Is Hearthstone Mercenaries free to play?

Hearthstone’s latest game mode, Mercenaries, is already taking the community by storm. But, some are confused over the game’s cost, wondering if it is free to play or not. The answer is both yes and no.

Hearthstone Mercenaries officially hit live servers on October 12, giving players across the world access to the new game mode.

This new offering is different from the Arena or Battlegrounds, giving players the option to play either PvE or PvP as they look to build up their team of mercenaries.

But, with all of this being offered and some complaints from the community about the cost of some packs, what is the true cost to play the new mode?

Is Hearthstone Mercenaries free to play?

Hearthstone Mercenaries is a completely free-to-play mode within the Hearthstone launcher. But, the true cost to players comes from buying packs or bundles that are available.

However, you may be asking “Do I have to buy these bundles to get access to the best cards?”

• Read More: Hearthstone Mercenaries guide: How to play, Combat Roles, Minions & more

The answer to that is no. All mercenary cards can be earned, either in random packs or by accumulating enough credits from completing bounties and quests. Packs can be purchased with real currency, or for 100 coins each.

It may be easier to get access to certain mercenaries from buying a lot of packs, but doing so shouldn’t be essential, especially if the aim of the player is primarily to play the PvE content in Mercenaries.

Players that are willing to spend some money to get ahead in Mercenaries certainly have the opportunity to.

There are several bundles available that will give access to random Legendary and/or Epic Mercs, ranging from $4.99 to $19.99 USD. Pre-launch bundles even ranged higher than this.

• Read More: Is Hearthstone Mercenaries single player?

As tempting as it may be to spend early and get ahead, players should consider waiting for the meta to shake out a bit before getting too attached to one card or the other. And, who knows, there may even be more ways to earn rewards for free that are yet to come?