The main esports event of the year in Hearthstone returns to the BlizzCon stage in Anaheim, California. As part of the Hearthstone World Championship 2026, 16 of the world's strongest players will compete for a prize pool of $500,000, with $100,000 going to the winner.
The competition will begin with the group stage, which will take place from September 8 to 10 (starting at 19:00 Kyiv time each day). Matches will be played in a Bo5 Conquest format with four decks and a ban. The eight best esports players will advance to the playoffs, which will take place live in front of the BlizzCon audience on September 12–13. The quarterfinals will be held on the first day of the playoffs, while the semifinals and grand final will take place on the second day.
The tournament will feature 16 players, including several star names:
The matches will be available through the official broadcasts on Twitch and YouTube. By watching the streams, viewers will receive card packs from the “Escape From Violet Hold” expansion through the Drops system. In addition, the interactive “Choose Your Champion” event launches on September 3, where accurate predictions of participants’ results can earn additional card packs.
As a reminder, Blizzard may transfer the rights to the StarCraft franchise to Nexon.
