Blizzard is not going through its best period, and it is necessary to believe that the poor health of the company is also felt on its flagship TCG, Hearthstone. One might think that the online card game had become a “niche” title, remaining immune to controversy and loss of players.
It is not so. As the site reveals SensorTowerspecialized in data for mobile apps, Hearthstone is preparing to close its worst annual financial year since its launch. According Hearthstone Mathematics, the Murder at Castle Nathria expansion was the least profitable in the game’s history.
Revenues plummeting since 2018
It was actually in 2018 that the tide turned for Blizzard and for Hearthstone. The company no longer communicates the number of active players and the revenues of its TCG since that year, but on mobile the profits plummet very explicitly.
While 2018 closed with $165 million in revenue for HS on mobile alone, SensorTower predicts total revenue of just $33 million for the first half of 2022.
Economic choices poorly perceived by players
Blizzard’s recent choices on the monetization of Hearthstone and its Battlegrounds mode have not pleased players, who have openly expressed their disappointment on social networks. The slide towards pay-to-win operated on Battlegrounds as well as the addition of the “premium” currency of Runestones caused an intense wave of dissatisfaction.
And while these choices were, as one imagines, to bail out Blizzard’s coffers, SensorTower’s figures seem to show the opposite effect. A hard blow for the teams of developers, especially since Hearthstone’s recent expansion designs are true masterclasses, backed up by regular balancing patches.