Finding Opponent

The Finding Opponent screen in Play mode, Standard format

The Finding Opponent screen, also known as the loading screen, or the "Spinner", is the holding screen presented while the system is finding a suitable opponent or opponents for the player to battle in any PvP game mode. It has several notable features, including special music, helpful tips and comical elements. It depicts a large mechanical spinner containing the descriptions of possible players, from which the player's opponent is supposedly chosen, representing the game's matchmaking process.

The Finding Opponent process can be stopped by clicking on the 'Cancel' button any time before a match is made. The screen otherwise persists until the matchmaking process is complete, at which point the battle begins automatically.

The Solo Adventures equivalent of the Finding Opponent screen is the Starting Game screen.

Music

The Finding Opponent screen in Wild format

The Finding Opponent screen is notable for its music. A selection of pieces are featured, including several from the early Warcraft RTS game Warcraft II: Tides of Darkness. Players can load a new music selection by cancelling and restarting the matchmaking process.

Tips

Main article: Tips

Tips are offered to players on the Finding Opponent screen. Tips are randomly chosen from a selection of possible tips, partly determined by the current game mode. For a full list, see Tips.

Opponents

The process of finding an opponent is represented by a mechanical spinner containing descriptions of several possible opponents. The matchmaking process concludes with the spinner coming to a halt, rocking back and forth before finally settling on one of several possible descriptions.

Singular

When finding a match in a 1v1 game mode, the description chosen is always the same: "Worthy Opponent". However, the other possible, yet never quite selected opponents' descriptions vary and are:

• Party Crasher
• A TITAN
• Festive Foe
• Millhouse Manastorm
• Party Animal
• A Walking Meme
• Balloon Popper
• A Legendary Soloist
• Mopey Mage
• Wombat Warlock
• Rouged-up Rogue
• Waifish Warrior
• Damp Druid
• Shabby Shaman
• Penniless Paladin
• Huffy Hunter
• Perky Priest
• Despicable Demon Hunter
• Effervescent Evoker
• Diablo!!!
• Boomsday Technician
• A Goblin-like Gnome
• A Whispering Old God
• A Grimy Goon
• Junior Explorer
• Inspired Champion
• Frustrated Kobold
• Arena Competitor
• E.V.I.L. Doer
• Adventuring Mercenary
• Blizzard Developer
• Scholomance Student
• Brooding Venthyr
• Harth's Second Cousin
• Dastardly Death Knight
• Mediocre Monk
• Sarge

Plural

When finding a match in a game mode with multiple opponents (e.g. Battlegrounds Duos), the description chosen is always the same: "Worthy Opponents". However, the other possible, yet never quite selected opponents' descriptions vary and are:

• An Owl Team
• A Rat Prince
• Unknown Players
• Teamfighters
• Bacon Friars
• Demon Lords
• Zoo Keepers
• Mechanical Engineers
• Murloc Seers
• Hearthstone Developers
• The Horde
• The Alliance
• The Old Gods
• The Illidari
• Windrunner Sisters
• Chess Lovers
• Seven Dwarves
• Magnificent Seven
• Bunch of Murlocs
• Seven Angry Gnomes
• League of E.V.I.L.
• League of Explorers
• The Galacrumpers
• Plunderlords
• Deranged Masterminds
• Coffee Shop Strangers
• Child Geniuses
• Military Strategists
• Your BFFs
• Bartender Bob's Pals
• Hungry Gamers
• A Circle of Plankers

Notes

• The list contains alliterative references to all 11 playable classes, as well as to two of the World of Warcraft classes not yet implemented into Hearthstone: Monk and Evoker.
• The list also contains references to many of Hearthstone's card sets.
• The list also contains references that go beyond the Warcraft universe, with mentions of Blizzard, Starcraft, and Diablo.
• "Roach Boy" is a reference to a meme started by a thread on the Hearthstone subreddit. In the thread, the poster showcased a conversation between them and another player they had recently defeated in an Arena game, with the latter repeatedly comparing the former to a roach or "roach boy".

History

In Patch 29.0.0.195635, new spinner descriptions were added.

The previous spinner descriptions were the following:

Click 'Expand' to view full list

• Easy Pickings
• Your Worst Nightmare
• World class paste eater
• A Murloc
• Gourd critic
• Nose and mouth breather
• Hogger
• A cardish Ian
• Mopey Mage
• Wombat Warlock
• Rouged up Rogue
• Waifish Warrior
• Damp Druid
• Shabby Shaman
• Penniless Paladin
• Huffy Hunter
• Perky Priest
• The Worst Player
• Your Old Roommate
• StarCraft Pro
• Fiscally responsible mime
• Your Guild Leader
• Noneck George
• Gum Pusher
• Cheater McCheaterson
• Really slow guy
• Roach Boy
• Orange Rhymer
• Coffee Addict
• Inward Talker
• Blizzard Developer
• Grand Master
• Diamond League Player
• Brand New Player
• Dastardly Death Knight
• Mediocre Monk
• A Little Puppy

Trivia

• The final opponent description "Worthy Opponent" was originally "Reasonable Opponent".
• This screen does not use its own music when queuing for a Tavern Brawl match; the usual Tavern Brawl music simply continues to play.

Patch changes

• Patch 29.2.0.198037 (2024-04-16): Updated the spinner descriptions.
• Patch 3.0.0.9786 (2015-08-18): "Musty Orphan" replaced with "Roach Boy".
• Patch 1.0.0.4944 (Open beta, 2014-03-11): The queue timer now only shows up after you’ve been waiting a while.
• Patch 1.0.0.4458 (Closed beta, 2014-1-16): A timer has been added to the Finding Opponent and Starting Game screens, showing the time spent waiting so far, and an estimated total wait time.
• Patch 1.0.0.3890 (Closed beta, 2013-10-02): Music has been added to the Finding Opponent screen.