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In a March 7, 2023 announcement, Blizzard said Battleground Buddies would return in Hearthstone Battlegrounds with Patch 25.6. The central change was replacing the Buddy Meter with a button players could use to buy their Buddy immediately; its Gold cost depended on the Buddy’s Tavern Tier and fell after combat.
What are Battleground Buddies?
Buddies are hero-specific minions designed to complement each hero’s style or game plan. Blizzard first introduced them in Patch 22.2; its February 2022 Battle.net roundup described them as unique minions built to synergize with each hero. Blizzard’s Patch 22.2 roundup provides that earlier context.
For the Patch 25.6 return, Blizzard said heroes that had previously received a Buddy would get theirs again, while heroes without an existing Buddy would receive one. The announcement pointed to Murloc Holmes and Watfin as an example. Blizzard’s March 7, 2023 Patch 25.6 announcement described the returning system.
How did the Buddy Button work?
The announced system replaced the Buddy Meter with a Buddy Button. Instead of waiting for meter progress to earn a Buddy, players could spend Gold to obtain one immediately. Blizzard’s stated initial price was tied to the Buddy’s Tavern Tier:
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| Buddy Tavern Tier | Initial button cost announced by Blizzard |
|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 11 Gold |
| Tier 6 | 21 Gold |
After each combat, the cost would decrease by 3 Gold for a win or tie and by 2 Gold for a loss. The amount of the initial price between the stated Tier 1 and Tier 6 examples was not specified in the announcement.
The button could be activated up to twice in a game. The first use gave one Buddy; the second gave two copies. Blizzard said the cost reset and increased somewhat after the first use, but did not give an exact second-use price in the announcement.
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What changed from the Buddy Meter?
| Acquisition detail | Buddy Meter | Buddy Button announced for Patch 25.6 |
|---|---|---|
| When the Buddy arrived | Players built meter progress toward the Buddy. | Players could spend Gold for an immediate Buddy. |
| Cost structure | Progress-based meter. | Initial cost depended on Buddy Tavern Tier, then fell after combat: 3 Gold after a win or tie, 2 Gold after a loss. |
| Copies available | Not stated in Blizzard’s March 7, 2023 announcement. | One Buddy on the first button use and two copies on the second. |
The change made the timing and price of spending Gold a planning decision: players had to weigh the benefit of getting a Buddy now against keeping Gold for other plays, while combat results lowered the button’s cost. Blizzard’s announcement did not provide player-outcome or win-rate comparisons between the two systems.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are Buddies back in Battlegrounds now?
The Patch 25.6 announcement records Blizzard’s plan in March 2023; it does not establish that the Buddy Button remains available in the live mode today. A later, limited status point appears in Blizzard’s June 12, 2025 Patch 32.4.2 notes, which list “Bring in the Buddies” among the removed Anomalies. That entry concerns the named Anomaly, not the full Battlegrounds rotation, and does not establish the live mode’s status in October 2026.
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