Runestones refer to the new virtual currency in Hearthstone that can be bought via the in-game shop and the Battle.net web shop. They are available to players starting Aug. 30 at the launch of Hearthstone patch 24.2.
Read on for details about Runestones, what players can buy using the currency, the cost of Runestones plus the state of in-game gold.
What are Runestones in Hearthstone?
Runestones replace real-money purchases for just about every item in the Hearthstone shop, according to Blizzard. Some items such as pre-purchase bundles (packs that are bought more than one at a time) and the Tavern Pass can be purchased with either money or Runestones.
The arrival of Runestones allows Blizzard to offer additional smaller-scale items as well, including hero skins for the Battlegrounds game mode.
“With 24.2, Tavern Tickets (used to enter Arena and Heroic Duels) will be available for Runestones or Gold,” Hearthstone Modes Design Lead Matt London noted on Twitter. “The prices are not changing. Casual Duels has no entry fee.”
With 24.2, Tavern Tickets (used to enter Arena and Heroic Duels) will be available for Runestones or Gold.
The prices are not changing.
Casual Duels has no entry fee.
— Matt London (@themattlondon) August 23, 2022
Runestones are also available in bundles of different sizes, and the quantities correspond with key products such as the Hearthstone Battlegrounds Season Pass. This allows players to get the exact amount of Runestones they need for that item, according to Blizzard.
Hearthstone Features Lead Chadd Nervig reiterated this over on Twitter, noting that Runestone bundle sizes match the top-selling items to minimize wasted Runestones.
“They allow us to offer smaller products for sale, like individual BG skins or emotes,” Nervig added.
What can players buy with Runestones?
Based on the information so far, here’s what Hearthstone players can buy with Runestones:
- Pre-purchase bundles
- Hearthstone Tavern Pass
- Packs (purchasing more than one at a time)
- Individual Battlegrounds hero skins
- Tavern tickets
- Battlegrounds Season Pass
- Emotes
How much do Runestones cost?
“No product costs are changing with this conversion—all prices are staying the same, just converted to Runestones,” the official announcement noted.
Nervig further clarified this on Twitter. The prices are not changing, and it’s 100 Runestones per $1 USD.
Three important points about Runestones:
1) Prices are not changing, and Runestone prices are based on US pricing (100 Runestones per $1). Prices should still be very clear.
(1/3)
— Celestalon (@Celestalon) August 23, 2022
According to Blizzard, there are no plans to earn Runestones in-game.
Are Runestones replacing gold in Hearthstone?
“Aside from the BG Season Pass, everything currently purchasable with Gold still will be, and we have no plans to change that,” Nervig explained in a reply.
This means products such as Hearthstone card packs, Tavern tickets, hero skins and card backs in the Collection tab, Mini-Sets and more can still be obtained through in-game gold.
Published: Aug 25, 2022 11:17 am