win runs award 2 Golden Reign of the Black Empire packs instead. Blizzard adds that once the expansion launches on October 20, Arena/Underground pack rewards will switch from Escape from Violet Hold to Reign of the Black Empire.
Time-limited events: Reign of the Black Empire event (Oct 20–Nov 10) and Diablo crossover (Nov 10–Dec 1)
Blizzard outlines multiple event windows tied to rewards and cosmetics.
Reign of the Black Empire event (Oct 20–Nov 10): Blizzard says players can complete Event Quests and earn Event XP for rewards including multiple packs (from both Reign of the Black Empire and Escape from Violet Hold) and the Ritual N’Zoth Warlock hero skin.
30 Years of Terror (Nov 10–Dec 1): Blizzard is also running a Diablo-themed crossover event with Event Quests and rewards, plus the Dark Wanderer Warlock hero skin. Blizzard further notes the Dark Wanderer Tavern Brawl runs Nov 10–18, using Wild deckbuilding and a persistent-progression boss challenge that culminates in a Diablo encounter. Blizzard also details a separate bundle featuring a Diamond Diablo, Lord of Terror hero skin for Warrior, plus packs and signature epic cards.
Cosmetics and collectibles: Signatures, a Mythic hero skin, and a pet
Blizzard’s patch notes also lean heavily into collection-focused additions tied to Reign of the Black Empire. Highlights include a C’Thun Signature Bundle (Oct 20–Dec 1), a transforming Y’Shaarj Mythic Hero Skin for Priest and Shaman (Oct 23–Dec 1), and an N’Zoth Pet (Nov 3–Dec 1). Blizzard describes the Y’Shaarj skin as transforming after you’ve played 30 Mana worth of minions.
What Mac players should know
Patch-driven cadence matters more than ever for live games, and Blizzard’s 37.0 update is doing a lot of the behind-the-scenes work: updating progression via Journey, refreshing Arena, and pushing new ways to engage with events and cosmetics. As always, platform support details can vary by title and region, and Blizzard’s announcement focuses on features, dates, and in-game systems rather than any platform-specific changes.
Source
This article is based on Blizzard’s official patch notes post, published October 12, 2026.
For the full breakdown straight from Blizzard, read the original post here: https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/article/24301454/37-0-patch-notes
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