Is Hearthstone esports dying? Hearthstone Masters Tour 2023 will have no prize money

Blizzard has revealed its Hearthstone esports 2023 roadmap. It includes Hearthstone Masters Tour Seasonal Championship events with zero prize money awarded to the winners of those tournaments. Is Hearthstone esports dying? Read on for details.

Out of the seven esports events for the game, three of them will be Hearthstone Masters Tour Seasonal Championships. These tournaments will advance players to the 2023 Hearthstone World Championship.

However, the three Masters Tour events will not feature any prize pools. Last year, each Masters Tour had a $250,000 prize pool.

"With players having a direct qualification path to the world championship by playing ladder, we want to prioritize rewarding the most consistent players over the course of the whole year," Blizzard stated.

The announcement also included an FAQ section that answered anticipated questions. Some of these include whether or not the game is on the decline, if third-party invites to Hearthstone Masters Tour events will happen, and if co-streaming will be allowed moving forward.

The current scope of competitive Hearthstone is separate from the game's success, Blizzard stated. "We are thrilled with the upcoming content plans for the game and can’t wait for players to get to see what is being worked on in the years to come," the post added.

The announcement also addressed the move from Twitch to YouTube in the past few years, which resulted in a decline in viewership numbers. This year, Hearthstone esports will be available on Twitch.

"Our goal is to balance the costs of running esports productions while taking into account the size of the competitive community," Blizzard wrote.

Meanwhile, there will be no third-party invites for Hearthstone Masters Tour events in 2023. As for co-streaming, Blizzard stated that competitors in Hearthstone esports events will have permission to co-stream their participation on a delay. Approved community members will also get to co-stream official Hearthstone broadcasts.

Here is the Hearthstone esports schedule for 2023:

Spring Season Qualification Period: January to March

Summer Season Qualification Period: April to June

Fall Season - Qualification Period: July to September

More details will be available in the coming months, according to Blizzard. Until then, stay tuned on Esports.gg for more news and updates.