In Hearthstone, players have the ability to control their communication with opponents through in-game emotes, thanks to the options menu feature that allows for muting opponent emotes. Here’s a detailed breakdown of these functionalities:

Muting Opponent Emotes
– Global Mute Option: Players can effectively mute their opponents’ emotes by checking off the appropriate option in the game’s settings menu. This setting, once activated, ensures that opponents are automatically silenced from sending emotes at the start of each match. This feature is especially useful for those who wish to avoid distractions or the potential annoyance of excessive emote spamming during gameplay.

Sending Emotes
– In-Game Emote Wheel: To communicate with opponents, players can utilize the emote wheel during matches. This wheel provides a selection of preset expressions such as “Greetings,” “Thanks,” “Well Played,” and “Oops.” Accessing the emote wheel typically involves clicking an emote button on the interface or using a designated hotkey.

Communication Limitations
– No Voice Chat: Hearthstone does not include a voice chat feature, which means all player interactions must occur through these predefined emotes. Players rely solely on this system to convey sentiments and reactions throughout the game.

Summary of Key Features
1. Mute Opponent Emotes: Players can globally mute emotes in the options menu.
2. Sending Emotes: The emote wheel allows communication through preset messages.
3. No Voice Chat: All interactions are limited to emotes, with no individual muting options beyond the global setting.

In conclusion, while Hearthstone provides mechanisms for players to communicate, including a way to mute opponents, the lack of voice chat means that all expression is reliant on a simple emote system. Players can tailor their experience by muting opponents if they prefer a less interactive environment during their matches.