Patches


 * ''For the minion card, see Patches the Pirate.

Updates to Hearthstone are made in the form of patches. This page lists all Hearthstone patches to date.

New patches for Hearthstone are released regularly, fixing bugs and adding new cards, card backs and game features. Patches for desktop clients are downloaded automatically from the Battle.net launcher prior to launching the game, and players are required to update to each new patch in order to launch Hearthstone.

Larger patches are released sparingly, adding cards and data for new expansions and adventures, or more rarely major new features. Between these, smaller patches are more commonly released, fixing bugs and adding less-critical content such as new card backs, alternate heroes and cards and data for Tavern Brawls.

Forged in the Barrens

 * Patch 20.4.2.86314 - June 16, 2021
 * A small patch, introducing the first ever banned card in Wild format, Stealer of Souls, and two Battlegrounds card changes.


 * Patch 20.4.0.84593 - June 3, 2021
 * A large patch, adding all the data for Wailing Caverns as well as changes to Battlegrounds, a new Arena rotation, data for Book of Heroes and Book of Mercenaries, and a new crafting system for Card backs and Heroes.


 * Patch 20.2.2.82994 - May 12, 2021
 * A small patch, adding a few balance changes to Standard format and Battlegrounds.


 * Patch 20.2.0.81706 - May 4, 2021
 * A medium patch, adding the new Quilboar tribe to Battlegrounds and Constructed, as well as Tavern Regular portraits and Battle-Ready Decks.


 * Patch 20.0.2.79904 - April 13, 2021
 * A small patch, adding a few balance changes to Standard format, Battlegrounds, and Duels.


 * Forged in the Barrens logo.png Patch 20.0.0.77662 - March 25, 2021
 * A large patch, adding all the data for the Forged in the Barrens set, the new Core and Legacy sets, multiple balance changes, the Classic format, a new hero for Battlegrounds, new Achievements, new rewards for the Rewards Track, and a new Arena rotation.

Madness at the Darkmoon Faire

 * Patch 19.4.1.72661 - January 28, 2021
 * A small patch, adding a balance change to Hysteria and a few Duels balance changes.


 * Patch 19.4.0.71003 - January 21, 2021
 * A large patch, adding the data for Darkmoon Races and the Lunar New Year event. It also contains Battlegrounds and Duels updates.


 * Patch 19.2.1.70828 - 8th January, 2021
 * A small patch, adding a few balance changes to Standard format and Battlegrounds.


 * Patch 19.2.0.68600 - 15th December, 2020
 * A medium patch, adding new heroes, minions, and the limited-time Darkmoon Prizes event to Battlegrounds, as well as balance changes for Constructed, Battlegrounds, and Duels.


 * Madness at the Darkmoon Faire logo.png Patch 19.0.0.65614 - 12th November, 2020
 * A large patch, adding all the data for the Madness at the Darkmoon Faire set, as well as the revamped progression system, new heroes, minor card changes, and some changes to Battlegrounds and Duels.

Scholomance Academy

 * Patch 18.6.1.65000 - 4th November, 2020
 * A medium patch, adjusting various heroes and cards in Battlegrounds and Duels.
 * Patch 18.6.0.63160 - 22nd October, 2020
 * A medium patch, adding the pre-purchase for Madness at the Darkmoon Faire, an alternate hero and card back, the beta for Duels, and card changes in Standard and Battlegrounds.
 * Patch 18.4.2.62331 - 15th October, 2020
 * A small patch, adjusting various heroes and cards in Battlegrounds, including nerfs to Ragnaros the Firelord, the removal of Pogo-Hopper, and Tavern Tier swaps for Lil' Rag and Gentle Djinni.
 * Patch 18.4.0.60352 - 29th September, 2020
 * A large patch, implementing the data for new chapter of Book of Heroes for Hunter, Elemental tribe in Battlegrounds, card changes in Standard, new and returning heroes for Battlegrounds and new Tavern Brawls.
 * Patch 18.2.0.58638 - 9th September, 2020
 * A small patch, attempting a crash fix for golden Micro Mummy in Battlegrounds.
 * Patch 18.2.0.58213 - 8th September, 2020
 * A large patch, adding the data for the new solo adventure Hearthstone Book of Heroes, card changes in Standard and Battlegrounds, new heroes for Battlegrounds, Battlegrounds parties, and the reprise of the Heroic Tavern Brawl.
 * Patch 18.0.2.56359 - 18th August, 2020
 * A small patch, implementing card changes in Standard and Battlegrounds, and adding bug fixes.
 * Scholomance Academy logo.png Patch 18.0.0.54613 - 30th July, 2020
 * A large patch, adding all data for the Scholomance Academy set, some changes to Battlegrounds, and overhauling the card frames for the hunter class and weapons.

