It seems that Blizzard’s free(ish)-to-play digital TCG Hearthstone has hit a bit of a rough patch recently. According to PC Gamer, Blizzard COO Coddy Johnson said in the company’s now-infamous earnings call — which preceded the “bloodbath” of firings at Blizzard — that Hearthstone has “experienced sequential declines in net bookings from players making in-game purchases.”
Obviously, players just aren’t as into Hearthstone as they used to be, and Lead Balance Designer August Dean Ayala wants players to tell him why. In a recent tweet, Ayala asked, “If Hearthstone used to be your main game but isn’t anymore, what would get you back?”
The range of replies to Ayala’s question has varied wildly, though there seem to be some patterns emerging: Many players complain about meta stagnation, while others say there’s just not much of a reason to log on and play anymore. Many pro players have come out of the woodwork to provide their feedback as well. It remains to be seen what the devs will actually do with all this feedback, but still, it may be a start to getting the game back into the spotlight. Worth pointing out too is that the game has stayed in the top 10 for watched games on Twitch, so the problem might not be interest on its own.
If Hearthstone used to be your main game but isn't anymore, what would get you back? pic.twitter.com/kP46dj3hHg
— August Dean Ayala 💙 (@IksarHS) February 18, 2019
