At number 6 in our countdown of the Most Influential Hearthstone Players of all time is Reynad, who Frodan referred to as one of the most entertaining streamers.
Esports.gg and Frodan are collaborating to reveal the Top 8 Most Influential Hearthstone players of all time!! We will be revealing a new player every day in the run-up until Christmas. At number 6 in our top 8 is Andrey "Reynad" Yanyuk, a former Hearthstone pro, founder of Tempo Storm and developer on The Bazaar.
Top 8 Most Influential Players of All Time
Reynad and Hearthstone and Tempo Storm
Reynad got into Hearthstone and began creating content for it in 2013. Not only was he a natural entertainer on Twitch livestreams, but he also reviewed cards and showcased stream highlights on YouTube.
He innovated Twitch livestreams with shenanigans such as online dating and letting text-to-speech read out donation messages. Ultimately, Reynad's personality and approach to content creation drew in dedicated viewers and made him a legend within the Hearthstone community.
Reynad also took on the role of a Hearthstone caster alongside peers such as TJ "Azumo" Sanders and Dan "Frodan" Chou.
His confidence and quick-witted responses combined with the commentary of other casters made tournaments like the Americas Championship in 2015 and the Hearthstone Winter Championship of 2016 entertaining and memorable.
On the competitive side, Reynad dueled in various tournaments such as DreamHack Hearthstone events, Red Bull Team Brawls and Esports Arena matches.
Under the Tempo Storm flag, he achieved first place in competitions such as the 2015 Battle of the Best Invitational and the 2016 Red Bull Team Brawl.
Founded in 2014 by Reynad himself, Tempo Storm had prominent Hearthstone players who duked it out against others under the organization’s flag. Some of the players included Muzahidul "Muzzy" Islam, David "Justsaiyan" Shan and Ryan "PurpleDrank" Murphy-Root.
Frodan, Jeffrey "Trump" Shih and Petar "Gaara" Stevanovic also competed under the Tempo Storm name.
Now, the organization has players who are into Magic: The Gathering, Shadowverse, Super Smash Bros. and Fifa. This is in addition to having its own community for content creators and livestreamers.
“I’ve been playing and competing in card games my entire life.”
In 2018, Reynad made an announcement about stepping away from Hearthstone. This was done in order to focus on The Bazaar.
“What you might not know is I'm a game designer at heart,” Reynad said in a YouTube video that introduced The Bazaar’s Indiegogo campaign. “I’ve been playing and competing in card games my entire life. I’ve actually been designing games since I was a teenager.”
He then recalled his days of playing Hearthstone on Twitch, when he lamented about his bad luck. Reynad said his experience with card games made him uniquely qualified to create a great one.
Over on his now closed Indiegogo campaign page, Reynad recalled how The Bazaar began with deck building as its core idea. He wanted the card game to stand out.
“This isn’t just a dream of mine anymore, it is now a fully working prototype, with hundreds of cards already designed and drawn,” he wrote. “We have a full team working on this game, iterating on the core gameplay and honing in our art style.”
Fast-forward to 2021, and The Bazaar had pre-orders and early access. This dedication to The Bazaar also signifies Tempo Storm’s current and future plans. According to Tempo Storm Content Coordinator Lanson Ho’opai, there aren’t plans to cut any of the players. However, Tempo Storm is shifting its focus away from the esports scene and toward game development.
Although Reynad is now focusing on The Bazaar, his mark on the Hearthstone community is still remembered, earning him a well-deserved place in the "Top 8 Most Influential Hearthstone Players of All Time" list.