Hearthstone fans are very upset about the card game’s new monetization, calling it “pay to win”

Over the course of nearly 10 years, Hearthstone has risen to become one of the best free-to-play games out there, particularly for anyone looking to play a virtual trading card game on Android. It’s been through a lot of changes over the years, but the next expansion will be switching up Battlegrounds in a way that’s left many players upset.

Essentially, the way that real money is spent in-game is changing. Up to this point, in-game purchases have been straightforward, with regular money. Starting with Hearthstone’s 24.2 update at the end of August, these purchases will instead be done with Runestones, a new in-game currency. Furthermore, Battlegrounds is getting its own season pass: it offers rewards like experience and cosmetics, but it can only be purchased using the new Runestones.

This change has not been received well by many members of the Hearthstone community. Several posts on the game’s subreddit are teeming with disappointment. Emergency_Variety179 shared the satirical photo you see below, mocking the way that the game will seemingly disguise the amount of money its players are spending. Other Redditors mock the “fanboys” who will “happily pay” the season pass fee that will be introduced in the next update.

There’s a worry in the community about the much-dreaded “pay-to-win” strategy invading Hearthstone. User ringorin shared their thoughts about the changes, expressing concern about how these changes could open up the door for such pay-to-win scenarios in the future. Everdale lamented the nonchalant way that some streamers have responded to the changes. Funckle_hs made a strong statement in meme form, drawing comparisons between Runestones and the over-monetization of Diablo Immortal.

The comparison is apt: Diablo Immortal was review bombed over pay-to-win accusations and alleged hidden daily reward caps. Fully upgrading your character costs a pretty high average of real-world money — a cost that Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra brushed off. Hearthstone fans are simply concerned about their game of choice getting the same treatment.