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 revealed by the SensorTower site, which specializes in mobile app data, Hearthstone is preparing to close its worst annual financial year since its launch. According to Hearthstone Mathematics , the Murder at Castle Nathria expansion was the lowest-grossing expansion 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 shift to pay to win operated on Battlegrounds as well as the addition of the "premium" currency of Runestones has caused an intense wave of discontent.
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 developer teams, especially since Hearthstone's recent expansion designs are real masterclasses, supported by regular balancing patches.
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