Classic mode, diamond cards and meta controversy – how has Hearthstone changed in 2023?

Classic mode – how long will it be interesting for players?

A little less than two years ago, one of the main topics of discussion in the gaming community was the launch of the classic version of World of Warcraft, which many fans dreamed of. Now the opportunity to play “vanilla“ Hearthstone fans also have a version of the game.

Now everyone can return to 2014 and play their beloved Miracle Horn, the druid who exhibits “Frosty Yeti“ on the first move, or Zulok. Over time, the balance of cards has changed a lot, however, in “classics“ everything is recreated in its original form: “Gift of nature“ costs only five units of mana, “Enlightenment“ gives two crystals, etc.

Of course launch “classics“ Hearthstone was much smaller in scale than the same WoW, where Ozzy Osbourne and Chuck Norris participated in promotional campaigns. However, the update fulfilled its mission: those who were bored with it for a long time really began to return to the game. What can I say if in “classics“ now even SilverName, who has long been disillusioned with the ladder, is being cut.

The question is how long the effect of nostalgia will last: as the experience of the same World of Warcraft shows, the hype fades out very quickly. At the same time, the Hearthstone meta has always been the subject of heated discussions: one of the main advantages of the game has always been the ability to abandon it indefinitely, and then return almost painlessly, even after six months or a year. The classic mode, on the other hand, will allow many to relive memorable gaming moments (if, for example, the developers gradually decide to re-release add-ons for it), and this will definitely resonate with the audience.

The developers from Team 5 are still very cautious about the prospects of the mode. Of course, in terms of popularity, he can hardly compete with “The standard“ and “Battlefields“, but it opens up quite a few opportunities for further monetization of the game. Therefore, its evolution is inevitable – and this is, perhaps, great.

Hearthstone seems to have an optimal monetization system

Half a year ago, Blizzard got burned badly with the new system for earning gold in Hearthstone. When players calculated that they would receive less in-game currency, a real scandal erupted: many gamers began to cancel pre-orders and swear that they would no longer spend a single cent on HS.

As a result, after a little thought, the developers corrected themselves. Now you can earn in-game currency in many different ways, including the extremely popular mode “Battlefields“ (which many gamers have also been asking for a long time), and its maximum amount has really grown a lot.

Hearthstone players have defended their right to play without investing in CCGs, and Blizzard has successfully tried out a new way of monetizing – with the analogue of the Battle Pass and a large number of cosmetic items. And the trend continued in the new year.