Why Hearthstone Esports Feels So Bad

[@nannerpants7]

WAOW handbuff paladin! imagine wanting to watch someone play this shit in the first place

[@chipchippahson]

Hearthstone Esports are dying for one simple reason. Because the game itself is. It's no secret that the economy at the moment is in a state of hyper inflation. Activision, simply put, has priced the layman out of the game. No one wants to spend 80 bucks, 50 bucks, or both every 4 months to obtain a portion of (not even all of) the cards for an expansion drop in a digital card game you don't even get the luxury of owning a physical copy of.

[@jamal10001800]

Facts

[@KhristianBolano]

I agree with most of this, though the "I don't own the cards" argument isn't really that big of a deal for a lot of players. Many players care, but you need to consider that Hearthstone is actually pretty cheap compared to other card games like Yugioh. It's even cheaper than Master Duel. And by cheap I mean you get to play one or two meta decks by spending way less than what you would need to spend in other games. I'd rather be able to play the game whenever and wherever I want AND pay less, compared to actually owning the cards but having to struggle with the community and prices. What's a fact though, is that it also causes a monetization problem in HS, and Blizzard doesn't seem to have found a proper solution

[@chipchippahson]

@@KhristianBolano It IS that big of a deal though. It's the biggest deal. Physical copies retain value, they are collectibles. You can actually sell them. Digital can be taken away from you any time they see fit and have ZERO value. You're buying thin air.

[@KhristianBolano]

@@chipchippahson As I said, it's a big deal for many players, but not for everyone. I couldn't care less about my collection being digital only because I'm playing a digital card game, it's literally the whole premise of that. I could care about my IRL collection but it has pretty much low value aside from something very minor and I'm okay with that because in exchange, I get to get cards for cheaper thanks to reprints.

[@chipchippahson]

@@KhristianBolano I'm explaining the inarguable reality of something, not your personal perception and what you prefer. Digital has no value, physical does. It's tangible, you can trade it, you can sell it, you can store it in an attic. The game has been priced out, it's simply too expensive to pay 400 bucks a year in pre orders to not even own all of the cards. Especially for something that can be pulled anytime, anywhere if the company sees fit. You don't own anything.

[@Toxicflu]

100% agree. 1: please change the casters, pay the best streamers to cast. 2 - Try tournaments with new deck making formats. 3 - more interviews! side games with the players, silly stuff, or even make the players cast... just something to help us know them. everyone is just showing up for the free packs and then leaving... The big casters will gladly do this better, just give them the prize pool and budget!

[@robertlupa8273]

Twist tournament maybe?

[@OptimisticRealizer]

I have to whole heartedly agree Wiggity wiggity Warshack. I am so glad they at least brought back chat comments: they blocked them for the last two previous tournaments, which took a lot of fun out of watching Masters. I like all the casters. I do wish Frodan and Kibler would come back sometimes.

[@kristophercornwell5825]

Happy that one of the first people you mentioned was Firebat. I fucking miss that guy so much. I know he's out doing better for himself, but damn I'd love to see him do some sort of casual streaming again in the future, even if it were super irregular. I remember the last stream was Slay the Spire. It's just like you said, I don't even really care about these newer people, and they don't exactly promote them either. Its just sad man. I used to love eSports and thought it's future had potential, but the few communities I've enjoyed it with (namely HS and League) are just eh now. I mean I guess it's expected that the ones I really care about eventually move on, but still 😞

[@roostermbakb6727]

I agree that’s why Reynad got so popular is because he was funny and interesting to watch.

[@peshomighty5051]

Five head playes you know because his four head is big

[@jamal10001800]

Yesh i agree rube the only time i watch any kind of esport is my attachment to the playes its why fighting games are doing so well at the moment

[@andrews5069]

I would say that most Asian players were always unknown even in the "good old days" because they were playing in different cycles.

[@robertlupa8273]

Huh, those were some surprisingly enjoyable 3 minutes. Not too much stretching or padding. Neat. Also it took me an embarrassingly long time to notice your camera between the two players in the middle 😵

[@Warshack]

lol

[@dannykavanagh7615]

Hearthstone feels so much more like a mobile phone game now than it did four or five years ago and appears to be going down the same route as Marvel Snap

[@Sean-ny1db]

I miss those days I've played this damn game for 10 years I remember when rdu and firebat and toast to name a few of the legends that no longer play the content

[@tylerbassett1791]

The game is dying. No strategy anymore. Dead by turn 5 in most games.

