Blizzard reveals free-to-play TCG Hearthstone: World of Warcraft

Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is a new free-to-play trading card game from Blizzard. World of Warcraft's nine initial classes form the groundwork of the title announced today, which lets players augment pre-made decks populated with skills, characters, and items from the series.

This game is purely digital (not to be confused with the more traditional World of Warcraft Trading Card Game) and links up with Battle.net on Windows, Mac, and iPad. It's free to jump in and play against non-player foes like Uther and Thrall or other players online.

Card-carrying strategists can augment their decks by winning new cards in competitive modes, "disenchanting" unwanted cards, and of course through buying booster packs with real cash.

PAX East visitors can go hands-on with Hearthstone this weekend, and Blizzard says a public beta will open "very soon." You can sign up early at its website. For more information, check out GamesRadar's 9 things you need to know about Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft.

Connor Sheridan

I got a BA in journalism from Central Michigan University - though the best education I received there was from CM Life, its student-run newspaper. Long before that, I started pursuing my degree in video games by bugging my older brother to let me play Zelda on the Super Nintendo. I've previously been a news intern for GameSpot, a news writer for CVG, and now I'm a staff writer here at GamesRadar.