14 DAY TRIAL // Blizzard Entertainment has announced the release of Hearthstone, the super-duper collectible card game, on Android tablets.
The popular game is currently having a soft launch, being released only in Australia, Canada and New Zealand for the time being. Hearthstone is available on Google Play for free in those regions, and Blizzard has specified that it will become available worldwide in the coming days.
Furthermore, Hearthstone will also be made available on the Amazon Appstore, for Kindle Fire owners to enjoy.
Players will be able to enjoy the full spectrum of content available, including The Curse of Naxxramas: A Hearthstone Adventure, the single-player expansion, as well as the recently released Goblins vs Gnomes, a massive infusion of over 120 new cards.
In addition to this, to celebrate the game's launch on Android tablets, Blizzard is offering everyone trying out the game on such a device a free pack of Classic cards. All you have to do in order to earn the pack is complete a match in any game mode on your tablet, no matter if you win or lose.
A big step forward
As card collection and progress will be shared between all compatible devices used to access your Hearthstone account, you'll be able to play the game wherever you are.
This is especially important since the game is very addictive, and for those not in the possession of an iPad, the time spent getting from one computer to the next is borderline unbearable.
Having full access to Hearthstone while on the go is great, and it will ensure that many people's social skills will go further down the drain.
On a more serious note, since the Goblins vs Gnomes expansion has just been launched, and it's a truly exciting time to play the game, with a lot of new decks coming and going every day, being able to enjoy Hearthstone in a portable format is simply stellar.
The ability to play it on Android tablets will also make local tournaments much more accessible and easy to organize.
Unfortunately, not all Android devices will be supported. The official system requirements specify that you need a tablet with at least a 6" screen, as well as 1 GB RAM and Android 4.0 or higher.
Blizzard has mentioned that those itching to play cards from smartphones will have to wait a while longer, as development efforts continue, and that more news will be delivered next year.
Fortunately, the power of knowledge is great, and people are already getting the game to run on devices with smaller screens, although the results aren't always guaranteed, and the process requires a small amount of tinkering, as well as a rooted device.
