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China bootlegs Hearthstone cards into the real world
Blizzard has yet to release Hearthstone cards outside of their native virtual playground, but where American corporations fail, Chinese bootleggers are more than happy to step in. Games In Asia has a lengthy report on a knock-off Chinese Hearthstone game, though "knock-off" doesn't properly describe the item. It would be more accurate to say that the bootleggers took the basic tenets of the Hearthstone virtual game then did their best to translate those ideas to a more traditional board game environment. As you'd expect, the artwork and most of the gameplay is swiped directly from Blizzard, but Games In Asia claims that legit assets can't save bootleg Hearthstone from the pitfalls of having so much cardboard to manage. "If playing this physical version (and watching it be played) taught me one thing, it's this: the digital game is incredibly good at streamlining." We aren't about to link to a site selling counterfeit goods, but Games In Asia claims that those of you willing to track down this weird piece of pop cultural ephemera should expect to pay about $50 for the game. Alternately, you can play the original version of Hearthstone on an iPad, PC or Mac at no cost. [Image: Activision Blizzard]
Most Hearthstone players remain above Rank 15
Those of you perpetually stuck at Rank 23 in Blizzard's hyper-addictive faux card game Hearthstone shouldn't get too discouraged. Not only are you not alone, you happen to be in the same position as the vast majority of other Hearthstone players. According to an infographic revealed by the developer (which you can find below the break), 75 percent of all Hearthstone players fall somewhere between Rank 25 and Rank 15 - a far cry from the envy-inducing upper echelons of the game's leaderboards. Furthermore, 17.5 percent of Hearthstone players are located somewhere between Ranks 15 and 10, 5.5 percent are found between Ranks 10 and 5 and a mere 2 percent can legitimately claim to have placed within the top five ranks. The number of players who have reached the rank of "Legend" is almost too small to mention, as it represents only 0.5 percent of all Hearthstone players. If you're hoping for a noble, academic use for this data, sorry, but Blizzard is seemingly sharing these figures purely to bolster player morale. "Whether you're a Legend or an Angry Chicken or anywhere in between, Hearthstone players are passionate about the game, creative in deck-building, and best of all – a part of the ever-growing Hearthstone community," reads a message from the developer. "If you ever feel that your Rank in Ranked Play is the end all, be all of Hearthstone, don't worry – you're doing better than you think!" [Image: Activision Blizzard]
Hearthstone hits 20 million registered players
Blizzard hit a milestone recently with the free-to-play digital card game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft breaking 20 million registered players. For scale, that's double the number of players WoW had at its peak during Wrath of the Lich King in 2010. The most amazing thing about that is Hearthstone has yet to release on all intended platforms: Android tablet, Android phone, and iOS phone versions are still forthcoming. All in all, the registration numbers indicate that there is very widespread interest in Hearthstone indeed, and for good reason. It's a ton of fun to play!
Hearthstone is a 20 million-player game of cards
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft has dealt in 20 million players around the world, the game's official Twitter account announced today. The tweet reads, "Thank you all for joining us in #Hearthstone! We're going to need a bigger tavern!" Hearthstone is Blizzard's free, strategy card game based on Warcraft lore for PC, Mac, iPad and Windows 8 Touch devices. Android and iPhone versions of the game are due out before the end of the year, Lead Designer Eric Dodds told Joystiq at PAX Prime. [Image: Blizzard]
Hearthstone nerfing Leeroy Jenkins, Starving Buzzard
At first I saw the overpowered Leeroy Jenkins nerfing and was all: YAAAAAYYYYYY! Then I saw the tweak to the card-creation bonanza of Starving Buzzard and cried in cataclysmic rage toward the heavens. An upcoming "balance change" for Blizzard's collectible card game Hearthstone will see two abundant strategies require some tweaking. The card that potentially caused 20+ points of damage as part of a nefarious combination play, Leeroy Jenkins, will now cost one mana more. At least he's got chicken. Not Angry Chicken, mind you.
