Hearthstone is introducing premium currency and a Battlegrounds season pass, players are unimpressed
Hearthstone's auto-battler mode Battlegrounds remains popular, even among players who don't bother with regular Hearthstone. On August 30 Blizzard will launch Season 2 of Battlegrounds, which will add quest mechanics and two new heroes, but it's also going to bring some things players are less excited about: premium currency and a premium rewards track to go with it.
Real-money purchases in the Hearthstone shop will be phased out in favor of a virtual currency called Runestones, though as Blizzard's FAQ(opens in new tab) notes, «Some products, like Pre-Purchase Bundles, the Hearthstone Tavern Pass, and Packs (purchasing more than one at a time) will be able to be purchased with money or Runestones.» Typically, premium currencies are sold in amounts that don't correspond directly to the cost of items in the shop, meaning customers have to buy more than they want. Blizzard says some Runestone bundles will be sold in «quantities that correspond to our major products (like the Battlegrounds Season Pass)», though that leaves the question of what count as minor products unanswered.
Chadd Nervig, Hearthstone features lead, tried to reassure players on Twitter(opens in new tab) by explaining the actual prices in the shop wouldn't be changing, and said, «We've chosen Runestone bundle sizes to exactly match the top selling products, and minimize wasted Runestones.» He also explained that having a premium currency makes it easier to «offer smaller products for sale, like individual BG skins or emotes», presumably because of how the cut Apple and other storeowners take on each purchase works out.
What players seem most upset about(opens in new tab) is that the Battlegrounds season pass will give buyers access to a premium tier of
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