A post on Battle.net has word from Blizzard that they've banned "several thousand" Hearthstone accounts for the use of third-party software to play as bots in the virtual card game. Word is cheaters are getting about a two-month time out to think about how bad they've been, and that such transgressions will result in perma-bans going forward:

We've recently banned several thousand Hearthstone accounts that were associated with the use of third-party programs that automate gameplay, otherwise known as “bots” or “botting.” These accounts will be banned until 2015. As we’ve stated, fair play is at the core of the Hearthstone experience, and cheating and botting will not be tolerated.

We’re committed to creating a fun and rewarding environment for our players, and we will continue to closely monitor activities within Hearthstone and take appropriate action against cheating in any form, as outlined in our Terms of Use. From this point on, accounts found to be cheating will be permanently closed without warning.

If you believe that you’ve encountered a possible bot or other form of exploitation, please let us know by emailing our Hacks team at hacks@blizzard.com.