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Hearthstone announces 2026 esports plans

Announces
Image of Hearthstone Masters logo on a grey, gold, and brown background. Gold leaves surround the logo
Image credit: Blizzard

Blizzard has unveiled the full roadmap for Hearthstone‘s 2026 esports circuit, including new tournaments and larger prize pools.

In addition to new tournaments taking place throughout the year, the developer and publisher confirmed the Hearthstone World Championship will take place at BlizzCon next September.

For 2026, Hearthstone will expand its Masters Tour Championship circuit from two tournaments in 2025 to three. The Winter Championship makes its debut in April, adding another $50,000 (~£37,365) in prize money.

Next year will feature three consecutive Competitive Seasons. The Winter, Spring, and Summer seasons take place from January to June, with players competing for Competitive Points and for places at regional playoffs. Competitive Points are awarded based on rank in open qualifiers.

The points breakdown is as follows:

  • Rank 1: 7 points
  • Rank 2-5: 6 points
  • Rank 6-10: 5 points
  • Rank 11-25: 4 points
  • Rank 26-50: 3 points
  • Rank 51-75: 2 points
  • Rank 76-100: 1 point

In addition to the debut of the Winter Championship, Blizzard will introduce the Playoffs Blitz Weekend. Taking place near the end of a competitive season, a Blitz Weekend features several single-elimination open qualifiers, with the winner of each earning a place in the playoffs. Further information on the first Blitz Weekend will be revealed at a later date.

Hearthstone In 2025

The Heathstone esports 2025 season held Spring and Summer championships in June and September, with players competing for a share of the $50,000 prize pools.

From December 18th to 21st, the season-ending World Championship is taking place. In total, 16 players from across the world are competing online for a share of a $500,000 (~£373,757) prize pool and an opportunity to become world champion.

2024 Hearthstone World Champion mlYanming looks to defend the title following a strong Group Stage campaign. The Chinese player began the tournament, topping Group B with a 2-0 record to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

On December 21st, the playoffs will determine this year’s champion before attention turns towards the 2026 season. Fans can tune into the action across Hearthstone’s Twitch and YouTube channels.

Jonno Nicholson
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