Blizzard Announces The Return Of A New And Improved Hearthstone Esports

Get ready for another season of Hearthstone esports. Today, Blizzard announced plans for the card game's Year of the Raptor, which will include three broadcast events. That’s 2 Masters Tour Championships and the World Championship. That said, the focus of the season will be a bit different, with the intent of offering players new ways to make it into these events.

The new system should have something for players at every level. There are three periods in which players can try to qualify. These are Spring and Summer as well as a “Last Chance”. As you’d expect, Spring takes place in March and April and Summer in June and July. The Last Chance qualifiers will be held in September and October. The top players during each session will be invited to the World Championships.

As for how to qualify, there are now two ways. The Ranked ladder is one way to go, but open qualifier events have also been added during each qualifying period. Those who manage to finish in the top four during one of these will be sent directly to the Masters Tour Playoffs.

A full rundown on how the system works, as well as event dates and other important information, is available in the post on the Hearthstone site.