Is eSports for Hearthstone the next victim of Blizzard’s cost-cutting policy? Initial hints are alarming the community.
Concerns are spreading among Hearthstone fans on social media and Reddit. There is a fear that Blizzard may stop eSports for Hearthstone and abandon large tournaments. The justification comes directly from Blizzard through a survey.
Surveys address eSports issues: Some Hearthstone players have been invited to participate in surveys over the past few days. While many questions are generally about Hearthstone and the latest expansion (“How did you like the Troll Arena? Do you think one has to spend money in Hearthstone to have fun?”), the last questions raised eyebrows.
Blizzard is directly asking whether one would still play Hearthstone if there were no leagues or sponsored tournaments by Blizzard.
Additionally, Blizzard is asking players how much time they spend each week watching tournaments.
The eSports head is already gone: The surveys come at a “timely” moment, as Chen Chou left Blizzard just a few days ago. He was the “Franchise Lead” for “Hearthstone eSports” and was primarily responsible for the organization of tournaments.
Other games fuel concern: The past of Heroes of the Storm makes players particularly skeptical. The MOBA from Blizzard also saw its eSports abruptly canceled. Even at BlizzCon, it was said that there would be large tournaments again in 2019, but this was then quickly discarded. Hearthstone fans now fear a similar fate.
It seems clear that Blizzard is currently questioning eSports for all franchises and considering which games it truly makes sense for. These considerations are being made for Hearthstone. However, whether the surveys will actually have an impact or if the corresponding decisions have already been made remains to be seen. It would fit with the plans to cut costs everywhere.
As soon as there is concrete information from Blizzard about the future of Hearthstone eSports, we will report on it.
Did you also receive this survey? What is your opinion on this matter? Does Hearthstone need its major tournaments to survive?
