Blizzard's PC game Hearthstone goes live, doesn't bring the world to an end

World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment's free-to-play collectible card game Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft is out of beta and is now available in full to play. In an admittedly silly press statement, Blizzard CEO Mike Morhaime said he's glad to know that the game's arrival did not bring the world to an end.

"We saw some reports early on that Hearthstone might destroy the planet," Morhaime said, referencing a preview for the game that suggested it was so addictive that the world might end as a result. "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 available today to play for free on PC and Mac through the game's website. It's also coming to iPad "soon" and to later on to Android devices, as well as iPhones and Windows tablets.

Hearthstone's release today comes just 11 months after its announcement in April 2013 during PAX East. As Blizzard fans know, this is no small feat, as projects from the studio are often in development for years before final release. The free-to-play card game is somewhat of a different situation, however, as it was developed by a small team at Blizzard.

Blizzard today released a new update for Hearthstone that promises to fix a ton of bugs, add some new Ranked Play rewards, and make some minor adjustments to card balance, among other things. For more on Hearthstone, check out GameSpot's review of the game's open beta.