Hearthstone, the popular Warcraft-inspired digital card game, has reached a significant milestone and is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week. To mark the occasion, players are treated to a host of freebies not only within Hearthstone itself, but also for its sister MMO game and predecessor, World of Warcraft.
For Hearthstone enthusiasts, logging in at least once before the end of the month grants access to a special card for each class, including a neutral card and a dream card. Additionally, completing a limited-time legendary quest, which involves playing 10 games, rewards players with the exclusive 10th anniversary card back.
Harth Stonebrew got his Stone of the Hearth hearthstone for Hearthstone’s 10th anniversary, and so should you! pic.twitter.com/KIGr3Uso3b
— World of Warcraft (@Warcraft) March 15, 2024
In addition to the in-game rewards, Hearthstone‘s 10th anniversary celebration extends to Twitch drops, offering players the opportunity to earn free packs and other goodies on select days leading up to the release of the new “Whizbang’s Workshop” expansion.
Meanwhile, World of Warcraft players can join the festivities by completing the Hearthstone tutorial using the same Blizzard Battle.net account. Doing so unlocks the Fiery Hearthsteed mount and the “Hearthstoned: Fiery Edition” achievement.
Lucky players have the chance to acquire coveted items such as the Hearthstone disc mount, Sarge the mouse pet, and various toys and cosmetics as rare drops. Those who have already completed the tutorial can log in to claim their rewards, which are available until May 14.
Moreover, Hearthstone tournaments are taking place in the capital cities of Azeroth. This unique crossover event allows WoW players to engage in card battles within the MMORPG itself. Participants even have the opportunity to challenge Hearthstone‘s own Whizbang, offering Hearthstone-themed rewards such as the Compass Rose Mount, the Sarge Pet, the Hearthstone Game Table Toy, and more.
Other tasks has players confront bosses inspired by iconic Hearthstone cards in Valdrakken or their faction’s capital city to earn achievements, collectibles, and cosmetics. However, while the celebration is in full swing, World of Warcraft players are reportedly facing challenges navigating the event.
The sheer number of participants logged in at the same time has led to server overcrowding and lag issues, reminiscent of previous crossover events such as the Greedy Emissary collaboration for Diablo 4’s launch. These big companies just never have enough servers!
This unforeseen chaos of the event has made it difficult for players to fully enjoy the experience. The rush to engage with the content has led to frenzied attempts to tag mobs, causing increased lag in popular locations like Stormwind, Orgrimmar, and Valdrakken.
Furthermore, the limited availability of interactable Hearthstone tables at each location has left players frustrated. Despite the option to purchase Wild Cards from nearby vendors to progress the event quest, the scarcity of tables remains a point of contention among participants.
With only seven days to earn rewards compared to the longer duration of previous events, players are hoping for smoother gameplay as the week progresses. Some have taken to requesting for extending the event to the end of the month, which seems fair.
“Whizbang’s Workshop” releases on March 19, adding 145 new cards to the Hearthstone library. Have you tested the new meta with the newly revised Core Set? What are your thoughts about the Hearthstone 10th Anniversary freebies? Should Blizzard extend the event to compensate for the server instability and lag issues on World of Warcraft?
