Hearthstone Battlegrounds Aberrations Arrive September 22 in Patch 36.6.1, and Naga Leave the Pool
Hearthstone Battlegrounds Aberrations, a new discard-focused minion type built around the Old Gods, go live with Patch 36.6.1 on September 22, and Naga are being rotated out of the minion pool to make room. Blizzard published the full change list on September 12, during the first day of BlizzCon 2026, and it applies to every version of Hearthstone: Windows, macOS, iOS and Android.
The patch is bigger than one tribe. It removes 35 minions, brings back 25 older ones, adds 15 Lesser and 15 Greater Trinkets, and changes Duos. If you play Naga heroes, they will be unavailable while the tribe is out of rotation.
How Hearthstone Battlegrounds Aberrations work
Aberrations reward you for discarding cards. Each game you are assigned one Deity, either C'Thun or Y'Shaarj, chosen at random when the match starts. Every time one of your Aberrations dies, the Deity moves closer to waking. After three sacrifices it joins your board.
Both Deities are Tier 3, 1/1 minions with different payoffs:
- C'Thun splits its stats among your other minions once it awakens.
- Y'Shaarj has a Deathrattle that re-summons the first two Aberrations that died that combat, at full stats.
Many of the new cards buff your Deity directly. Joyous, a Tier 1, gives it +2/+2. Cutthroat K'Thir, a Tier 4, gives itself and the Deity +4/+4 every time you discard. At Tier 7, Sha of Fear gives your whole board and your Deity +4/+3 whenever you cast a Tavern spell.
For the first two weeks, from September 22, Aberrations will appear in every lobby. That guarantee ends around October 6, after which they rotate like any other type.
What else changes in Patch 36.6.1
- Two new heroes, guaranteed in every game for two weeks: Drest'agath (1 Gold: discard a card to get a random Aberration) and Kith'ix (2 Gold: get two random minions, play one and the other is discarded).
- Heroes banned from Aberration lobbies: Morchie, Murozond, Unbounded and Sylvanas Windrunner in all cases; The Curator, The Lich King, Teron Gorefiend and N'Zoth only when your Deity is Y'Shaarj.
- Rat King now includes Aberrations.
- Four minions become Aberrations: Oozeling Gladiator, Faceless Manipulator, Faceless Taverngoer and Orgozoa, the Tender.
- Dark Paradox, a new neutral minion, has five versions with different stats, tiers and Dark Gifts. One is picked at random each game.
- Three new Tavern spells: Sludge Corrosion, Corrupted Coin and Energizing Chamber. Each gets a bonus if you discard it instead of casting it.
- Tier moves: Ghastcoiler drops from Tier 6 to Tier 5, and Bronze Warden from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
- Duos: two new minions, Voidpriest Cloner and C'Thrax Wrecker. Transport Reactor goes from 1/1 to 3/3 and gains +3/+3 per Pass.
Among the minions leaving the pool are Captain Cookie, Cousin Errgl, both Mrrglton parents and Nomi, Kitchen Nightmare. The Volumizer package returns with Blue, Green and Red Volumizer, plus Auto Accelerator and Conveyor Construct.
When Reign of the Black Empire and the Monk class arrive
The Battlegrounds update is the opener for a larger Old Gods theme. Hearthstone's next expansion, Reign of the Black Empire, was also announced at BlizzCon and is reported for release on October 20. One report gives October 21 instead; Blizzard has not published a launch time that would settle the difference across time zones. Its headline mechanic is a keyword called Assemble, which merges two cards into one using parts of their text.
Pre-purchase bundles have been detailed in published reports. The Mega Bundle carries 80 packs, 10 Golden packs, a Signature Drest'agath, a Golden C'Thun, Eye of the Empire, four Tavern Tickets, and the Eonar Druid hero skin and card back. The regular bundle has 60 packs, two random Legendaries and the Eonar card back. We could not confirm prices from a public source, since Blizzard's shop requires signing in.
Further out, Monk becomes Hearthstone's 12th class in March 2027. Blizzard has not said how players will unlock it. A 2v2 format is also planned, and will first be tested as a limited-time Tavern Brawl with no date yet.
BlizzCon's first day brought several other launches. Warcraft III's Forsaken Kingdom is paid DLC that needs Reforged, and Diablo 4 reaches Switch 2 on September 15 at $69.99. If you missed the stream, our BlizzCon 2026 schedule and streaming guide lists how to watch. For other card and tactics games on phones, see our best strategy games for Android.
Frequently Asked Questions
When do Aberrations come to Hearthstone Battlegrounds?
Aberrations go live with Patch 36.6.1 on September 22, 2026. For the first two weeks after launch they are guaranteed to appear in every Battlegrounds lobby, and the two new heroes, Drest'agath and Kith'ix, are also offered in every game during that period.
Are Naga removed from Hearthstone Battlegrounds?
Yes, Naga are rotated out of the minion pool when Aberrations arrive in Patch 36.6.1. Heroes and cards that depend on Naga are unavailable while the tribe is out. Blizzard describes it as a rotation, so Naga can return in a later update.
How do you summon C'Thun or Y'Shaarj in Battlegrounds?
Each game randomly assigns you one Deity, C'Thun or Y'Shaarj. Every time one of your Aberrations dies, the Deity's progress advances, and after three sacrifices it joins your warband. Several Aberration cards and Tavern spells also buff the Deity directly.
When does Hearthstone Reign of the Black Empire come out?
Reign of the Black Empire is reported to launch on October 20, 2026 on PC, Mac, iOS and Android. The expansion was announced at BlizzCon 2026 and introduces Assemble, a keyword that combines two cards into one. Pre-purchase bundle contents have been reported, but their prices were not.
When is the Monk class coming to Hearthstone?
Monk is planned as Hearthstone's 12th class and is due in March 2027. Blizzard has not yet said whether it will be free or tied to a bundle. It will be the first new class added to the game in several years.
