'We are both proud and humbled by the fact that Blizzard has chosen DreamHack and ESL to take the lead for competitive StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3 moving forward. DreamHack co-CEO Marcus Lindmark elaborated on what the agreement meant for the tournaments:

The ESL Pro Tour has been a successful implementation for the tournament circuits in CS:GO, and StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged will mark the second and third titles to be incorporated into that global circuit. The deal will see ESL Pro Tour formats for both StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged, with Blizzard providing respective prize pools of $1.8 million USD and $200,000 USD for their first seasons.

Related: DeepMind AI Now Better At StarCraft 2 Than 99.8% of All Playersīlizzard has taken steps to ensure the continued presence of StarCraft 2 and a resurgence of interest in Warcraft 3 thanks to a new strategic agreement with ESL and DreamHack (and parent entertainment group MTG). Warcraft 3: Reforged is an updated version of an all-time RTS classic and, if the gameplay remains largely similar to what it was when it was first released, could become a sudden draw for esports - Warcraft 3 produced some of the best esports moments in the 2000-2010 period, with many pros, like Grubby and Moon, garnering life-long fans and support.

That being said, however, the company is still one of the biggest producers of esports-friendly titles, with Overwatch at the forefront but StarCraft 2 and Hearthstone still maintaining a presence as well. ESL and Dreamhack are two of the biggest esports tournament circuits in the scene, and are ubiquitous as a mix between serious, year-defining tournaments and a festival-style atmosphere that encourages fans with a more casual understanding of their favorite titles to attend and interact with the many different sources of entertainment present.īlizzard is coming off a rough year for its esports scene, with 2019 seeing the loss of sponsors in Hearthstone after the Hong Kong controversy rocked the company and early 2020 producing several high profile departures from the Overwatch esports scene before the Overwatch League begins again this year. Blizzard Entertainment announced today that the company was entering into a three-year-long strategic agreement with both ESL and DreamHack organizers to host StarCraft 2 and Warcraft 3: Reforged esports tournaments.

Warcraft 3 vs starcraft 2