Knights of the Frozen Throne came out for Hearthstone on August 10, 2017, in the Americas, and August 11 in Europe and Asia. The difference reflects the expansion’s regional launch schedule, not separate releases.
This article explains which date to use, how the launch unfolded, and what the expansion added to the game. You’ll also find a quick timeline, details about the Icecrown story missions, and practical guidance for finding or playing its cards now.
when did knights of the frozen throne come out?
Knights of the Frozen Throne launched on August 10, 2017, in the Americas, and August 11, 2017, in Europe and Asia. Both dates are correct. Hearthstone’s release timing differed by region, so the expansion became available on different local calendar days.
If you need one date for a general reference, use August 10, 2017, the launch date for the Americas and the date most commonly listed in English-language summaries. If you are checking a European or Asian announcement, August 11 is the date to expect. It was one regional launch, not a delay affecting the entire game.
The name refers to Hearthstone’s sixth expansion, set in the frozen land of Northrend and centered on the Lich King. It added new cards and a free solo adventure based on Icecrown Citadel.
Why do some sources say August 10 and others August 11?
Online games often release updates according to regional servers and local schedules. When a launch happens at different times around the world, the calendar can roll over to the next day for some players. That is why the same expansion is associated with two dates.
For Knights of the Frozen Throne, the Americas date was August 10. European and Asian players received the release on August 11. A source that gives only one date may be using its own regional schedule or presenting the Americas launch as the headline date.
| What the date refers to | Date | Best used when |
|---|---|---|
| Americas regional launch | August 10, 2017 | You need the commonly cited launch date or are referring to the Americas. |
| Europe and Asia regional launch | August 11, 2017 | You are referring to players in those regions. |
| Announcement of the release date | Before the launch | You are describing when Blizzard revealed the schedule, not when players could access the expansion. |
Release date and announcement date are different facts. A news article posted before launch may discuss the expansion without meaning that it was already playable. Likewise, a later retrospective may state a single date without explaining the regional difference.
Knights of the Frozen Throne release timeline
The rollout included more than the card set. The expansion arrived first, while its solo content opened in stages. This timeline separates the main launch from the later adventure releases.
- Before August 10, 2017: Blizzard announced the expansion and shared details about its new cards, Death Knight hero cards, and Icecrown-themed solo content.
- August 10, 2017: The expansion became available in the Americas, including its new card collection.
- August 11, 2017: Players in Europe and Asia received the regional release.
- Following the expansion launch: The free Icecrown Citadel solo adventure became available in stages, with its encounters released over several weeks.
The staged adventure is easy to confuse with the expansion date. August 10 and 11 refer to the card expansion’s regional launch, not to the opening of every solo encounter. If a source mentions a later date, it may be describing one of the adventure chapters.
What did the 2017 expansion add?
Knights of the Frozen Throne added 135 collectible cards to Hearthstone. Its central idea was that the game’s nine hero classes could take on a Death Knight form inspired by the Lich King. The set also brought new card effects and a free story adventure in Icecrown Citadel.
Death Knight hero cards
The headline addition was a group of nine legendary Death Knight hero cards, one for each class. Playing one replaced your current hero, granted armor, and changed your hero power. Each card also had a Battlecry effect, which triggered when the card was played.
These cards gave familiar classes new ways to play. For example, the Hunter’s Deathstalker Rexxar could create a custom Beast, while the Mage’s Frost Lich Jaina changed how the class used minions and healing. The exact effects varied by card, but the shared theme was a dramatic transformation rather than a small upgrade.
Hero cards should not be confused with ordinary minions. They occupied the hero-card type, changed your hero portrait and power, and supplied their own immediate effect. That combination made them a defining feature of the expansion.
Lifesteal and other card themes
The set gave more attention to Lifesteal, an effect that restores health to your hero based on damage dealt by the card. The keyword helped support defensive strategies and paired naturally with the expansion’s darker, undead theme.
Other cards drew on the setting and its characters, including the Lich King, Frostmourne, and creatures associated with Northrend. The expansion’s flavor was visible in both the card art and the mechanics. You could build decks around a class’s new hero card or use individual cards without adopting the whole theme.
