It’s finally here! Blizzard just posted an official announcement of Hearthstone’s 2024 esports program. And it’s… not great, but it’s better than many have expected.
There will be only three major Esports events this year, all played in Standard format – Spring Championship, Summer Championship, and World Championship. Players will be qualified through competitive points they earn for high ladder finishes in eligible seasons. For example, February and March will be the seasons used to determine who qualifies for the Spring Championship.
Spring and Summer events will have 16 players and a prize pool of $50k, with the top two finishers from each earning the World Championship spot. The other 4 spots (for 8 in total) will be distributed among the top competitive points earners who didn’t qualify through Masters Tours.
Overall, the system is very similar to what we had last year, but with one less Masters Tour event (so $50k less in prize pool). We also haven’t heard anything about Battlegrounds events – I suspect that “Lobby Legends” is gone and we might only see invitational events if anything. (Update: RidiculousHat has confirmed that there will be no Lobby Legends this year.)
In other words, it’s a downsized version of an already downsized esports program we’ve seen last year.
Check out the official announcement below:
Hearthstone esports returns this February! As we head into Hearthstone’s 10-year anniversary, we’re refocusing Hearthstone esports to be all about our core esports experience, with three major Standard events throughout the year: two Masters Tour seasonal championships, leading into the 2024 World Championship!
Each Masters Tour will feature 16 top competitors fighting for their share of $50,000 (USD). Then it all culminates in the World Championship, where the year’s best eight players will try to claim their share of the $350,000 (USD) prize pool and eternal glory!
Climb the leaderboard in February and March to earn one of the sixteen coveted Masters Tour: Spring Championships spots. Twelve slots will go to the top four Competitive Points earners in each region and the remaining four slots will go to the top four total points earners who have not yet earned an invitation, regardless of region.
The Masters Tour: Summer Championship will follow the same structure but will pull from the June and July Leaderboards.
The top two finishers from each Masters Tour will earn an invitation to the World Championships at the end of the year. The remaining four slots will reward player consistency throughout the year, going to the top total Competitive Points earners across all of February, March, June, July, October, and November (one slot for the highest earner in each region, plus one slot for the highest point earner who hasn’t yet earned an invite, regardless of region).
We’re excited for another great year of Hearthstone Esports, fostering fierce competition between Standard’s strongest players. See the 2024 Hearthstone Masters Tour Official Rules for eligibility and other important details and keep an eye out for how to watch in the coming months.
See you in the Tavern!
Better than nothing but still disappointing. I believe blizzard underestimates the secondary effect of professional competitive play on casual involvement in the game.
I agree. Competitive HS is what got me into the game and kept me so involved all these years. The competitive scene drives a lot of the deck innovation which trickles down to streamers and then the masses.
So… Sad news today. 🙁 I will miss Lobby Legends.