IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the heels of Hearthstone®: Heroes of Warcraft™ surpassing 50 million registered players,† Whispers of the Old Gods™, the third expansion for Blizzard Entertainment’s award-winning online strategy card game, is now live. Starting today, players around the world are invited to collect and do battle with 134 new twisted, tentacle-packed cards—including the legendary Old Gods themselves: C’Thun, N’Zoth, Yogg-Saron, and Y’Shaarj.

This spine-tingling expansion turns everything players know about Hearthstone inside out. Familiar allies have been corrupted, new monstrosities have appeared, and the Old Gods of Azeroth have resurfaced—spreading their sinister influence and game-changing powers throughout the tavern.

“Whispers of the Old Gods adds an exciting new set of creepy, corrupted cards to Hearthstone,” said Mike Morhaime, CEO and cofounder of Blizzard Entertainment. “We can’t wait to see how creative players are with the ancient evil of the Old Gods in their hands.”

C’Thun is especially eager to lend its awesome power to denizens of the tavern—players will receive this legendary Old God and two Beckoner of Evil cards when they open their first Whispers of the Old Gods card pack. Also, in celebration of the launch, everyone who logs in to Hearthstone will receive three Whispers of the Old Gods card packs free (for a limited time).

Whispers of the Old Gods 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 Whispers of the Old Gods card packs as quest rewards, or prizes in the Arena, and can also craft cards from the expansion by using Arcane Dust, which is collected from disenchanting unwanted cards.

To embrace the darkness and read up on all things Old Gods, visit www.oldgods.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 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.

†Registered player count based on internal company records and/or 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 Whispers of the Old Gods 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.