BlizzCon’s opening week brings Heroes Of The Storm action

It’s no surprise that BlizzCon is jam-packed with events and things to do and see. Players and fans get unprecedented access to tournament matches for their favorite esports games and kicking off the opening week are Heroes of the Storm. The Heroes Global Championship (HGC), promises to be full of action and excitement from the group rounds, right through to the finals. It isn’t the only game being showcased with an unforgettable tournament over the coming weeks, but it is going to be the first and will set the tone for things to come.

The very first group stage match kicks off no later than 09:00am today, the 25th October, with matches held daily until Sunday 28th after that. Players have battled hard to earn their places, and they’ll be stepping out onto the stage at Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles with lofty goals in mind, to become world champions. Each match will see teams make or break their winning streaks so far, and only the best will move on to subsequent rounds. The final on Sunday 28th is going to be full of nail biting action which will have everyone on the edge of their seats.

Currently the field has been narrowed down to the top twelve teams and they hail from all over the globe. Europe, North America, China, Korea, Taiwan, and Australia/New Zealand all have players in the final groups and it will fantastic to see them kicking off the esports events at BlizzCon.

The group stages split the field of 12 teams into two groups of six. From there the first and second place winners from each group will be seeded into the upper bracket, with the third and fourth place teams heading into the lower bracket. Teams five and six will be eliminated. Each group will play a best-of-two round-robin format so there will be plenty to watch and keep fans busy.

BlizzCon itself at the Anaheim Convention Center will host the quarter, semi and final matches of the tournament and Heroes of the Storm has the coveted position of being the first esport to kick things off across the two main event days. Matches will begin right after the opening ceremony and this time, will be a best-of-three format. The finals on November 2nd will use a single-elimination bracket format and players will need to be at the top of their game to succeed.

Total prize money for this tournament alone comes in at a whopping $1,000,000 with the 1st place team set to take home $500,000. Second place will net the team $200,000. Third and fourth prizes are $80,000. Those placing 5th – 8th will get $25,000 and finally those teams who finish 9-12th will receive $10,000. As you can see, there really is everything to play for and the teams are willing and eager to put everything on the line to bring home not only the prize money, but the tournament trophy too.