We begin this article by noting right up front that Blizzard is terribly fond of floating bad ideas in surveys and then saying, Ha ha we weren’t really going to do it, we were just testing you! Why would you believe we’d do the things we’re asking you about! as if we hadn’t ever seen it do the thing and then have to walk it back.
So with that as the foundation here, the news is that Blizzard is apparently sending ’round Hearthstone surveys to determine how much players would be willing to shell out for a subscription for a card game that launched in 2014.
According to the options in the survey, Blizzard is considering monthly subs of $10 to $20 for a range of access to card sets and decks; there are also questions about battlegrounds season passes, 3-D gameplay, out-of-universe collab cosmetics, console play, metrics, and live events.
Reddit players at least aren’t enthusiastic, and it’s all coming at a bad time as players were already upset over the direction of Hearthstone’s esports season, which Blizzard announced would be scaled back; Chinese players are screwed too as NetEase ran the Chinese esports program for the game, and Blizzard appears to have no concrete plans for incorporating the remains of that program.
“Last fall, we began thinking about setting Hearthstone Esports up for sustainability as it turns a decade old, balancing the realities of an ever-changing production landscape, sizing the program according to its audience, and finding the most direct path forward for players to compete,” the company wrote. “Even though the 2023 program is smaller, this year is poised to bring another exciting year of competitive Hearthstone, with players from across the globe showcasing their skills to earn prizing and join the Hall of Champions.”