Hearthstone expansion coming 'soon,' iPhone and Android versions by end of year
Eric Dodds, lead designer for Blizzard's digital card game/spare time killer, Hearthstone, told Joystiq at PAX Prime that an expansion for the game will be coming "soon." The expansion will add new cards and lots of them - more than 100, actually. Unfortunately for those who enjoyed taking on the hordes of the undead in Curse of Naxxramas, the expansion will not feature additional single-player content. Dodds clarified that Naxxramas is an "adventure," while what's coming is an "expansion." Still, don't rule out more adventures in the future; Dodds said that, while Hearthstone is "primarily a PvP game," the single-player content allows the game's designers to steer players into trying new classes and strategies. The goal is that players will take those strategies into the multiplayer arena, but even if they don't, it provides an avenue where players can think differently than they're used to. As for those iPhone and Android versions? "Still in progress," Dodds told Joystiq. But they should be *ahem* ready to ride by the end of the year. [Image: Blizzard]
Everything is 'OP' in Hearthstone and how Blizzard counters perceptions
Blizzard's collectible card game Hearthstone is rapidly building an audience, but it's also common for fans of the game to say "X is overpowered, when are they going to fix it?" We discussed with Senior Game Producer Yong Woo at Gamescom when they're finally going to nerf priests and give hunters back the full power of "Unleash the Hounds." "One of the advantages of [Hearthstone] being a digital card game is we get to see everything. How people are playing, how people are winning. What's interesting and fun for us to watch is sometimes the gap between the reality of what's happening and perception," said Woo.
Naxxramas' Military Quarter joins Hearthstone singleplayer
Following last week's debut of the second wing of Naxxramas, the singleplayer Hearthstone DLC is now opening the doors of a third wing, the Military Quarter. A post on Battle.net outlines the tiered roll out of this new content. Hearthstone players located in the Americas will receive the Military Quarter on Wednesday, August 6 at 3 a.m. ET, while those in Europe will discover the Military Quarter on August 5 at 12 a.m. CEST. Taiwan and China will likewise receive the Military Quarter on August 5, at 12 a.m. CST, but Korea will be waiting until August 6 at 1 a.m. KST to receive the DLC. Unlike the Plague Quarter, which was offered to all players at no charge, the Military Quarter will bear a $7 (or 700 gold) price tag, though it can be purchased at a discount if you purchase the full complement of Naxxramas additions at $25. Blizzard has yet to reveal the new bosses and cards included in the Military Quarter, but claims that an announcement should be appearing on the game's official website soon. Edit: Originally this post stated that the Military Quarter is the second wing of Naxxramas, when it is actually the third released to date. [Image: Activision Blizzard]
Blizzard investigating Hearthstone payment woes
Those who have been erroneously charged for Hearthstone's new Curse of Naxxramas singleplayer campaign can rest assured that developer Blizzard is looking into the problem. Following yesterday's debut of the Plague Wing area, reports came rolling in of players unable to purchase the additional content or being double-charged by the game's in-app purchase system. "We are currently investigating the following issues affecting the new Hearthstone wing, the Plague Quarter," Blizzard wrote in a statement to Eurogamer. "Some players are unable to access the new wing after purchase. Some players have been charged twice in order to access the new wing. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience while we work to resolve them." Since issuing that statement, Blizzard has created a notice in the Hearthstone forums that offers guidelines for those affected. If your purchase failed, securing a refund should be a simple process, though Blizzard continues to look into those cases where payment was successfully made but players were not granted access to the game's new features. [Image: Blizzard]
Hearthstone Naxxramas Plague Quarter opens its doors tonight
Curse of Naxxramas, Hearthstone's single-player content styled - and named - after the floating necropolis of Naxxramas from World of Warcraft, will be receiving its first update tonight. Following Blizzard's plans to release each of the locale's five wings individually over the course of five weeks, players in the Americas will be able to download The Plague Quarter starting tonight at 11:59 PM Pacific. Those of you planning to stay up late might want to plan for a long night - The Plague Quarter features three boss fights, two class challenges and six new cards to unlock. Good luck! [Image: Blizzard]
Live Look: Hearthstone Curse of Naxxramas
If you've been interested in Blizzard's collectible card game Hearthstone, but the whole idea of competitive multiplayer is a turn-off, it's time to take another look at the title with the Curse of Naxxramas single-player expansion. Launched late yesterday, we did a quick little walkthrough of the new content this morning on our Twitch channel. Skip ahead to the seven minute mark for the start of gameplay. We got a little confused about the pricing of the expansion on the stream, so we've placed those details after the break for easy reference. The first wing of Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas is available free-to-play now on PC and iPad.
Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas livestream
Check out WoW Insider's live stream for the new Hearthstone expansion pack: Curse of Naxxramas! Our own Robert Wing will give you the scoop on all the new cards and how they play. If you're interested in Hearthstone, here's your chance to get a glimpse of all the new features in action. Happy card slinging!
Joystiq Weekly: Doom reboot, Microsoft's layoffs, Sunless Sea and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. We're happy to hear that Doom is still brewing in the depths of iD Software, but if we're getting spoiled with updates to classics, we wonder if we could get anything else revived if we stir up enough demand. Remember how awesome Bubsy was? What about taking another crack at Altered Beast? What's that, you say? "No and your picks are garbage"? Well then. Lucky for you, this edition of the Joystiq Weekly carries no news of reboots for either series. It does offer a recap of the week's biggest non-fictional stories though, from Microsoft's plans to dismiss 18,000 workers to the latest fighters to take up arms in Super Smash Bros. There are also reviews for the stealth-focused Light and a spooky, exploration-driven journey on a boat called Sunless Sea, plus a WildStar postcard that digs into the MMO's PvP modes. It's all arranged neat and orderly-like for you after the break!
Hearthstone's Naxxramas expansion begins July 22
Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft single-player Adventure Mode, Curse of Naxxramas, will unleash the hounds on July 22. The 30 new Death Rattle-focused cards will be available over five weeks as sections of the game open. The price per wing is 700 gold apiece, but there are also real-money options available. The expansion will go live globabally on PC, Mac and iPad. Are you prepared? [Image: Blizzard]
Hearthstone's Naxxramas DLC goes for $25 or less
The floating necropolis of Naxxramas is coming to Hearthstone, complete with five wings that will open on a weekly basis, in the following order: Arachnid Quarter, Plague Quarter, Military Quarter, Construct Quarter and Frostwyrm Lair. The Arachnid Quarter will be free to enter during the Curse of Naxxramas launch event, which should last for a month or so, Blizzard says. After that, the remaining four wings cost $7 or 700 gold each. Curse of Naxxramas also has bundle pricing: $25 for all five wings, $20 for the final four, $15 for the final three and $10 for the final two. There isn't an option to buy bundles with in-game gold, but if you play through the first wing during the free event, you only have to purchase the remaining four wings. Buying bundles doesn't unlock areas earlier than their weekly launches. Curse of Naxxramas features a Heroic mode for each wing that unlocks after you defeat all of the area's bosses. In Heroic mode, bosses "will prove to be a challenge for even the most veteran Hearthstone players," Blizzard says. Beating all Naxxramas bosses in Heroic mode unlocks a new card back. Pretty! There's no release date for Naxxramas, but Blizzard is saying "soon" quite a lot. Last we heard, it was due out in July. [Image: Blizzard]
Hearthstone tournament rescinds ban on female players
Yesterday, it was revealed that the International eSports Federation planned to bar women from its upcoming Hearthstone tournament in Finland, under the belief that gender segregation would add legitimacy to the idea of video games as a proper sport. Following a flurry of online controversy, the IeSF has opened its doors to all players. However, this does not mean the IeSF has entirely reversed its stance on sorting Hearthstone players by gender. Instead of merely opening all tournaments to everyone, the games which were previously open only to men will now be open to all players, while the female-only tournament will remain sans dudes. "The IeSF Board addressed its reason for maintaining events for women, citing the importance of providing female gamers with ample opportunities to compete in e-Sports - currently a male-dominated industry," reads a notice on the IeSF website. "Female gamers make up half of the world's gaming population, but only a small percentage of e-Sports competitors are women. The IeSF's female-only competitions aim to bring more diversity to competitive play by improving the representation of women at these events. Without efforts to improve representation, e-Sports can't achieve true gender equality." In addition to altering the structure of its Hearthstone tournaments, the IeSF has now opened its Tekken Tag Tournament 2 tournament to all players. Previously, Namco Bandai's 3D fighter was reserved solely for the ladies. [Image: Blizzard Entertainment]
