ESL and DreamHack got their hands on a honeypot previously unheard of. In a surprising turn of events, Blizzard announced that the two event organizers will be joining the game development giant for some esports. And not just any esports.
It seems both ESL and DreamHack had been working to surprise Blizzard fans. Okay, okay, we knew something was up ahead of time. Rumors were circulating about the future of Warcraft III: Reforged as an esport, sure. Then, at the end of 2019, Blizzard shut down the StarCraft II World Championship Series app.
This disheartened StarCraft II fans. After the Heroes of the Storm Global Championship was cut abruptly in 2018, people feared the same would happen to everyone’s favorite science-fiction RTS. But the news was good this time.
Enter ESL and DreamHack
Both ESL and DreamHack are veterans on the esports event scene. ESL has two decades under the belt and is one of the oldest and most recognized names in the esports industry as a whole. Sweden-based DreamHack is equally as experienced, hosting officially sanctioned esports tournaments in CS:GO, Dota 2, and many other titles. Since the two companies are now under the MTG group, it makes sense for them to partner up very often.
Together, they are tasked by Blizzard with organizing two major esports leagues for StarCraft II and Warcraft III: Reforged. Both will be entering the ESL Pro Tour circuit. This is the first time Blizzard has subcontracted not one, but two official esports franchises. Not just that, StarCraft II in particular is considered the game that gave us modern esports.
Everyone will be watching to see how these two orgs perform, so they better be up to the task!
The tours: a mix of old and new
New management doesn’t mean we’re less esports, though. Here’s how things are looking for each esports title:
StarCraft II
For StarCraft II, we’re getting a unified ranking system while still keeping some of the old WCS structure. Offering $1.8 million in prize money, the ESL Pro Tour for StarCraft II will be a year-long event, bringing pros from all over the world. It will culminate at the IEM Katowice Championship in 2021 and anyone can join, provided they manage to clear the qualifiers. Here’s how it works:
Only time will tell if the big clash between Europe and Korea will keep on giving!
Warcraft III: Reforged
As an emerging title, Warcraft III: Reforged is setting for a humbler beginning. The tournament will offer $200,000 up for grabs, with $100,000 going to the big winner. Not bad for a start! The players will be selected from 12 top performers and the winners of four Challenger Cups:
The first two Challenger Cups have already been announced: one will take place at Anaheim between February 21 and 23, while the other is scheduled for late May in Jönköping.
A possible downside
While it’s fun that Blizzard’s RTS esports scene is being revived, there are some concerns. For example, ESL and DreamHack haven’t yet confirmed how StarCraft II esports will shape up in Korea. This is a serious unknown – Korean pros are notoriously good at the game and should be an essential part of the circuit. All we know so far is a vague “we’re working on it” from the organizers.
Furthermore, what about BlizzCon? The Blizzard convention which takes place at the end of each year has been a staple for Blizzard esports. With players now competing in a different circuit, what happens to the BlizzCon esports slot for StarCraft II and Warcraft III: Reforged? The game developer company has been very reluctant to say. Their statement reads as follows:
“This means SC2 esports at BlizzCon will look different in the future, but it will still be there, and we will share more details about how that will look later.”
Someone more suspicious can easily read it as “maybe, maybe not, we have no idea”.
Blizzard’s reasoning
Try and stand in Activision/Blizzard’s shoes for a moment. The company has a successful esports franchise in the face of the Overwatch League and the more niche appeal of Hearthstone.
In contrast, StarCraft II’s esports retains a small but loyal fanbase. Not dead, but not lucrative compared to the OWL. Warcraft III: Reforged’s future is still uncertain but the game is sure to attract nostalgia feels for the RTS genre. Some, but not many. In the meantime, shareholders are constantly pushing for the thing they always push: less expense and greater profit.
So, Blizzard was probably faced with a tough choice: drop the WCS entirely, risking another PR nightmare, and invest little in Reforged. Or, they could subcontract the entire thing to experienced organizers and make sure the loyal fanbase still gets a pleasurable experience. The latter seems like the smarter option.
