Grandmasters Season 2, Hearthstone’s Tier 1 competitive league, starts on August 12. Three regions, 48 players, almost $500.000 in prizes, 3 World Championship spots, and much more in this 8-week competition.
Hearthstone Grandmasters (HSGM) is the top-level competition of Blizzard’s iconic collectible card game. Each year, 48 of the world’s top players battle during two eight-week seasons for their spot at Hearthstone’s World Championship. We are already halfway through 2021, and season 2 is about to begin, just a few days after United in Stormwind expansion launch. Join me in this journey to learn all you need to know about HSGM.
Hearthstone Grand Masters: Format & Prize pool
HSGM Season 2 Format
Hearthstone Grandmasters’ competition consists of 7 weeks of online individual tournaments. 16 players per region will face each other, battling for their ticket to Week 8 Playoffs. With an unsolved United in Stormwind metagame, Grandmasters from Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas, will need to rapidly adapt and perform since every week matters.
Each week, players that make it through the first round will compete on broadcasted matches from Friday through Sunday on YouTube. HSGM format for weekly tournaments will alternate between Conquest and Last Hero Standing. This twist will require a sharp mind and flexibility for finding the best decks and strategies in an unsettled meta.
During the 7 weeks of the regular season, Players will earn one point per victory, the top 8 Grandmasters of each region will advance to Playoffs for a shot at the World Championship. On the other hand, the bottom 4 players will be relegated from Hearthstone Grandmasters. By the end of the season, the top players from the Masters Tour system for each region will fill in the open spots.
HSGM Prize Pool & World Championship
The Hearthstone Grandmasters league will have $486.000 destined for prizes. This prize pool will be divided into $64.500 for each week of the regular season and $34.500 for the Playoffs. However, the actual jackpot is getting into the $500.000 World Championship, where each of the eight competitors will earn a minimum of $25.000.
Hearthstone 2021 World Championship will take place in December. In this final competition, six Grandmasters and two representatives from the Chinese Gold Series will clash in an epic battle. We already know the names of three of the World Title contestants:
- Facundo “Nalguidan” Pruzzo from the Americas region representing Oxygen Esports
- David “Frenetic” Neila from the European region representing Barça Esports
- Wataru “Posesi” Ishibashi from the Asia-Pacific region
Where to Watch Hearthstone Grandmasters
As mentioned, Hearthstone Grandmasters will be broadcasted exclusively on YouTube starting on August 13. Make sure to find the regional stream that fits best with you. HSGM has 6 regional broadcasts in the following languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese (LATAM), and Spanish (LATAM). Be sure to turn on your notifications and tune in every weekend for the most intense matches.
Finally, if you want more Hearthstone news and updates, stay tuned to esports.gg!