Ashes of Outland

 * Patch 17.6.0.53261 - 14th July, 2020
 * A medium patch, adding the Scholomance Academy pre-purchase, Kel'Thuzad mage hero to the game, and card changes in Standard and Battlegrounds.
 * Patch 17.4.1.51510 - 18th June, 2020
 * A small patch, adding balance changes for Battlegrounds and a card change for Twin Slice.
 * Patch 17.4.0.49534 - 9th June, 2020
 * A large patch, adding in the data for the Felfire Festival, an all-new crew of pirates to Battlegrounds, and the new Trial by Felfire Story Adventure.
 * Patch 17.2.2.48705 - 21st May, 2020
 * A minor patch, adding bug fixes.
 * Patch 17.2.1.48313 - 18th May, 2020
 * A small patch, implementing card balance changes in Standard.
 * Patch 17.2.0.47374 - 12th May, 2020
 * A small patch, adding new heroes and changes to Battlegrounds, improvements to Zephrys the Great, the ability to reorder decks, and offering Nemsy Necrofizzle for free in the Shop for a limited time.
 * Patch 17.0.2.45932 - 20th April, 2020
 * A small patch, adding card changes for Standard and Wild, a change in Battlegrounds, and bug fixes.
 * Patch 17.0.0.45310 - 9th April, 2020
 * A small patch, finalizing the card nerfs from the previous day as a client-side patch.
 * Server-side patch (blog post source) - 8th April, 2020
 * A small patch, applying the fastest card nerfs in Hearthstone history, nerfing Demon Hunter cards 1 day after their April 7th release. The cards appeared normal in the collection, but could be seen as functionally nerfed during in-game matches. The patch was applied around 6:30pm PT.
 * Patch 17.0.0.44582 - 30th March, 2020
 * A minor patch, fixing a few bugs introduced in the previous patch.
 * Ashes of Outland logo.png Patch 17.0.0.44222 - 26th March, 2020
 * A large patch, introducing the Year of the Phoenix Hall of Fame rotations, new Priest Classic and Basic cards, several card unnerfs, duplicate protection, a new Arena rotation, and changes to Battlegrounds.

Galakrond's Awakening

 * Patch 16.6.0.43246 - 17th March, 2020
 * A medium patch, adding the Ashes of Outland pre-purchase, Kael'thas Sunstrider and Lady Vashj to the game, reverting the nerfs of Sludge Slurper and four Wild format cards, and adding many large changes to Battlegrounds.
 * Patch 16.4.0.42174 - 26th February, 2020
 * A medium patch, adding major updates to Battlegrounds as well as returning Khadgar to the store and adding a new card back for owning him.
 * Server-side patch (forums post source) - 13th February 2020
 * A small patch, nerfing Floating Watcher in Battlegrounds and fixing a bug with Galakrond, the Nightmare's cost reduction priority.
 * Patch 16.2.3.40734 - 6th February 2020
 * A small patch, fixing a few bugs including changing Risky Skipper into a pirate, as originally intended.
 * Descent of Dragons Galakrond's Awakening logo.png Patch 16.2.0.39954 - 21st January 2020
 * A large patch, adding all data for the Galakrond's Awakening adventure and new changes in Battlegrounds, including many bug fixes.