A free Icecrown Citadel adventure
The solo adventure let players face encounters inspired by the Lich King’s stronghold. It was free to play and arrived in multiple parts after the main expansion launch. Players progressed through a series of bosses and story scenes rather than opening the entire adventure at the same moment as the cards.
Completing the prologue rewarded players with a random Death Knight hero card. Finishing the full adventure also offered a card back. Those rewards helped make the solo content relevant even to players who were more interested in collection building than story encounters.
Was it a new Hearthstone game or a card expansion?
It was an expansion for Hearthstone, not a separate game. Players accessed its cards and solo content through the existing Hearthstone client. The release added content to the main game rather than requiring a standalone Knights of the Frozen Throne title.
This distinction matters when searching for the release. A listing that says the game came out in 2017 can sound as if Hearthstone itself launched then. Hearthstone had already been available for years; August 2017 marks the release of this particular expansion.
It was also separate from a physical card-game launch. Hearthstone is a digital collectible card game, so the relevant dates describe when the expansion’s content went live in the game’s regional service.
How to tell which date a source means
If you are comparing dates in articles, archives, or forum posts, check what the writer is actually dating. Several events connected to the expansion happened close together, and a short headline may not explain the distinction.
- Look for the region. August 10 points to the Americas launch; August 11 points to Europe or Asia.
- Check whether the article says announced or released. An announcement can precede the date players gained access.
- Look for references to the solo adventure. A later date may refer to an Icecrown chapter or encounter, not the main expansion.
- Check the year. The expansion launched in 2017; later posts may be discussing a return, a format change, or a card balance update.
A useful detail that many quick date summaries omit is that the solo adventure had its own release schedule. If a page gives a date later than August 11, that does not automatically mean it contradicts the expansion’s launch date. It may be recording when a particular part of the story became playable.
Can you still play Knights of the Frozen Throne?
The expansion is no longer part of Hearthstone’s current Standard card pool. Its cards moved out of Standard when the game’s yearly rotation changed in 2019. That rotation did not erase the cards from the game: older expansion cards are generally associated with the Wild format, which allows a broader range of past cards.
Availability can depend on the current client, collection rules, and the game’s active formats. If you are trying to use a specific card, search for it in your collection first. The collection can show whether you own it and, where the game allows, provide an option to craft it or view how it is obtained.
For the solo content, check Hearthstone’s solo modes or adventure listings in the client. Menus and access details can change over time, so the client is a more reliable guide to what is currently playable than an old launch article. The expansion’s original adventure was offered free, but that historical detail does not guarantee that every old interface or reward flow remains unchanged.
If you want to build a deck around one of the Death Knight heroes, first confirm that the card is legal in the format you plan to play. A card can remain in your collection while being unavailable in Standard. Checking the format before spending crafting resources can save you from making a deck you cannot queue with.
Common questions about the expansion’s launch
Did Knights of the Frozen Throne come out in 2017?
Yes. The expansion launched in August 2017: August 10 in the Americas and August 11 in Europe and Asia.
Was it released on August 10 or August 11?
Both dates are correct. August 10 was the Americas release date, while Europe and Asia received it on August 11.
When did the Icecrown Citadel adventure come out?
The solo adventure followed the expansion launch and was released in stages. Its opening and later encounters did not all share the card set’s August 10 or 11 launch date.
How many cards were in the expansion?
Knights of the Frozen Throne added 135 collectible cards. The set included nine legendary Death Knight hero cards, with one designed for each Hearthstone class.
Was the solo adventure free?
Yes. The Icecrown Citadel solo adventure was offered free, with rewards tied to completing its content. The prologue awarded a random Death Knight hero card, and completing the adventure offered a card back.
Did the expansion launch worldwide on the same local date?
No. The regional schedule placed the Americas launch on August 10 and the Europe and Asia launch on August 11. The one-day difference reflects regional timing, not a different expansion.
Knights of the Frozen Throne came out on August 10, 2017, in the Americas and August 11 in Europe and Asia. Both dates are accurate, and later dates may refer to the adventure’s staged solo releases.
For a quick reference, use August 10 as the commonly cited launch date and include the regional distinction when precision matters. If you want to play its cards now, check their format legality and availability in Hearthstone’s collection.