Considering Hearthstone originally started as a small project within Blizzard, you have to admit it’s pretty impressive how the game has expanded in such a short amount of time. Originally announced in March 2013 before being opened up to a closed beta which eventually had over a million people invited to it, Hearthstone has now been played by 20 million people. And it’s only been in full release for 6 months.
It’s not surprising that the game has gained popularity since it was announced, but the sheer scale of it and the time scale is what is really impressive here. Blizzard made the announcement from their official Hearthstone Twitter account which you can see below.
Thank you all for joining us in #Hearthstone! We’re going to need a bigger tavern! pic.twitter.com/7OUMMIM5ww
— Hearthstone (@PlayHearthstone) September 15, 2014
But what exactly is it that makes Hearthstone so appealing? Personally I think it’s the accessibility factor, the fact that anyone can sign up, log in and get the basics of the game in less than a few hours, all whilst spending no real money if they don’t want to. Simple to understand, difficult to master, that’s how I’d describe it, and there’s very few games like that these days in my opinion. Hearthstone’s separate League, Arena and Casual modes mean it can cater to all levels of competitiveness, from the pros to the people who just want to jump in for some casual fun, and its release on the iPad has only made this more true as casual gamers galore can easily pick it up and have a game.
What do you think of Hearthstone, have you played it? Do you see why it’s grown so quickly? Let us know.
