Hearthstoneis bringing back the Buddies mechanic to its popular Battlegrounds game mode. Every Battlegrounds Hero will be getting their trusty sidekicks back as a part of its final major mid-season update before the nextHearthstoneexpansion drops.
Battlegrounds is a popularHearthstonegame modethat has players draft teams of minions to defeat seven other players in an auto-battle mini-game. Buddies are special minions unique to each Hero, each with abilities that synergize with their Hero Power. Buddies were originally introduced in January 2022, but were removed four months later due to balance issues.
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However, it seemsHearthstoneis bringing Buddies back to Battlegrounds in its next patch. Though Battlegrounds Buddies were previously earned for free by filling a gauge during battles, these special minions now have a gold cost associated with them based on the Tier of each individual Buddy. This cost is reduced by three after a victory, or two after a defeat. After buying a Buddy once, the cost resets, allowing players to purchase two more copies at a slight cost increase to make it Golden.New Battlegrounds Heroeswho don’t have Buddies yet will receive one in the new patch.
Were that not exciting enough,Hearthstoneis also gearing up for its next year of content. News of the next expansion, as well as theend of theHearthstoneYear of the Hydracore set, will be coming alongside the patch notes for the Battlegrounds update. These updates and announcements are expected to arrive at or around March 14.
Many players are excited for Buddies to come back toHearthstoneBattlegrounds. Hero Powers greatly inform each character’s strategies, and Battlegrounds Buddies help to further distinguish each playable Hero from one another. The new system acquiring Buddies also seems like it will be more interesting than the old way, as it now has a strategic cost element to it.
That said, some players are worried Buddies will ruin Battlegrounds again. The initial run of Battlegrounds Buddies was far from balanced, and many players grew frustrated with the system. These players preferred the Prizes mechanic fromMadness at the Darkmoon FaireorQuests from theMurder at Castle Nathriaexpansion, and would prefer these mechanics return instead of Buddies. Players will have to see ifHearthstone’snew approach to Battlegrounds Buddies will help alleviate their concerns about the unique minions to ensure the popular game mode continues to be fun and engaging.
Hearthstoneis available now for Mobile and PC.
