Hearthstone: Battlegrounds open beta launches today

Remember earlier this year when auto battlers were the latest hotness? We had Auto Chess, DOTA Underlords, Chess Rush, and more all gunning for our attention. They all had their own reasons to play, but, at least from where I'm standing, most games in the genre struggled to remain nearly as popular as, say, the biggest names in battle royale.

Now, however, the Hearthstone team has put together its own take on the auto battler with the newly released Hearthstone: Battlegrounds. After a brief period in early access, the new game mode is now available in open beta.

As is typical of the genre, Battlegrounds sees players creating powerful teams of minions and heroes to take on rivals in strategic 8-player battles. It benefits from having the entirety of Hearthstone's minion types to pull from, including Demons, Murlocs, and Mechs.

The mode is launching with 24 heroes to pick from, each boasting their own unique power to turn the tide of battle. Auto battlers are very much about thinking things through prior to the start of the match, and Battlegrounds seems no different in this regard. You'd be wise to consider all of your options in order to formulate the best possible team.

If you're a fan of the genre, you'll find Hearthstone available for download now from both the App Store and Google Play.