Hear Ye, Hear Ye: The Grand TournamentHas Begun!

Second Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft expansion adds over 130 cards

IRVINE, Calif.--()--The Grand Tournament, the second expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning online strategy card game, Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft, is now live, and players around the world are invited to join in on the fun. This expansion brings over 130 knightly cards to the (round) table, along with exciting new game mechanics that will delight duelists and inspire creative new deck strategies.

The Grand Tournament takes players to the frost-covered continent of Northrend, where the heroes of the Argent Crusade once held a prestigious tournament to select the bravest and mightiest champions in all the land. Though the evil that once held this realm captive has been vanquished and order restored, the jousting continues in the spirit of fun and friendly competition!

This expansion presents duelists with powerful new tools for their arsenals, allowing them to motivate their brave champions through the Inspire mechanic or challenge an opponent to single combat in its most honorable form—the joust. Inspired minions, which are triggered by using a Hero Power, can grow in strength, restore health, and even call for reinforcements. Jousts are one-on-one contests between random minions drawn from each player’s deck. The stakes are high—if the initiating player wins a joust, they’ll earn a substantial bonus.

“With the new Inspire and Joust mechanics, and over 130 new cards to play with, The Grand Tournament brings a fun medieval-tournament vibe to Hearthstone,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We can’t wait to see what players come up with now that they have their hands full with tons of new deck and strategy options.”

The Grand Tournament is available now for Windows® and Mac® PCs, iOS and Android tablets, and mobile phones. Card packs can be purchased individually or in discounted bundles from the in-game Shop for gold or real-world currency (same pricing as all other Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft card packs). Players now also have the chance to win The Grand Tournament card packs as rewards in Arena Mode, or craft cards from the expansion by using Arcane Dust, which is collected from disenchanting unwanted cards.

For more information on all things related to The Grand Tournament, visit www.thegrandtourney.com.

With multiple games in development, Blizzard Entertainment has numerous positions currently available—visit http://jobs.blizzard.com for more information and to learn how to apply.

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-selling 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 scheduled release dates, 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

The Grand Tournament, the second expansion for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, is now live! With over 130 new cards and all-new game mechanic, this expansion is sure to delight duelists everywhere.

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