Once a year Blizzard changes things up with our beloved Hearthstone, rotating old card sets to become wild-only, severely limiting the standard card pool and making drastic changes to the meta. This can all be a bit confusing, so here's the definitive answer to how set rotations work. Below you will also find historical information on each of the rotations we've seen.
Set Rotation Basics
- Once per year with the release of the first expansion, usually in April, the rotation takes place.
- Basic and Classic will always be a part of the core game set which does not rotate.
- Standard format upon rotation is restricted to sets released in two calendar years. (2019 = sets from 2018 and 2019).
- Some additional cards are sent to wild, being moved from the expansions they were originally from to the Hall of Fame.
- The first set of a year also marks the new name of a "Hearthstone Zodiac" year. (Kraken, Mammoth, Raven, Dragon).
List of Standard Rotations
- *PAST* Year of the Kraken: April 26th 2016 - April 6th 2017
- Blackrock Mountain - Rotated out.
- The Grand Tournament - Rotated out.
- The League of Explorers - Rotated out.
- Whispers of the Old Gods
- One Night in Karazhan
- Mean Streets of Gadgetzan
- *PAST* Year of the Mammoth: April 6th 2017 - April 2018
- Whispers of the Old Gods - Rotated out.
- One Night in Karazhan - Rotated out.
- Mean Streets of Gadgetzan - Rotated out.
- Journey to Un'Goro
- Knights of the Frozen Throne
- Kobolds & Catacombs
- *PAST* Year of the Raven : April 12th 2018 - April 2019
- Journey to Un'Goro - Rotated out.
- Knights of the Frozen Throne - Rotated out.
- Kobolds & Catacombs - Rotated out.
- The Witchwood
- The Boomsday Project
- Rastakhan's Rumble
- *PRESENT* Year of the Dragon : April 9th 2019 - April 2020
- The Witchwood - Rotates April 2020.
- The Boomsday Project - Rotates April 2020.
- Rastakhan's Rumble - Rotates April 2020.
- Rise of Shadows
- Saviors of Uldum
- TBD Expansion #6
- *Future* Year of the ?????? : April 2020 - April 2021
- Rise of Shadows - Rotates April 2021.
- Saviors of Uldum - Rotates April 2021.
- TBD Expansion #3 - Rotates April 2021.
- TBD Expansion #4
- TBD Expansion #5
- TBD Expansion #6
Standard arrived with the launch off Whispers of the Old Gods, the first expansion of the Year of the Kraken.
Curse of Naxxramas, and Goblins vs Gnomes cards became Wild only.
Additionally, promotional and reward cards were moved to the new set dubbed the Hall of Fame:
This year started with the release of Journey to Un'Goro. Blackrock Mountain, The Grand Tournament, and League of Explorers became Wild only.
Additionally, these cards were moved to Hall of Fame:
This year started with the release of The Witchwood. Whispers of the Old Gods, One Night in Karazhan, and Mean Streets of Gadgetzan became Wild only.
Additionally, these cards were moved to the Hall of Fame:
This year started with the release of Rise of Shadows. Journey to Un'Goro, Knights of the Frozen Throne, and Kobolds and Catacombs will become Wild only.
Additionally, these Classic cards were moved to the Hall of Fame:
For the first time ever, some cards from a newer set were also removed from Standard:
For another first, two Basic cards were sent to the Hall of Fame and replaced as well:
They were replaced with these cards, which will always remain in Standard:
Comments
wheres naxx on this?
Also Goblins Vs Gnomes?
noticed this as well
This is useful.
Can I make a suggestion? Instead of 'rotates next year', which will be based on when you wrote it, write 'rotates June 2019' (or whatever the date is going to be).
Thanks!
On behalf of the player-base I apologize to you, Gloom Stag and Glitter Moth. You never had a chance to shine, and yet you're getting the boot anyway. The Hall of Fame rotation can be a cruel mistress.
But they go out with a bang, givin us 500 dust as a farewell. Not bad.
#SupportCardsMatter
Ohh...Now I know how it works)) Thank you!!!