Blizzard created a VR prototype of its popular card game, Hearthstone, and after testing it, decided it would probably not work, meaning fans will probably never see it. Hearthstone is a free-to-play virtual card game set in the Warcraft universe. Players are meant to replicate notable figures, heroes, and villains from the universe who are taking a break from running around raiding and looting, to sit down for a game of cards against an opponent in a quaint and fantastical tavern.
The atmosphere is utterly cozy, with a fire burning in the background, a lute player strumming away, and little pieces in each corner of the board (also known as the battlefield) to click and play with while waiting for your turn. Each of these elements bring the simple tavern fully to life in the mind of a player, creating the perfect environment for this fan-favorite game. Since its release in 2014, Hearthstone has also gone on to become one of the top earning games in esports and one of the most popular games to stream.
Blizzard tested what Hearthstone would be like as a VR game, and while the results sound amazing, it has decided the mechanics would get too much in the way of game play. That means players will probably never get to see the finished product. According to PC Gamer, the VR would give players the ability to walk around the tavern, throw cards onto the board, and even flip the table.
While the VR may never see reality, all hope is still not lost. The pair of developers who were given the task had only two weeks to make what they could of the game. With more time, the developers would surely be able to make it more worthwhile. However, it is highly likely that due to the simplicity of the game, VR would just make it too complicated. Blizzard believes players would rather keep the game as is, available to play on their phones and tablets wherever they go instead of complicating it with a VR setup.
While it would feel incredibly therapeutic to flip the table with all the cards over after a particularly stressful game, instead of simply saying “well played,” it is also easy to see how that could be abused by players who would make the action even more annoying than spamming emotes. With VR technology on the rise and more developers willing to work with it than ever before according to a GDC 2020 poll, there’s a possibility Hearthstone and VR could yet meet up - just don’t expect it any time soon.
More: VKLiooon Becomes First Woman to Win a Blizzcon (Or Any Major) Hearthstone Championship
Hearthstone is available now on Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices.
Source: PC Gamer
