The flops of 2019
Every medal has its flip side, and while there were a lot of good things about Hearthstone in 2019, there is still a lot that can be improved or even completely rethought.
- An unconvincing Specialist format
During the presentation of the Specialist mode, the idea never even seemed to really convince the community. Certainly, it was something new. Certainly, it was a new format that could revive the competitive aspect of the game, with a touch of inspiration straight from the competitive part of Magic: The Gathering. However, a 5-card sideboard was clearly not enough to switch from one deck to another, and viewers found themselves watching endless matches that pitted the same classes and often the same gameplays against each other. What could have changed the game? A bigger sideboard — maybe 10 cards — or encouraging players to switch classes after the Swiss rounds; or maybe other relevant ideas. Still, this format in its initial form didn't really appeal to players and viewers. The Shield format has since been adopted, and the definitive return to the Conquest and sometimes even KotH is becoming more and more apparent. As a matter of fact, sometimes you have to have eaten your black bread to really enjoy the rest...
- A dying competitive system on all sides
The Grandmasters league had everything to be exciting: big names from the scene, a cash prize and therefore a big stake, but also a steady pace and a rather good exposure on Twitch with all the matches streamed live. At the end of the first two seasons, several problems emerged. The main one is that ONLY players racing in these Grandmasters could claim the world title at the end of 2019. On the one hand, Blizzard had absolutely not warned the millions of other players in its game of this restriction (they finally did in early summer, after Dog announced his intention to leave the league); and on the other hand, it went completely against Hearthstone's core values which could be summed up as "anyone can do it if they tryhard". As a result, some unknown players won Dreamhack, HCT Tour stages, or other official Blizzard and non-Blizzard tournaments. And even though the same players were regularly at the top of the bill, the dream was allowed all year round for someone who wanted to try it. Since then, the circuit has come full circle, and only the Masters Tour can eventually lead to anything.
Let's talk about the Masters Tour. Three events (Las Vegas, Seoul and Bucharest in 2019, Arlington and Bali scheduled for 2020 for the moment) that represent the totality of possibilities to show off for Hearthstone players from all horizons. If we add to this the issues that Battlefy has experienced with its API, we come to a rather sad conclusion for the year 2019 in terms of esports. A loss of player confidence in Blizzard, the inability to stand out and hope to be among the Blizzcon players and national LANs that are still at half-mast. The situation is alarming and we must hope that 2020 will be more favorable to the amateur and semi-professional scene.
Last but not least, there is also something to be said for the Grandmasters league and its organization: season 1, played without any downhill or uphill stakes, showed the world that some players would not feel concerned otherwise. What a lack of respect for the millions of players who would have liked to be in their place! A dilettante preparation assumed during the interviews, catastrophic results for some players who have a potential much higher than what we have seen. We can drift on a somewhat slippery subject: the choice of some of the members of this Grandmasters league, which clearly didn't please everyone, as some players were so much more deserving than many of the "guests".
- The communication fiasco of the Hong Kong gate
We will not return here to the reasons that led the various parties in the case to act as they did. Still, we can note that the communication of an industry giant like Blizzard fished during the events that took place live, in the middle of the official Hearthstone competition. A case that has now been closed since J. Allen Brack's speech at the Blizzcon opening ceremony, but that could be a pebble in the California firm's shoe for a long time to come.
- Cards and expansions not tested enough?
The design process of a Hearthstone extension ends with playtesting. This is one of the reasons why Chakki was recruited into the Hearthstone team. We can then bring up again the example of the "mandatory" nerfs after the Rastakhan Rumble, but also the withdrawal of Genn and Baku after only one year, and finally the Wild cards that came back to Standard, with an Evolution that disgusted a lot of players to play against Shaman. The first 10 days of the Descent of Dragons metagame have also been marked by a ubiquitous and frustrating Shaman Galakrond, and lately by a totally broken OTK Thief.
Luna's Pocket Galaxy, Dragons Pack, Faceless Corrupter, Elysiana, or Evolution for example: why aren't these cards tested before being released in Standard mode? And even when returning for an event (Evolution) or to revive underplayed cards (Luna's Pocket Galaxy), isn't it possible to bring in professional players to ask their opinion? Rather than stagnate in a completely single-card oriented meta that ends up making Felkeine say on stage in Seoul: "I've been focusing on picking Pocket Galaxy". A terrible disavowal for the balance of the game, and it always comes back to the same problem of putting more means or time into playtesting.
The year 2019 has been a busy year in Hearthstone. In this Christmas series of articles, the Millenium editorial team offers you a look back at everything that happened this year, starting with our Wish List for 2020!
