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There's no denying just how successful Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft has been, that much every gamer can be assured. At last word, the free-to-play digital card game had amassed over 20 million players, and it's likely that that number has only grown in the months following that initial announcement. Even over a year after launch, the game's developer Blizzard has continued to support the title with a number of new add-ons that encourage continued play.

While the game is free-to-play in the sense that users can still download and experience the title without spending a dime, cold hard cash is generated through in-game transactions for card packs. Now Blizzard will be taking this one step further by offering brand new heroes in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft to dedicated players, albeit for a fee.

Taking to its Battle.net blog, the developer revealed plans to begin releasing new heroes for its ever-popular online card battler. The first character confirmed to be joining the fray is the dwarven Alliance member and King of Ironforge, Magni Bronzebeard, and he'll be putting his Warrior class to good use against any opposition. With that said, there is some controversy surrounding the new hero.

The promise of additional characters is a great one for longtime fans of Hearthstone that may have been getting a little fed up with the existing range of card-holders, but it turns out that the addition of this hero is more cosmetic than anything else. Setting aside unique animations when activating a power-up, as well as a handful of dialogue options exclusive to Bronzebeard, the character will play exactly the same as the existing warrior, Garrosh Hellscream – bringing no range of exclusive cards or abilities with him.

Furthermore, this hero will be retailing on Hearthstone's in-game storefront for $9.99 USD. Pairing details on the new character with the fact that it will essentially run fans $10 for what equates to a different skin, and it's easy to see why many loyal players are displeased with Blizzard's upcoming content. It's important to note that this content is completely optional, so really these new heroes (and their accompanying cost) hold no barring on the game itself. Still, players that have already dropped some serious coin on in-game card packs may be a little miffed – although we doubt that the player that spent $3,000 on Hearthstone in a night will pass up the new heroes.

According to Blizzard, the new characters for Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft will be arriving "soon," so stay tuned to Game Rant for more details on the add-ons.

Source: Battle.Net