Hearthstone, the strategic card game developed and published by Blizzard Entertainment, welcomes The Escape from the Purple Fort on PC, Mac, iOS and Android since July 8, 2026. This expansion pits players against an escape attempt from the Purple Fort, one of Azeroth’s most dreaded prisons, and introduces 135 new cards along with several systems designed to enrich matches. Blizzard continues to push the game's ongoing development with fresh deck-building possibilities.
The trailer centers on Vanessa VanCleef, leading a band of prisoners determined to break free. The footage offers glimpses of several locations inside the Purple Fort, introduces the key players behind the daring breakout, and showcases the new cards in action. It also teases the mechanics this expansion brings to the table, built on cunning, rule-bending, and a willingness to take risks.
"Vanessa VanCleef hatches a daring escape from Azeroth's maximum-security prison, the Purple Fortress, with a crew of infamous inmates".
This scenario weaves together the new cards and the fresh characters, all revolving around the idea of a meticulously planned heist.
This expansion shakes up games with several new mechanics. The new keyword Preparation lets you reduce a card’s cost by using the mana crystals remaining on the turn it’s added to your deck, making it easier to play later.
Blizzard also introduces disguised minions, a first for Hearthstone. These cards can be played on the opponent’s side of the board to disrupt the other player’s strategy, or stay on your own side to enjoy their usual effects. The Bribe cards, meanwhile, follow a different principle: they grant a significant advantage to the user while offering a more limited benefit to the opponent. Finally, each class gets a legendary outlaw minion designed to bypass one of the game’s core rules.
Escape from Violet Hold adds 135 collectible cards to Hearthstone, available from launch. Blizzard is highlighting the Preparation, Disguise and Bribe mechanics, which change how certain turns are played and open up new deck-building possibilities.
As with the game's earlier content, this expansion is built directly into Hearthstone. Its arrival is expected to shift players' strategies ahead of the next balance changes and the future expansions Blizzard already has in the pipeline.
With Escape from the Purple Fort, Blizzard rolls out a new wave of cards and mechanics for Hearthstone while reimagining its world around an escape-themed storyline. We'll be watching how these additions settle into the various game modes in the weeks ahead.
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Dates and Opening Time
Starts July 8, 2026
Official website
hearthstone.blizzard.com