Descent of Dragons

 * Patch 16.0.8.39282 - 9th January 2020
 * A small patch, adding card changes and balance changes to Standard format and Battlegrounds.
 * Patch 16.0.5.38377 - 19th December 2019
 * A small patch, adding card changes and balance changes to Battlegrounds.
 * Patch 16.0.3.38203 - 12th December 2019
 * A small patch, adding bug fixes, a nerf to Primalfin Lookout in Battlegrounds, and Arena changes.
 * Descent of Dragons logo.png Patch 16.0.0.37060 - 5th December 2019
 * A large patch, adding the data for Descent of Dragons, the Winter Veil event, Battlegrounds updates, a new Arena rotation, a redesigned in-game Shop, Zephrys the Great improvements, and a change to the function of Echo cards.

Saviors of Uldum

 * Server-side patch (blog post source) - 19th November 2019
 * A small patch, updating Battlegrounds with balance updates, bug fixes, and the new heroes Sindragosa, Elise Starseeker, Brann Bronzebeard, and Sir Finley Mrrgglton
 * Patch 15.6.2.36393 - 11th November 2019
 * A medium patch, releasing Battlegrounds into open beta and implementing a handful of buffs and nerfs as well as optimizations for that mode.
 * Patch 15.6.0.35747 - 5th November 2019
 * A large patch, adding the Descent of Dragons pre-purchase, the Battlegrounds game mode, daily quest changes, a Streamer mode, and giving players the free legendary card Sathrovarr.
 * Patch 15.4.0.34670 - 8th October 2019
 * A medium patch, containing all Doom in the Tomb features and the Treasures from the Tomb event cards, as well as new 1000 win portraits.
 * Patch 15.2.0.33717 - 10th September 2019
 * A large patch, adding all data for the Tombs of Terror adventure and a change to the Discover mechanic.
 * Patch 15.0.4.33402 - 26th August 2019
 * A small patch, implementing card nerfs and changes to the game mechanics of Zephrys the Great.
 * Saviors of Uldum logo.png Patch 15.0.0.32708 - 1st August 2019
 * A large patch, adding the data for Saviors of Uldum, a new Arena rotation, and various other game improvements.

Rise of Shadows

 * Patch 14.6.0.31761 - 1st July 2019
 * A medium patch, adding the Saviors of Uldum pre-purchase, cards rotating into the Hall of Fame, new Basic and Classic cards, and card art changes.
 * Patch 14.4.0.31268 - 3rd June 2019
 * A medium patch, adding the new free legendary, SN1P-SN4P, a new Arena rotation, various card buffs, and improved offline access.
 * Patch 14.2.2.31022 - 22nd May 2019
 * A minor patch, containing some card changes.
 * Patch 14.2.0.30795 - 14th May 2019
 * A large patch, adding all data for The Dalaran Heist adventure.
 * Rise of Shadows logo.png Patch 14.0.0.29933 - 4th April 2019
 * A large patch, adding the data for Rise of Shadows, Arena set rotations, cards rotating into the Hall of Fame, and improved deck auto-completion functionality.

Rastakhan's Rumble

 * Patch 13.4.0.29349 - 14th March 2019
 * A large patch, adding data for Rise of Shadows, arena updates, and featuring various game improvements such as reduced app size.
 * Patch 13.2.0.28855 - 5th February 2019
 * A medium patch, adding various card changes and the start of the Lunar New Year event.
 * Patch 13.0.9.28556 - 24th January 2019
 * A small patch, adding a reduction in the number of Stars to climb ranks in Ranked mode.
 * Patch 13.0.3.28329 - 19th December 2018
 * A medium patch, adding card changes and Arena updates.
 * Rastakhan's Rumble logo.png Patch 13.0.0.27845 - 29th November 2018
 * A large patch, adding the data for Rastakhan's Rumble, Winter Veil, and various other updates.

