blizzcon BlizzCon Opening Week - October 28 to November 1

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With the growing number of Blizzard eSports scenes, compressing all of their finals in to BlizzCon itself ceased to be viable last year. This year, Heroes of the Storm further complicates an already packed schedule - thus, Blizzard will be hosting a full week of eSports content leading up to BlizzCon as the 'Opening Week'! The first rounds of each of the four tournaments will play out from October 28 to November 1.

 

The Hearthstone World Championship, Heroes of the Storm World Championship, WoW Arena World Champsionship, and StarCraft II World Championship Series (WCS) Global Finals are all part of BlizzCon, but the initial rounds of each tournament will be played ahead of the convention itself. Full details follow:

 

BlizzCon Opening Week - October 28 to November 1

 

Last year, we needed an extra weekend for all the World Championship eSports. This year, we need a week! The Heroes of the Storm, Hearthstone, and WoW Arena World Championships, along with the StarCraft II WCS Global Finals, will launch from Burbank, CA between October 28 and November 1.

 

The BlizzCon Opening Week will host 96 elite eSports players from across the globe battling for the opportunity to be crowned World Champion at BlizzCon. This is eSports you need to watch, and you’ll have plenty of streaming options available on BlizzCon.com for each game.

 

So, which matches will be played at BlizzCon Opening Week, and when? We’ve broken it out for each game below:

 

Hearthstone World Championship

Prize Pool: $250,000
Number of Players: 16
Schedule: October 28-31, 9:00 a.m. PDT

 

Matches: The Hearthstone World Championship kicks off with four groups of four players vying against each other in a dual-elimination format. Match 1 of each group will play October 28, with Match 2 and the first eliminations on October 29. October 30-31 will see each match advancing a player to BlizzCon, as we make our way through the winners and decider matches of each group.

 

Heroes of the Storm World Championship

Prize Pool: $500,000
Number of Players: 8 Teams (5 players per team)
Schedule: October 28, 1:30 p.m. PDT

 

Matches: The Heroes of the Storm World Championship features 2 dual-tournament groups in the first round. No teams will be eliminated during Opening Week, but each team will get to show their stuff in the initial matches of each group.

 

WoW Arena World Championship

Prize Pool: $250,000
Number of Players: 8 teams (3 players per team)
Schedule: October 30-31, 1:30 p.m. PDT

 

Matches: Each of the 2 dual-tournament groups in the Round of 8 will compete October 30-31. Two teams will advance to the Round of 4 bracket (played at BlizzCon November 6) based on the results of these matches, while the other two Ro4 teams will be determined at BlizzCon.

 

StarCraft II World Championship Series Global Finals

Prize Pool: $250,000
Number of Players: 16
Schedule: November 1, 10:00 a.m. PST 

 

Matches: The Global Finals will follow last year’s tried and true format. The top 16 players in the WCS Global Standings will be seeded into a single elimination bracket. All matches of the Round of 16 bracket will take place November 1. Eight of the 16 players will advance to the Round of 8 matches (played at BlizzCon November 6).

 

You’ll also be able to watch coverage of the BlizzCon opening ceremony and all of the StarCraft II, Hearthstone, World of Warcraft, and Heroes of the Storm matches taking place at BlizzCon for free in HD at www.blizzcon.com. The StarCraft II finals will also be available to watch via the official WCS website.

 

Thoughts on this year's scheduling for the Blizzard eSports World Championships? Excited for a whole week of Blizzard eSports action? Let us know!

 

BlizzCon's eSports schedule creeps even further forward this year, with a whole week of pro play leading up to the World Championships finales at the convention itself!