Just one more look, and then it’s gone. This week the last HCT seasonal championships ever will be held in the Blizzard Arena, before being replaced by Masters Tours going forward in 2019. One more time we’ll have a top four qualify for the World Championship using the good old seasonal system.



In fitting fashion, though, it’s also going to be the richest seasonal championship in terms of storylines. Stories of excellence, persistence, acknowledgment, and one story of lingering controversy.



Here are the stories you should be aware of going into the HCT Winter Championships

Stories of “The 7” Bloodyface, Bunnyhoppor, Viper, Caimiao, LionKing, Tansoku and Tyler.

Of course, starting off this list by selecting nearly half of the attendees is… remarkable. But then again, the situation of these seven players is extremely remarkable. Making it to one seasonal championship is hard enough already. Let alone making it to two - the raw math on that makes it seem nearly impossible. That’s not to say it hasn’t happened before. However, the 2019 HCT Winter Championships will see something unprecedented. Out of the sixteen qualified players, seven are attending their second seasonal championship of the year: bloodyface, Bunnyhoppor, Viper, Caimiao, LionKing, Tansoku and Tyler.





For the first three of those names, all that’s on the line is ‘just’ a bit of extra pocket cash. Viper and Bunnyhoppor secured their ticket to the big stage at the Summer Championships, while bloodyface grabbed a ticket to Taiwan during the Fall Championships. “So what?”, you may ask. Well, any of these three players could cause quite a ruckus if they make it to the top four again and throw off the schedule. Should either bloodyface, Bunnyhoppor or Viper make it through again, the players whose run ended in the top eight will play in another, separate group, determining who wins the final ticket.





The trio of Caimiao, LionKing and Tansoku are fighting for redemption. After being eliminated from a previous seasonal championship, of which it is pretty likely that they thought it was “all or nothing” already, they have fought through yet another heap of opponents for the ultimate shot at the largest stage Hearthstone esports has to offer.





Lastly, there is the case of Tyler, whose story has multiple facets. First of all, Tyler’s personal year has been nothing but a roller coaster. He moved from The Netherlands to Vietnam, nearly missed out on a World Championship ticket at the Fall Championships. He climbed back up to earn his ticket via the Last Call system but, in fate’s twisted path lost his father after a heartbreaking struggle against sickness. It’s time for Tyler to bask in glory. Should he make the top four, by the way, his Last Call invite to the World Championships shifts over to his Korean colleague Ryvius.





We like Ike Mark "Ike" Eichner

With so much having happened last year, you may just have forgotten that 2018 was jokingly touted as the ‘Year of Killinallday’, or YOKAD. The young American lived up to that title immediately, by qualifying for the World Championship as soon as he could. Ever since, the YOKAD meme has died out a bit. However, with the Winter Championships approaching, the professional Hearthstone community - specifically, the North American one - has found a new prodigy: Ike. And you’d be hard-pressed to not agree with the “We like Ike” sentiment, once you read his Twitlonger on what Hearthstone has meant for him.





Every story needs a villain… The Taiwanese player dubbed "Roger"

And for many, Roger will be the villain at the HCT Winter Championships. Not a ‘heel’, someone who lives to be picked upon by the community, mind you. No, many in the competitive Hearthstone scene are genuinely upset Roger is even allowed to compete in official Blizzard tournaments. The controversy started in April, when while a Skype call with others Roger timed his ladder queue so he would face his friend ‘Reall’. It worked, Roger lost on purpose, and thus helped Mushroom towards a better ladder finish for that month. Even though it was all recorded, no action was taken.





However, the big breakthrough of Roger’s dubious ethical standards came with the Hearthstone Global Games. After reviewing video evidence, Blizzard admins found that team Taiwan had been stream-sniping, led by Roger and Shaxy, attempting to gain an advantage. Obviously, team Taiwan was banned from the event. But… that was it, in terms of repercussions. Just a short while later, both Roger and Shaxy were allowed to play in a Blizzard-organized invitational, as if nothing had happened.





▲ The 16 qualified players competing in the HCT Winter Championships.

Now, everyone deserves a second chance. The Hearthstone community has proven to agree with that several times. After a long time, Naiman was unbanned, and fought his way back to redemption, for example. But with Roger, many feel that he has not yet served his time. A time not even Blizzard has spoken out about - no official elaboration as to why Roger was treated quite mildly has been given. While it may be for all the wrong reasons, it will definitely be worth following Roger’s story this week.