The Boomsday Project

 * Patch 12.4.0.27405 - 5th November 2018
 * A small patch, adding the Rastakhan's Rumble pre-order and four new cards to the Classic set.
 * Patch 12.2.0.27358 - 18th October 2018
 * A small patch, implementing card changes.
 * Patch 12.2.0.26996 - 2nd October 2018
 * A medium patch, adding data for the Hallow's End event, new player ranks, new daily quests, and the new keyword Casts When Drawn.
 * The Boomsday Project logo.png Patch 12.0.0.25770 - 2nd August 2018
 * A large patch, adding the data for The Boomsday Project, arena updates, game mechanics updates, and card changes.

The Witchwood

 * Patch 11.4.0.25252 - 10th July 2018
 * A small patch adding The Boomsday Project preorder.
 * Patch 11.2.0.24769 - 6th June 2018
 * A medium patch, adding the cards and quests for the Taverns of Time event, arena updates, and game mechanics updates.
 * Patch 11.1.1.24589 - 22nd May 2018
 * A medium patch, containing various balance changes.
 * Patch 11.1.0.24377 - 8th May 2018
 * A small patch, with some animations updates, arena updates and bug fixes.
 * The Witchwood logo.png Patch 11.0.0.23966 - 10th April 2018
 * A large patch, adding the data for The Witchwood.

Kobolds & Catacombs

 * Patch 10.4.0.23576 - 11th March 2018
 * A small patch adding The Witchwood preorder, Arena updates, and special events for the Year of the Raven.
 * Patch 10.2.0.23180 - 6th February 2018
 * A medium patch containing various balance changes, Wildfest, a ranked play update and the Mammoth Bundle.
 * Kobolds and Catacombs logo.png Patch 10.0.0.22611 - 6th December 2017
 * A large patch, adding the data for Kobolds & Catacombs.

Knights of the Frozen Throne

 * Patch 9.4.0.22115 - 6th November 2017
 * A small patch adding Marin the Fox and the Kobolds & Catacombs preorder.
 * Patch 9.2.0.21517 - 17th October 2017
 * A small patch, containing arena balance changes, upgraded Fireside Gathering support, minor interaction tweaks, Hallow's End content, and game mechanics updates.
 * Patch 9.1.0.20970 - 18th September 2017
 * A medium patch, containing various balance changes.
 * Knights of the Frozen Throne logo.png Patch 9.0.0.20457 - 8th August 2017
 * A large patch, adding all data for the Knights of the Frozen Throne expansion.

Journey to Un'Goro

 * Patch 8.4.0.20022 - 10th July 2017
 * A medium sized patch, nerfing The Caverns Below and adding the Knights of the Frozen Throne Preorder.
 * Patch 8.2.2.19632 - 13th June 2017
 * A small patch, with minor bugfixes.
 * Patch 8.2.0.19506 - 1st June 2017
 * A large patch, adding the Deck Importing feature and many others.
 * Patch 8.0.4.18792 - 21st April 2017
 * A small patch, fixing minor localization and authorization issues.
 * Journey to Un'Goro logo.png Patch 8.0.0.18336 - 4th April 2017
 * A large patch, adding all data for the upcoming Journey to Un'Goro expansion.

Mean Streets of Gadgetzan

 * Patch 7.1.1.17994 - 9th March 2017
 * A small patch, resolving issues from previous patch for iOS users.
 * Patch 7.1.0.17720 - 28th Februrary 2017
 * A medium patch, bringing the pre-order of Journey to Un'Goro, preparations for the upcoming Year of the Mammoth Standard format rotation, several card changes, and some new Tavern Brawl cards.
 * Mean Streets of Gadgetzan logo.png Patch 7.0.0.15590 - 29th November 2016
 * A large patch, adding all data for the upcoming Mean Streets of Gadgetzan expansion, as well as new card backs and Tavern Brawl data.

