New mini-sets periodically enliven the metagame. Hearthstone's policy towards nerfs has become more permissive and overbearing cards are quickly tweaked. Blizzard has toned down the randomonium, though not too much. Other than that, Hearthstone is still a mechanically similar game to the one that launched in 2014.ĭesign philosophy has changed more than mechanics, and mostly for the better. And 2020 introduced a new demon hunter class, which captures the acrobatic flavour of its World of Warcraft namesake. Hearthstone is still at its best when a close-fought game ends with gleeful explosive nonsense.Įach set brings new gameplay mechanics but, with only a few exceptions, these innovations are usually ephemeral. ![]() ![]() Some sets are better than others, but new cards are always presented with the same sparkle as the cinematic trailers. This year has been an EDM Voyage to Atlantis, followed by Vampire Cluedo. Last year was a World of Warcraft nostalgia trip with ten interwoven character stories. There have been dinosaurs and whispering eldritch horrors. The new set themes are unfailingly delightful. And that hasn't really changed over the years. That could describe most any CCG but Hearthstone's secret sauce is (relatively) simple gameplay, gleeful random card generation and excellent theming and game-feel. Rinse and repeat till time stops turning. A few times a year, a new set of cards is released, and the metagame equilibrium shifts towards new decks and strategies. Build a deck of 30 cards and reduce your opponent's health to zero. Hearthstone's main mode, now clumsily named 'Traditional Hearthstone', is your normal collectable card game fare. And that's a pity because there's a lot of artistry here. Watch on YouTube Here's a trailer for that Vampire Cluedo.Īll this casts a long shadow, making it harder to judge Hearthstone on its own merits or fully separate the art from the artist. And Hearthstone has had its own share of controversies to boot. Nevertheless, it's hard to ignore that every dollar spent ingame goes to a company that has enacted swingeing layoffs, engaged in alleged union-busting, and is somehow still headed by a man accused of covering up serious misconduct, and making death threats against an employee. Several current Hearthstone devs have been vocal in their advocacy for change. Leaked chat messages implicated at least one former senior Hearthstone developer. Multiple lawsuits allege widespread sexism, harassment and abuse. Of course, that's difficult to answer without also addressing the controversies swirling around Hearthstone's publisher, Activision Blizzard. But, as Hearthstone remains a giant among live service games despite its vintage, how is it really holding up? And, critically, is it still worth playing? Twitch viewers and player counts have levelled off since the glory days. Hearthstone now has several new game modes, a revamped economy, an achievement system, a whole new playable class and new generation of streamers and esports casters and competitors. Thirty-odd card sets and almost a decade later, the development team has ballooned to over 150. Monetisation: Free-to-play with a variety of microtransactions.And it showed us that a successful esport needn't revolve around hair-trigger reflexes or high APMs. It was among the yearly top 10 most viewed games on Twitch for five years after launch. It paved the way for 101 other 'free-to-play' CCGs including Gwent, Legends of Runeterra, Shadowverse, and Valve's ill-fated Artifact. Developed on a modest budget by a rotating team of less than 20 people, Hearthstone took the time-tested collectible card game blueprint from Magic the Gathering, distilled it to its essence, polished it to a shine, and conquered the world. When it emerged from open beta eight years ago, Hearthstone was a titan.
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