[@jonahehlers1673]

i crafted all gold classic cards and they removed it, never going back to hearthstone

[@antusThul]

It would be a lot better if the optimal strategies didn't come "blatantly obviously prepackaged each expansion" instead of them being discovered naturally and through different expansions' combos (like raza priest back in the day or, more recently, the taunt naga that swaps spell costs and Mail Dancer) Not just for esports, but for the game in general aswell

[@noanimationexpert3843]

Great points

[@tomekk.1889]

When were people playing off meta in tournaments? I can't think of any examples

[@paweniemyjski1002]

Its hard but warshsack means he wants to see something like this and i understand him . On last tournament almost the all players had same 4 decks, so watching this longer then one match was stupid

[@KhristianBolano]

Back in the day you would see off-meta decks in tournaments that were actually counters or at least strategic/tactical picks for the meta you would expect. As much as this aspect is still present in tournaments, those decks are basically just what you're used to face on ladder. Back in the they you actually didn't face those decks as much. The problem with HS right now is that most T1 and T2 decks have some kind of unfair aspect in them but not every deck is actually strong enough. If you don't play meta and go on ladder (the only way to play Standard reliably) you're also going to lose to T2 decks that are doing unfair shit. Look at Mage now! Big Spell Mage isn't even T1 but the perception of the deck is that it's utterly broken. Because it is! But it doesn't even matter in the format because other decks are stronger and even make the meta stale.

[@KhristianBolano]

I didn't even know you get packs from watching this. There's literally no in-game advertising whatsoever. The game engine is ANCIENT and AFAIK there hasn't been any major rework of it in the past years. It would explain why every once in a while there's some hacker shenanigan. This is just the tip of the iceberg though, because even if the game is poor at advertizing itself and its own modes, it seems to be an engine limitation. What's not an engine limitation is the boring card design we're getting used to. My only hope is to think that Perils in Paradise was designed as the last expansion of pre-Microsoft era so the next expansions are going to bring fresh air to the game.

[@PGo89]

Game became pure casino, where you are not able to get any valuable reward. Nothing unique, no balance, no newcomers, as it's not CCG anymore, just casino with WOW characters. The most of pro players just leave the game, same as they followers.

[@NickLateralus]

The sad thing is all of this crap is solvable

[@sashostoev1743]

I would subscribe a second time if I could.

[@tarlozh7388]

I like videos like these

[@warlock-nk7vq]

game is boring now with no fun archtype decks, just mana scam or combo decks made constructed viewership below 1000, so I don't see any reason why would people wanna watch tournaments other than the packs, if nothing is fun for them.

[@endiman4236]

Same decks, same casters and almost every turn roping is so boring. Blizzard should refresh this format and let the players show their skills - maybe one time put Nozdormu in deck, next time no legendary cards, random meta decks etc.

[@lukieq12]

Roping is not the issue dude. I should hope a professional needs to think through their turn

[@andrwarrior]

@@lukieq12 he's not saying it's an 'issue', he's personally saying that it's boring to watch for him. And I agree. I have a hard enough time watching uncut stream footage of my favorite hearthstone personalities, I am begging for some cuts to be made in real time of matches to keep the actions moving. But, watching 2 unknowns, whether they're at the top of their game or not, means nothing to spectators who are there to be entertained

[@lukieq12]

@@andrwarrior i think your brain is cooked if you can't get through a minute long turn tbh. Especially with running commentary. You might need an adderall subscription my dude lmao

[@andrwarrior]

@@lukieq12 Again, not saying I "can't" get through it, I'm saying it's boring. There are better things to watch than 2 greasy nerds in white rooms staring at a hearthstone board for 75 seconds each turn to play a card on curve or hero power and pass on turn 2. I used to really enjoy hearthstone competitive back when Purple was playing, that dude was a hoot

[@jasonjanisewski78]

There is a reason baseball, basketball, football have play clocks. They know their product is entertainment. The longest play clock out of all 3 is half of the Hearthstone turn clock

[@bowlcutballfro]

Coz the meta is ball cancer.

[@alucard68a]

My main problem is net decking. I play homebrew most of the time and matched with the same 3 tier 1 decks all the time. Most of the time the games aren't fun and this problem is unsolvable.

[@MachinegunnerMugZ]

If you play against the same decks it's actually good because you would have enough expirience to adjust your deck to beat them. If you can't do so, your decks aren't fun, it's useless trash.

[@alucard68a]

@@MachinegunnerMugZ Your logic leaps to void. How is efficiency always connected to fun?

[@MachinegunnerMugZ]

@@alucard68a my logic is you're playing competitive mode(standart). In competetive mode the most fun you can have is by overcoming meta decks. If you don't, you're acting like sore looser crying about decks that beat yours should be nerfed. Nothing fun about beeing sore looser.

[@alucard68a]

@MachinegunnerMugZ exactly that is YOUR perspective. My fun is different than yours and I find your mind rly narrow and hilarious on your pathetic attempt to provoke me little lass. Keep at it 💪

[@MachinegunnerMugZ]

@@alucard68a that is called common sense. According to your childish answer you've got nothing against it, not a single argument. And being a sore loser you're making a pathetic attempt to troll. But your mind is weak and nothing can help you.

[@Campaigner82]

Turns are too long. Otherwise I cannot agree with you.

[@fallott5600]

First