One Night in Karazhan

 * Patch 6.2.0.15300 - 8th November 2016
 * A small patch, adding Warden functionality.
 * Patch 6.2.0.15181 - 20th October 2016
 * A small patch, containing several Murloc card changes, several critical bug fixes, the returning player experience, and a number of new quests.
 * Patch 6.1.3.14830 - 3rd October 2016
 * A small patch, containing several card changes.
 * Patch 6.1.1.14406 - 15th September 2016
 * A medium patch, adding the Tyrande Whisperwind alternate hero, the Welcome Bundle, additional card restrictions for the Arena, some Deck Recipe updates and three new card backs.
 * One Night in Karazhan logo full2.png Patch 6.0.0.13921 - 9th August 2016
 * A large patch, adding all data for the upcoming One Night in Karazhan adventure, as well as new card backs and Tavern Brawl data.

Whispers of the Old Gods

 * Patch 5.2.2.13807 - 26th July 2016
 * A small patch, containing various bug fixes.
 * Patch 5.2.0.13740 - 15th July 2016
 * A small patch, containing a fix to a critical problem introduced with Patch 5.2.0.13619.
 * Patch 5.2.0.13714 - 14th July 2016
 * A small patch, containing fixes to various bugs, mostly added with the previous patch.
 * Patch 5.2.0.13619 - 12th July 2016
 * A medium patch, adding the Recruit A Friend system, the hero Morgl the Oracle, the game mode ID system, various small system changes, upcoming Tavern Brawl content, and various bug fixes.
 * Patch 5.0.0.13030 (also released as Patch 5.0.1.13030) - 1st June 2016
 * A small patch, containing various bugfixes.
 * Whispers of the Old Gods logo.png Patch 5.0.0.12574 - 24th April 2016
 * The largest patch to date, featuring all data for the Whispers of the Old Gods expansion, all systems and interface changes for the new game formats, several card changes, three new card backs, updated Deck Recipes, and various bugfixes.

The League of Explorers

 * Patch 4.3.0.12266 - 14th April 2016
 * A small patch, adding the hero Khadgar, a new card back, an updated Paladin Deck Recipe, and various bugfixes.
 * Patch 4.2.0.12051 - 14th March 2016
 * A large patch, adding 9 additional deck slots, Deck Recipes, the hero Lady Liadrin, and various changes to the Collection Manager, as well as data for upcoming Tavern Brawls, three new card backs, and various bugfixes.
 * Patch 4.1.0.10956 - 4th December 2015
 * A small patch, adding data for upcoming Tavern Brawls, four new card backs, and various bugfixes.
 * The League of Explorers logo.png Patch 4.0.0.10833 - The League of Explorers - 10th November 2015
 * A large patch, adding all data for the The League of Explorers adventure, four new card backs, and various bugfixes.

The Grand Tournament

 * Patch 3.2.0.10604 - 20th October 2015
 * A small patch, adding a new card back, Japanese localization, and a card change to Warsong Commander.
 * Patch 3.1.0.10357 - 29th September 2015
 * A medium patch, adding two new card backs, data for a new Tavern Brawl, and animations for several pre-existing cards.
 * The_Grand_Tournament_logo.png Patch 3.0.0.9786 - The Grand Tournament Draws Near - 18th August 2015
 * A large patch, including all data for the The Grand Tournament expansion, as well as new Tavern Brawl data and other content.

Blackrock Mountain

 * Patch 2.8.0.9554 - 29th July 2015
 * A small patch, enabling the pre-purchase of Grand Tournament card packs, and making some bug fixes.
 * Patch 2.7.0.9166 - 15th June 2015
 * A large patch, introducing alternate heroes and the Tavern Brawl game mode, and adding card back and alternate hero tabs to the Collection.
 * Patch 2.6.0.8834 - 14th May 2015
 * A small patch, containing bug fixes and card backs.
 * Patch 2.5.0.8416 - 14th April 2015
 * A small patch, containing bug fixes and a new Quest. Released alongside the launch of Hearthstone for iPhone and Android phones.
 * Blackrock Mountain logo.png Patch 2.4.0.8311 - The Approach to Blackrock Mountain - 31st March 2015
 * A large patch, containing all card data for the upcoming Blackrock Mountain, several minor card changes and key bug fixes, and some minor systems changes.

