StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged Get Major Esports Boost With ESL & DreamHack
Blizzard Entertainment announced today that the company was entering into a three-year-long strategic agreement with both ESL and DreamHack organizers to host StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged esports tournaments. ESL and Dreamhack are two of the biggest esports tournament circuits in the scene, and are ubiquitous as a mix between serious, year-defining tournaments and a festival-style atmosphere that encourages fans with a more casual understanding of their favorite titles to attend and interact with the many different sources of entertainment present.
Blizzard is coming off a rough year for its esports scene, with 2019 seeing the loss of sponsors in Hearthstone after the Hong Kong controversy rocked the company and early 2020 producing several high profile departures from the Overwatch esports scene before the Overwatch League begins again this year. That being said, however, the company is still one of the biggest producers of esports-friendly titles, with Overwatch at the forefront but StarCraft 2 and Hearthstone still maintaining a presence as well. Warcraft 3: Reforged is an updated version of an all-time RTS classic and, if the gameplay remains largely similar to what it was when it was first released, could become a sudden draw for esports – Warcraft 3 produced some of the best esports moments in the 2000-2010 period, with many pros, like Grubby and Moon, garnering life-long fans and support.
Blizzard has taken steps to ensure the continued presence of StarCraft 2 and a resurgence of interest in Warcraft 3 thanks to a new strategic agreement with ESL and DreamHack (and parent entertainment group MTG). The deal will see ESL Pro Tour formats for both StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged, with Blizzard providing respective prize pools of $1.8 million USD and $200,000 USD for their first seasons. The ESL Pro Tour has been a successful implementation for the tournament circuits in CS:GO, and StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged will mark the second and third titles to be incorporated into that global circuit. DreamHack co-CEO Marcus Lindmark elaborated on what the agreement meant for the tournaments:
„We are both proud and humbled by the fact that Blizzard has chosen DreamHack and ESL to take the lead for competitive StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3 moving forward. This strengthens our joint position as the top tournament organizers in the market with a unique combination of reach and knowledge, and an extensive and successful history. It also provides us with an incredible opportunity to cater to the historical Starcraft II and Warcraft III esports communities, who have played a very important role in the development of modern day esports.“
Rankings and qualifications for the ESL Pro Tour StarCraft 2 will be based on the existing WCS system that Blizzard is replacing with this tournament series. The first season for StarCraft 2 will feature seven tournaments, culminating in the Masters Championship at IEM Katowice 2021. Warcraft 3: Reforged will have four tournaments that culminate in a Championship tournament in 2020.
It’s a big deal for Blizzard’s esports infrastructure, as StarCraft 2’s tournament series, despite having produced some successful and memorable moments, has been flagging recently. Reinvigorating it with a presence at two of the biggest tournament circuits in esports should help immensely, while for Warcraft 3: Reforged, having a guaranteed tournament circuit in place prior to its debut will mean ex-pro players and aspiring amateurs already have a reason to practice hard and go all-in on the game.
StarCraft 2 is available now for PC. Warcraft 3: Reforged will release on January 28, 2020 for PC.
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