Hearthstone introduces co-op as part of a limited-time event

By Danny Cowan November 4, 2015

hearthstone coop event inbound hearthcoop header — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Blizzard’s online collectible card game Hearthstone will roll out its first-ever co-op gameplay session this week with a special limited-time Tavern Brawl event.

Starting this Wednesday, Hearthstone‘s elite can team up to take on Gearmaster Mechazod. The event will mark Hearthstone‘s first foray into co-operative gameplay, as the game usually pits players against one another in a series of turn-based sessions.

During the Gearmaster Mechazod Tavern Brawl, players will join up with an online partner, and each player will be armed with a pre-built deck. During battle, Mechazod will alternate his attacks between both players, and teammates must leverage their limited resources in order to bring him down.

Blizzard notes that both competitors must survive the battle in order to win – if either teammate falls mid-battle, both players take a loss. Given that this is the first time any Hearthstone player has experienced a co-op battle, however, Blizzard will give out Tavern Brawl packs to both winners and losers.

“Gearmaster Mechazod is ready for you!” Blizzard warns. “He’s got an arsenal of gnasty gnomish inventions and he’s going to use every tool at his greasy fingertips to wreck you and your partner. On the plus side, you’ll walk away with your Tavern Brawl Hearthstone pack whether you win or lose!”

Hearthstone has proven profitable for Blizzard and partner Activision, as the companies announced in August that the collectible card game earns more than $20 million every month from microtransaction purchases. Hearthstone‘s popularity and earnings saw a significant jump when the game arrived on iOS and Android smartphones earlier this year.

Hearthstone‘s profitability played a likely role in Activision’s purchase of Candy Crush Saga developer King for $5.9 billion earlier this week. Previously, Activision had little presence in the mobile marketplace, and the King purchase immediately grants the publisher access to millions of active mobile users.

The Unite Against Mechazod Tavern Brawl event kicks off this Wednesday, November 5th, for Hearthstone players in North America. The event will remain active through November 9th.

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