A brand-new mode is coming to Hearthstone next month and in a pretty big twist, it doesn’t require the use of cards or a deck. What?! I know…Hearthstone Mercenaries is the latest addition to the game following Battlegrounds and Duels. At this point, Hearthstone is becoming more of a platform than a game but if it means we get more content, then I’m all for it.
Blizzard describes Hearthstone Mercenaries as a combination of strategy RPG and roguelike mechanics as players recruit and collect “legendary characters from across all of Azeroth.” At launch, 50 Mercenaries will be available (with more promised) including characters like Sylvanas and Ragnaros.
Blizzard is promising “a fresh set of challenges every time you play” Hearthstone Mercenaries as players grow their characters up to level 30, upgrade their three abilities and discover synergies with other Mercenaries.
Hearthstone Mercenaries
When Hearthstone Mercenaries launches on October 13, any player who tries the new mode out will get eight Mercenaries for completing the introductory missions. With those eight, players will be able to form a squad and start completing bounties. Players who complete the prologue and begin their first bounty will also earn the Sarge mount for World of Warcraft.
The aim of the game in Mercenaries is to complete bounties and is core to the PVE experience. Completing bounties helps to level up your Mercenaries and there are tonnes of them on offer. Bounties are also procedurally generated leading up to the Bounty Boss to ensure playing remains engaging and fun. The longer you play the more difficult bounties will become too, so stick around if you’re looking for a greater challenge.
With both PVE and PVP on offer, Blizzard described Mercenaries as follows;
Mercenaries features a combat system that rewards cunning and anticipation. Before each fight, players will select mercenaries from their team to participate in battle. Each turn, they’ll pick their team’s actions simultaneously with their opponents and watch the results of the fight play out. Players can focus on PVE by chasing bounties or start competing in PVP to complete achievements, earn rewards, and push for a spot on the PVP leaderboard!
Mercenaries come in three flavours (and colours); Fighter, Caster and Protector. The different roles dictate the type of abilities and strengths and weaknesses of a given Mercenary. Similar to the damage triangle from Fire Emblem, Fighters deal double to Casters, Casters deal double to Protectors and Protectors deal double to Fighters.
Finally, The Village is Hearthstone Mercenaries hub. Here, players can manage their collection, collect rewards, browse the store and more.
That’s not all though.
When Mercenaries launches on October 13, the Lord of Terror, Diablo, will be one of the 50 available characters. Included as part of one of three pre-purchase bundles (each of which includes an iconic Blizzard character) Diablo’s pack includes a Diamond Legendary Diablo Card and 50 Mercenary Packs. The other two packs feature The Lich King and Sylvanas.
Check out the gameplay showcase video above for more details on Hearthstone Mercenaries and get ready for launch on October 13.
