Competition begins on May 17th.
Last month, Blizzard revealed the new three-tiered Hearthstone Masters program and now it’s revealed the highest level of competition, aptly named the “Hearthstone Grandmasters”.
It’s kicking off on May 17th and there will be two seasons in 2019, each featuring eight weeks of matches broadcast over on Twitch.tv/PlayHearthstone.
The pinnacle of Hearthstone esports competition begins May 17!Get the full details on how #HearthstoneGrandmasters works and mark your calendar with the upcoming schedule: https://t.co/XSreIFiYrt pic.twitter.com/tobQ1koLaR
Hearthstone Esports (@HSesports) March 27, 2019
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The Hearthstone Grandmasters will feature competition over three regions – the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific – with 16 players per region taking part, making 48 players in total.
Only the very best Hearthstone players in the world will be invited to join the Hearthstone Grandmasters. They’ll be selected based on criteria including lifetime earnings, points earned during HCT 2018, seasonal points leaders, contributions to the Hearthstone community and more.
Every player selected will also be eligible to compete at all Hearthstone Masters Tour events, so expect to see the best more frequently throughout the year’s competition.
In terms of format, the top three players in each division at the end of each season will play in a six-player Grandmasters Seasonal Playoff. The finalist from each region for both 2019 seasons, plus two players from the China Gold Series will compete in the Hearthstone Global Finals.
Once Season 2 of Hearthstone Grandmasters comes a close, every player who finished bottom of the standings in their division will be at risk of relegation. What’s more, top players from each region of the Masters Tour program will be able to challenge them for a spot in the Grandmasters beginning next year.
Make sure to keep an eye on the official HCT 2019 World Championship page to find out when the best players will be competing next.