Goblins vs Gnomes

 * Patch 2.3.0.8108 - 19th March 2015
 * A small patch, adding 2 new card backs and the ability to pre-purchase Blackrock Mountain, as well as expanding the adventure section of the Shop interface.
 * Patch 2.2.0.8036 - 26th February 2015
 * A small patch, containing 3 new card backs, 2 related achievements, and a new debug card.
 * Patch 2.2.0.7835 - 25th February 2015
 * A small patch, containing various minor adjustments, including a new card back and improvements to Spectator Mode.
 * Patch 2.1.0.7785 - 9th February 2015
 * A patch released together with a hotfix that fixes issues with the in-game friends list.
 * Patch 2.1.0.7628 - 29th January 2015
 * A small patch, featuring a balance change to Undertaker, and various minor adjustments.
 * Goblins vs Gnomes logo.png Patch 2.0.0.7234 – Goblins vs Gnomes Invades the Arena! - 4th December 2014
 * A large patch, containing all data for the Goblins vs Gnomes expansion, including around 135 new cards, and bringing with it Spectator mode, cost changes to 3 cards, minion type additions for 11 cards, a slight change to area of effect healing mechanics, and a number of bug fixes.

Curse of Naxxramas

 * Patch 1.3.0.6898 - 29th October 2014
 * A small patch, featuring minor changes such as adding new card backs and adjusting flavor text localisations.
 * Patch 1.2.0.6485 - 22nd September 2014
 * A medium patch, featuring two card changes and a number of bug fixes.
 * Patch 1.1.0.6284 - 18th August 2014
 * A small patch, fixing issues on Windows 8.
 * Patch 1.1.0.6187 - 6th August 2014
 * A small patch, adding support for Windows 8 mobile devices.
 * Patch 1.1.0.6141 - 31st July 2014
 * A bug fix patch to fix issues with purchasing the Curse of Naxxramas Plague Quarter wing.
 * Curse of Naxxramas logo.png Patch 1.1.0.6024 - The Necropolis Beckons - 22nd July 2014
 * A large patch, preparing for the release of Curse of Naxxramas, adjusting several other secondary features, and making one card change and numerous bug fixes.

Initial release

 * Patch 1.0.0.5834 - 30th June 2014
 * A small patch, featuring several bug fixes.
 * Patch 1.0.0.5506 - 28th May 2014
 * A small patch, featuring a minor bug fix.
 * Patch 1.0.0.5435 - 21st May 2014
 * A small patch, featuring several bug fixes.
 * Patch 1.0.0.5314 - 8th May 2014
 * A medium patch, featuring one card change, some string changes and several bug fixes.
 * Patch 1.0.0.5170 - 10th April 2014
 * A small patch, featuring several bug fixes.
 * Patch 1.0.0.4973 - 13th March 2014
 * A small patch, featuring several bug fixes.

Open beta

 * Patch 1.0.0.4944 - 11th March 2014
 * A large patch, featuring two card changes, numerous bug fixes, a change to the secret mechanic, changes to the Ranked play season reset, and the addition of golden heroes, card backs and the reconnection feature. The patch was followed within a few hours by the full release of Hearthstone.

Closed beta

 * Patch 1.0.0.4482 - 17th January 2014
 * A small patch, featuring bug fixes and two Korean language card description changes.
 * Patch 1.0.0.4458 - 16th January 2014
 * A medium patch, featuring changes to ten cards.
 * Patch 1.0.0.4243 - 18th December 2013
 * A medium patch, featuring changes to three mage cards, and one bug fix.
 * Patch 1.0.0.4217 - 10th December 2013
 * A large patch, featuring a complete reworking of the Ranked Play mode, six card changes, some changes to Arena, some new social features, and numerous bug fixes.
 * Patch 1.0.0.3937 - 17th October 2013
 * A medium patch, featuring one card change.
 * Patch 1.0.0.3890 - 2nd October 2013
 * A large patch, featuring numerous changes to game systems, individual cards and non-gameplay elements. This patch was immediately preceded by a complete wipe of all Hearthstone account information and card collections.
 * Patch 1.0.0.3749 - 30th August 2013
 * A small patch, mostly focusing on preparing for the EU region, in which the beta was not yet available.

