Blizzard has announced a change in the prize pool distribution thanks to feedback from the Hearthstone community for the upcoming year of Hearthstone competitive play. In the original announcement, Blizzard stated that there would be three Masters Tour events that fed into the World Championship, but none of them would have prizing available. The prize for placing highly in them was getting the opportunity to go to the World Championship, which had a prize pool of $500,000.
The change means the World Championship will now have a $350,000 Prize Pool, and the $150,000 removed from it is being equally divided into the Masters Tour events. This matches how much money is available in each of the Battlegrounds Lobby Legends events that will be taking place this year - $50,000 a piece.
Quote From HSEsports After listening to feedback for the Masters Tour, we are changing prize pool distribution. Each Masters Tour will have a $50,000 prize pool similar to the three Lobby Legends Championships. This means the 2023 World Championship will have an adjusted pool of $350,000.
How Blizzard Changed the World Championship Prize Pool
The prize reduction for the World Championship means players that reach certain levels in the Championship itself will be receiving reduced money. Below we have a comparison of the before and after values.
- 1st: $100,000 (No Change)
- 2nd: $60,000 (Down from $80,000)
- 3rd-4th: $40,000 (Down from $65,000)
- 5th-6th: $30,000 (Down from $55,000)
- 7th-8th: $25,000 (Down from $40,000)
The Masters Tour events of the year will use the following prize pool distribution for the $50,000 allocated for each event. This is an increase from no money at all.
- 1st: $10,000
- 2nd: $8,000
- 3rd-4th: $5,000
- 5th-8th: $3,000
- 9th-12th: $1,500
- 13th-16th: $1,000
Overall, this is a step in the right direction and it's great to see Blizzard address the feedback of the community. We'd like to know your opinion though, was this the right move to make? Share your opinion in the comments below.
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Comments
Has their been any confirmation on in-person events? Especially for the World Championship. Ofc these events would cost players their own money to fly to a certain location but they feel much more lively than the play at home events.
I haven't heard anything, but I doubt.
They are severely cutting down their e-sports budget. So in-person events, which are more expensive to set-up, seems unlikely.
Too bad they could not just add $50,000 to each event, and not lower the final championship prize pool, but this is objectively better at least.
I have to agree, but is "better" enough to curb last week's prognosticated death of HS esport? At least indeed, a step in the right direction.
Yeah, they really had an opportunity to just throw a bit more money at it. We all know it isn't a lot of money for Blizzard and it would be so much goodwill for the community. Understandably though there isn't much their esports team can do alone. Their budget was given to them by someone else and they just wanted to make one big spectacle with it.