Hearthstone Competitive Scene Will Change Significantly Next Year
2018 was an eventful year for Hearthstone. This year they crowned Team China champion who overpowered favorite Team Brazil at the Grand Finale of Hearthstone Global Games at BlizzCon. They also awarded two seasonal champions at their Summer and Fall Championships. In total, they have hosted 200,000 players who attended 25 of their Tour Stops and other major events across the world. By the end of 2018, they would have given out well above $2.8 million in prize money – which is their largest amount ever! Hearthstone betting sites were blowing up throughout 2018.
Changes for Next Year
This spring, the Hearthstone Championship Tour (HCT) will witness a grand ending with the HCT World Championship. The best players in the world shall trade tackles for $1m in prize money! The end of the championship shall mark the beginning of a brand-new three-tiered competitive system. The system comprises of qualifiers, live universal contests and an exclusive top tier with more than $4 million to be won globally in 2019.
Qualifiers
Hearthstone plan to run lots and lots of qualifier competitions online. One good thing about the qualifiers is that the absence of region-lock which means just about anyone on the globe can compete at a time convenient to them. If a participant wins a qualifier, the person automatically qualifies to the next level of the tournament.
Live Global Tournament
The coming year 2019 shall witness a clash of the best players. Hearthstone plans to hold live three invite-only tournaments globally. The event will bring together the best and brightest Hearthstone players. Popular players, as well as aspiring pros (who won their first tournament), will square it up for $250,000 per event. The player who conquers in the battle royal will have an open door to the ultimate level of competition.
Premier Play
The top tier is a seasonal round-robin online contest, with regional separations and featuring the world best players. It will start after the HCT World Championship and end with an epic finale at the end of the year.
Another juicy news is that players who participated in the competition will walk away with bonuses based on their performance. Also, they will automatically get called up for the live global events in the preceding tier.
Structure
Hearthstone has the plan to be workable, amusing and reachable for all and due to this, they plan to step down the Conquest Format in 2019. The new format will show a more robust in-game experience and ease of use for all – new and old viewers. The format will be played all over the world and after being unveiled in a couple of months.
Hearthstone Masters and the Transitional Season
The Hearthstone Masters System was launched to acknowledge topmost players based on their steady performance. Their rewards are fixed on Competitive Point sums from last three seasons. The system will reward competitors who have worked hard to attain the new status.
Furthermore, now you can transfer all the points garnered during Season 1 of 2018 since it would remain till December 1st. Between that time and March 31st, 2019 players will have a bonus “transitional” season to accumulate more points towards next year for more benefits.
Conclusion
As time goes on, we shall bring you more details on the level of play, how players will join the competition and many more. Stay with us.