Alpha

 * Patch 1.0.0.3664 - 14th August 2013
 * A small patch, featuring naming and flavor text changes to two cards and adding 900 more localized voiceovers for heroes and minions.
 * Alpha patch 2 - 12th August 2013
 * A large patch, featuring numerous card changes, and adding new audio and interface art.
 * Patch 1.0.0.3388 - 22nd June 2013
 * A large patch, featuring numerous card changes, and introducing the quest system.
 * Patch 1.0.0.3140 - somewhere between April 13 and May 23 2013.
 * A medium patch, featuring a number of card changes.
 * Alpha patch - unknown date
 * A list of all known changes between this patch and Patch 1.0.0.3140, possibly spanning multiple patches, and including numerous card changes.

Version conflicts
Each patch represents a different version of Hearthstone, incompatible with previous versions. Because of this, players using different patches cannot be matched against each other, in order to avoid version conflict and missing data during matches. This usually only happens due to using different platforms, or because a player has not logged out and updated since the new patch has been released.

While players are required to update to the latest patch as soon as it is released on their current platform, because patches are released at different times for different platforms, it is possible to update one device to a new patch while the other is not yet able to update. Once an account has been updated to a new patch, the player will not be able to access the account on any device that has not yet updated to that patch, effectively locking out all other platforms until that patch is also released for them.

Use of older versions appears to only be permitted during the rollout period, while the patch is being rolled out to each platform in turn. Once all platforms have access to the latest patch, clients with the older version will be prevented from playing until they have updated to the latest version.

The complexity of releasing on multiple platforms can cause delays to the release of patches. Designer Dean Ayala explains, "In order to patch simultaneously on PC/Mobile there are a number of things that have to be submit and approved being we can release a new patch to the public," with the result that card changes are often postponed until the new patch is ready for all platforms.

Patch numbers
Each patch's version number charts its position in the game's history. Currently, the first part of the number is changed for each major release (expansion or adventure). From Blackrock Mountain to The League of Explorers the second part was changed with each patch, reseting to 0 at the start of each new release, but Whispers of the Old Gods has seen the second digit increased more erratically. The third digit was unused until Whispers of the Old Gods, but seems to reflect smaller progressions. The remaining digits are increased at a more erratic pace, likely reflecting revisions to in-house builds not released to the public. These digits do not increase the first three parts of the version number, and are essentially superfluous. Colloquially, patches are often referred to by the first two sections, such as "Patch 3.2". Note that these rules are not always followed; some patches fail to increase numbers, or increase numbers without including appropriate changes.

The system used until Whispers of the Old Gods was similar to that used in games like World of Warcraft, although without the division between major and minor patches, without the use of the third part of the number, and with additional digits. In comparison, "Patch 4.1.0.10956" would likely be titled "Patch 4.0.1".

Prior to the adoption of a standardised format with Blackrock Mountain neither the first nor second parts of the number were regularly increased. The game's version numbers initially began with 1.0.0. This was changed to 1.1.0 after the release of Curse of Naxxramas, and again to 1.2.0 with Patch 1.2.0.6485. The first digit was raised from 1 to 2 with the pre-patch for the game's first expansion, Goblins vs Gnomes, but was not increased to 3 until the game's second expansion, The Grand Tournament. In September 2014 Yong Woo had stated that the developers were still "tuning" their version number process. After setting a consistent patch number trend with earlier content, Whispers of the Old Gods saw sparse and erratic increases to patch numbers, entirely breaking the established pattern. The expansion's Patch 5.2.2.13807 also saw the third digit increased for the first time, previously never having had any value other than 0.

Patch numbers were first stated in official blogs with Patch 1.0.0.4243. With Patch 5.2.0.13619 the official blogs ceased to state patch numbers, instead referring to each new patch as a "Hearthstone Update".

Trivia

 * As of April 2016, the Whispers of the Old Gods patch is the largest patch Hearthstone has ever received.