Curse of Naxxramas coming to Hearthstone in July
Though we've known Hearthstone's Curse of Naxxramas expansion was coming out some time this summer, we haven't yet had a date to pin our card-playing hopes on. But now CM Aratil has announced on the Hearthstone forums that the expansion is headed our way this July. We still don't have a pricetag for the expansion, but Aratil says they'll be posting further details on July 1st, which is just around the corner. Curse of Naxxramas will take gamers to -- surprise! -- Kel'Thuzad's citadel Naxxramas, where they'll fight new bosses and have the chance to earn 30 new cards. If you want to see just what's in store, the Hearthstone team has released a number of card previews, all of which are collected here.
Blizzard's Hearthstone: Curse of Naxxramas targeted for July
Hearthstone players have been climbing the walls and experimenting with Warrior decks (ew, gross!), waiting for the launch of the Curse of Naxxramas expansion, which will hopefully occur sometime next month. "Just wanted to give everyone a head's up that we are currently targeting to release Curse of Naxxramas during the month of July," a Blizzard community manager recently mentioned on Battle.net. "Unfortunately, we still have a lot of implementing and bug fixing to get through, so please stay tuned!" It was also mentioned Blizzard plans to reveal pricing details for the expansion next week. Curse of Naxxramas is a single-player expansion to Blizzard's collectible card game launching simultaneously on PC, Mac and iPad, which will also feature new cards with a focus on Deathrattle abilities. And stop trying to make a Warrior deck work. It's just sad to watch.
Fantastic come-from-behind Hearthstone win
Trump is probably one of the best-known Hearthstone players active today, and as such many of you are probably well-acquainted with his Twitch stream. If you haven't been watching recently, you may have missed the nail-biting finish of the match embedded above, in which Trump comes from behind what seemed like a guaranteed win for his opponent to claim victory by the skin of his teeth. What makes this so fun to watch, in my opinion, is that Trump's victory actually depended upon his opponent making a number of mistakes--which he did. However, in addition to this, Trump had to perfectly capitalize on those errors, which he also did. While you can reasonably expect people to choose certain moves and styles over others, you can never truly predict what any player will do in a given match. In many cases, such as the one above, the ability to seize an opportunity is what marks the difference between victory and defeat. Congratulations to Trump for his skill in doing just that. Take note, avid Hearthstone players, there's a lot to be learned from the above video--in both Trump's actions and his opponent's.
Hearthstone World Championships to award $250K to top players
Blizzard will award $250,000 in prizes to the winners of its upcoming Hearthstone World Championships, including a $100,000 prize reserved for the top overall player. Blizzard will choose 16 players worldwide to square off in the final round of its competitive card game tournament, with four competitors each hailing from the Americas, Europe, China, and Korea/Taiwan. Finalists in the Americas and Europe will be chosen among top Ranked Play Seasons players who win regional qualifying tournaments, while competitors from other regions will be determined through leagues and other location-specific events. The Hearthstone World Championships will be held at BlizzCon 2014, which kicks off on November 7 in Anaheim, California. [Image: Blizzard]
