Calling All Ye Duelists: The Grand Tournament Comes to Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft This August

Starting next week, prepare for battle by pre-purchasing a bundle of 50 card packs at a special one-time price of $49.99 and receive a unique themed card back

The Grand Tournament key art (Graphic: Business Wire)

IRVINE, Calif.--()--Excitement is in the air as brave champions hailing from the icy reaches of Northrend to the deserts of southern Kalimdor ready their lances for battle. This can mean only one thing—The Grand Tournament™ is soon to begin! Let it be known throughout the land that the upcoming expansion to Blizzard Entertainment’s Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™ will bring knightly combatants together from all over to prove their martial prowess. All told, The Grand Tournament will welcome 132 noble cards to the (round) table as well as introduce an all-new keyword—Inspire.

The Grand Tournament transports brave Hearthstone duelists to the frigid continent of Northrend, where the heroes of the Argent Crusade once held a tournament to coax out Azeroth’s greatest fighters—and prepare them to battle the undead legions at the icy heart of the realm. The Lich King’s evil has been vanquished, but that doesn’t mean the jousting has to stop . . . the competitive atmosphere’s just a lot more playful (and a bit warmer) than it used to be.

When rallying new recruits to their cause, players will notice that some of these knights possess an all-new keyword—Inspire. Minions with the Inspire keyword have a special ability that can only be activated by using the Hero’s Power. This means that Hero Powers now play an even greater role in strategy, as they can be used to inspire some minions to reach their full potential in battle by calling reinforcements, restoring health, and much more! Players will want to use these minions wisely to give their play the perfect boost!

Coming this August to PC, Windows, iOS, and Android tablets, and mobile phones, The Grand Tournament card packs will be winnable in Hearthstone’s Arena mode and purchasable with in-game gold or real money at the same prices as Hearthstone’s other card packs. Starting next week, anyone ready for battle can pre-purchase The Grand Tournament card packs in a special 50-pack bundle, on any platform, for a one-time price of $49.99 (one purchase per account) up until release. Doing so will reward them handsomely with a triumphant new card back . . . and the unbridled joy that can only come from opening dozens of card packs when the Grand Tournament begins.

To read up on all things related to The Grand Tournament, visit thegrandtourney.com.

About Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.

Best known for blockbuster hits including World of Warcraft® and the Warcraft®StarCraft®, and Diablo® franchises, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard (NASDAQ: ATVI), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment software renowned for creating some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed games. Blizzard Entertainment’s track record includes nineteen #1 games* and multiple Game of the Year awards. The company’s online-gaming service, Battle.net®, is one of the largest in the world, with millions of active players.

*Sales and/or downloads, based on internal company records and reports from key distribution partners.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements:

Information in this press release that involves Blizzard Entertainment's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future, including statements about pricing, preorder dates, release dates, and features of Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft and The Grand Tournament expansion, are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause Blizzard Entertainment's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include unanticipated product delays and other factors identified in the risk factors sections of Activision Blizzard’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K and any subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Blizzard Entertainment and Activision Blizzard as of the date of this release, and neither Blizzard Entertainment nor Activision Blizzard assumes any obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of the future performance of Blizzard Entertainment or Activision Blizzard and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond its control and may cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.

Contacts

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Rob Hilburger
VP, Global Communications
949.242.8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Emil Rodriguez
Director, Global PR
949.955.1380 x12064
elrodriguez@blizzard.com
or
Lyndsi Achucarro
Associate PR Manager
949.955.1380 x12650
lachucarro@blizzard.com

Release Summary

Calling all ye duelists: The Grand Tournament, the second expansion for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, begins this August!

Contacts

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc.
Rob Hilburger
VP, Global Communications
949.242.8404
rhilburger@blizzard.com
or
Emil Rodriguez
Director, Global PR
949.955.1380 x12064
elrodriguez@blizzard.com
or
Lyndsi Achucarro
Associate PR Manager
949.955.1380 x12650
lachucarro@blizzard.com