Why is Hearthstone Esports dying?
Hearthstone Esports has been one of the most interesting and competitive gaming scenes in recent years. The suspense was always at its highest, and the prizes just right.
Unfortunately, in 2023, it seems that Hearthstone Esports is dying, especially the Battlegrounds section. It seems that the decision (probably of an employee) can kill an entire community, an entire Esports system and maybe even the entire game in the long run. Why is Hearthstone Battlegrounds Esports dying?
- New players are excluded
The Lobby Legends qualification system has changed, so that only the top 4 players from each region will qualify, along with the top 4 from the global ranking. So a new player has almost no chance to qualify. Why? Because it is impossible to surpass in points a player from the top 4.
The scoring system is extremely disadvantageous for new players. They should play 3 times more than those already present in the top 10 and have much better results, which is practically impossible, we know that those in the top 10 currently play 8-12 hours a day.
To be able to catch the top 4 as a new player, you need a good few months to play consecutively 8-12 hours a day, something that totally discourages new players.
With no prospect of hitting the top 10 quickly, new players will disconnect and most likely become casual players or turn their attention to another game where they have a better chance of being in the top quickly if the value allows (see TFT).
Without new players, there is no emulation, there is no neutral audience… the audience drops drastically, the prizes drop and the game dies from a competitive point of view.
- Streamers and opinion leaders are forced to “no life mode”
As one of the streamers known by HS BG said, if you have a family you have no chance at the top 4. You don’t have enough 6-8 hours a day to catch the top 4, so you must not have anything else on your schedule like to have a chance at Lobby Legends. And as most of the streamers, influencers and well-known players also have personal lives, practically they have lost all hope in Lobby Legends, something that they also convey to their followers.
Pessimistic message from the opinion makers… the audience drops drastically, the prizes drop and the game dies from a competitive point of view.
As a streamer said. How would it be for FIFA to bring only 4 teams, the best, to the World Championship. It would be a disaster. The interest is much greater when there are many countries, when countries such as Romania, Canada, Egypt, Japan or Australia have a chance to qualify. The emulation of the fans is much greater, and people have something to hope for, because in the end Sport and Esport are competitions based on money. Even if the fans are not connected, the show does not exist.
You cannot make a World Cup with only Brazil, France, Spain and Argentina.
- Boomerang effect, low prizes, shrinking audience, competitive mode dies in the long run
Prizes have dropped dramatically in 2023, so interest has also dropped dramatically, qualification conditions are extremely austere, and new players have been completely excluded from having a chance to qualify.
As heard through streamer chats, you can give the prize to XQN directly. It is easier.
The bottom line?
Blizzard, you need a major change in the Esports Battleground organization chart. Change the employee, change the system, give chances to new players to hope for qualification, let the streamers have a personal life and maybe you have a chance that the game will not die.
Best regards,
One marketing manager from a sport team!