Hearthstone officially launches

Blizzard's digital strategy card battling game, Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, is officially out of beta and now available to the masses. For those interested, the game is completely free-to-play and can be downloaded via the game's website.

As soon as you jump in you’ll challenge iconic Warcraft characters, including the ferocious Hogger, the mischievous Millhouse Manastorm, and the wise Lorewalker Cho. As you progress through these introductory missions, you’ll hone your card-slinging skills in preparation for a climactic battle against Illidan Stormrage! You are not prepared . . . for this much fun!

On the game's release, Blizzard co-founder and CEO Mike Morhaim joked, "We saw some reports early on that Hearthstone might destroy the planet. We're pleased to see that the game has been released and the planet is still here . . . though we apologize for all the lost productivity."

Hearthstone is currently available on PC and Mac, with iPad support coming soon. Android device, iPhone, and Windows tablet versions are also in development and will be available "in the future."