Hearthstone Mercenaries showcase reveals gameplay, launch date and more

Blizzard just revealed details about Hearthstone Mercenaries via Twitch and YouTube. The showcase included information about the Mercenaries Village, gameplay, minion types and more.

The campfire area within Mercenaries Village is where players can view tasks and complete them for rewards. Meanwhile, within the tavern, players get to select the abilities and equipment for their mercenaries. 

Within the village’s tavern, players get to select and upgrade the abilities and equipment for their mercenaries. When a new mercenary is added to the collection, they will have one ability. The next abilities unlock at levels five and 15. 

Upgrading these abilities and equipment requires a new in-game currency called Mercenary Coins. Each character has their own coin, and currency can be earned through bounties, packs and player-versus-player games. 

Other areas of interest include the workshop, travel point, fighting pit, merchant cart and mailbox. The workshop is where players can upgrade their village areas for a new look and improve functionalities. Meanwhile, the travel point is where bounties can be accessed for Mercenaries PvE gameplay. 

The fighting pit pairs players up against a similarly-powerful team of fighters. Additionally, while the merchant chart acts as an in-game shop, the mailbox is where the announcements are located.

Hearthstone Players can create a team of mercenaries in the tavern area as well. A team is made up of six characters. Three of them can be in play while the other three are benched.  When one mercenary gets defeated, players can bring a character from the bench into the fray.

In Hearthstone Mercenaries, players become the leader of their own team. They can unlock abilities, level up their characters and find upgradable items through jobs and battles. 

Each mercenary has attack and health stats alongside a core set of unique abilities that can heal, buff, summon and damage enemies. 

On this note, there is no face in Hearthstone Mercenaries, which means victory can only be achieved by wiping out the opposing team. 

All abilities have a speed value, and some have a cooldown. Speed indicates the order of actions, and the lower the number, the sooner the action. 

Players begin with the command phase, which is when the team's moves and abilities are chosen. Next the combat phase unfolds in the order from the lowest speed number to highest speed one. 

There are minion roles in the game mode as well. Protectors include tanks like Garrosh Hellscream and Lord Jaraxxus, while fighters like Blademaster Samuro and Warmaster Vonne are the damage dealers. As for the casters, they include Anduin Wrynn and Blink Fox.

Protectors deal double damage to fighters, and fighters deal double damage to casters. This means casters deal twice the amount of damage to protectors. These multipliers apply to both abilities and attacks only on offense. 

The Lord of Terror is also going to be a part of the Hearthstone Mercenaries launch. The Diablo Mercenaries Bundle can be pre-purchased now.  

Hearthstone Mercenaries is scheduled to launch on October 12.