Hearthstone’s 33rd expansion, Escape from Violet Hold, launches on July 7th. The expansion features 135 brand-new cards with a focus on Vanessa VanCleef and the most notorious criminals on Azeroth. With the new ‘Prepare’ mechanic, rule-breaking Legendary cards, disguised minions, and even bribes, the whole game is about to be turned upside down.
Escape from Violet Hold introduces a new keyword: Prepare. If a card with Prepare is dragged to the deck, all leftover mana is spent. On the next turn, the cost of the card is reduced by the mana spent plus 1 extra. For example, dragging the new ‘Defias Wannabe’ card (which has a 4 mana cost) to your deck with 2 mana left reduces its cost to just 1 mana next turn.
This expansion features a Legendary card for each class that breaks a rule of Hearthstone in interesting ways. My favourite is the Paladin Legendary, Commander Beatrix, who adds 10 copies of any 2-cost minion to your deck. If you haven’t played Hearthstone in a while, the usual limit for regular cards is just 2. So many possibilities…
Speaking of rule-breaking, Demon Hunters and Druids will be able to bribe their opponent using new spell cards. These provide the user with a tasty benefit while also giving the enemy something nice in return.
For the first time, you’ll be able to directly play specific minions on your opponent’s side of the board. These “Disguised” minions negatively affect your opponent with their effects. Be careful, though. These minions can still be used to attack you.
If you have the speed of a Rogue, you can purchase Escape from Violet Hold pre-purchase bundles to obtain two random Golden Epic cards from the expansion as a free bonus. The Pre-Purchase Mega Bundle contains a treasure trove of goodies, including a signature Vanessa the Ringleader Legendary card, 80 packs, 10 golden packs, 4 Tavern Tickets, a High Commander Beatrix Paladin hero skin and card back, and more.
Not feeling like forking over your hard-earned cash? Players who log in right now will receive Vanessa the Ringleader for free. Plus, you can earn Tunnelling Geomancer, Commissary Crook, and Deadly Bribe by completing in-game events.
If you can’t wait to try out Escape from Violet Hold’s new cards, the Pre-Release Tavern Brawl is available to play up until the expansion launches. See you in there!
Hearthstone is available to play for free on PC, iOS, and Android. Escape from Violet Hold launches on July 7th, 2026, at 6:00 pm BST.
