Hearthstone
Documents about Hearthstone
Industry Veteran Sam Braithwaite Joins ESL FACEIT Group
ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has appointed industry veteran Sam Braithwaite as its new vice president of game ecosystems for mobile.
- ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) has appointed industry veteran Sam Braithwaite as the new vice president of game ecosystems for mobile.
- Braithwaite will lead the strategic direction of the Snapdragon Pro Series, a mobile esports circuit operated in partnership with Qualcomm Technologies and Samsung.
- Prior to joining EFG, Braithwaite served as the global director of esports at Activision Blizzard for nearly four years, managing titles including Hearthstone and World of Warcraft.
Update: NetEase and Activision Blizzard Legal Status
The reported legal conflict between NetEase and Activision Blizzard regarding a $43.4 million USD debt has been clarified as a case of mistaken identity.
- Initial reports that NetEase filed a $43.4 million lawsuit against Activision Blizzard were incorrect, as the legal action was actually initiated by an individual gamer named Yang Jun.
- The confusion stemmed from multiple court filings, with the litigation involving a dispute over a World of Warcraft account rather than a corporate claim from NetEase.
- Activision Blizzard confirmed it has not received an indictment regarding the alleged $43.4 million debt and maintains that it has not violated any license agreements.
Olympic Council of Asia Removes Hearthstone From Hangzhou Asian Games
The Olympic Council of Asia has officially removed the digital card game Hearthstone from the roster of esports titles for the Hangzhou Asian Games.
- The Olympic Council of Asia has removed Hearthstone from the Hangzhou Asian Games competition lineup.
- The removal is a direct consequence of the terminated partnership between Activision Blizzard and NetEase, which resulted in the shutdown of all Hearthstone servers in mainland China.
- With the removal of Hearthstone, the total number of official esports titles for the Hangzhou Asian Games has been reduced to seven.
Overwatch League 2023 Season Won’t be Broadcast in China
The 2023 Overwatch League season will not be broadcast in China, marking a significant shift in the league’s regional accessibility.
- The Overwatch League (OWL) will not be broadcast in China for the 2023 season due to the termination of the partnership between Activision Blizzard and NetEase.
- The broadcast ban stems from the loss of official game approval for Overwatch in China, which prevents the streaming or co-streaming of related competitions.
- Chinese OWL teams—the Guangzhou Charge, Chengdu Hunters, Hangzhou Spark, and Shanghai Dragons—are currently considering relocating their operations to South Korea.
Activision Blizzard Games Going Offline: China
As of January 24, 2023, Activision Blizzard ceased operations for several major titles in China, including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, StarCraft, and Overwatch 2.
- As of January 24, 2023, Activision Blizzard games including World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch 2, and StarCraft have gone offline in China due to the expiration of the company's 14-year partnership with NetEase.
- Because NetEase held the official government-mandated game approvals, the termination of the partnership effectively stripped the titles of their legal authorization to operate in the Chinese market.
- Any potential return of these titles to the Chinese market requires new government approval, a process that industry estimates suggest could take between six months and two years.
Blizzard Presents Scaled-Down Hearthstone Esports Plans for 2023
Blizzard Entertainment’s 2023 esports strategy for Hearthstone marks a significant contraction in the game’s competitive ecosystem.
- Blizzard Entertainment has significantly reduced its 2023 Hearthstone esports program, cutting the total prize pool to $650,000 from $3 million in 2022 and $2.22 million in 2021.
- The 2023 season will feature only seven total events, down from 12 events in 2022.
- Chinese player participation and viewership have been removed from the 2023 season due to the termination of the distribution agreement between Activision Blizzard and NetEase.
Call of Duty League Enters 2023 Season Without a Media Rights Partner
The Call of Duty League (CDL) commenced its 2023 season without a dedicated media rights partner following the expiration of a three-year agreement with YouTube.
- The Call of Duty League (CDL) began its 2023 season without a media rights partner following the expiration of a three-year, $160 million deal with YouTube that previously covered the CDL, Overwatch League, and Hearthstone.
- Activision Blizzard has moved to broadcasting CDL competitions on Twitch and its official website, though Twitch is not currently designated as an official broadcast partner.
- League franchisees and stakeholders have expressed significant concern regarding the loss of revenue sharing resulting from the absence of a new media rights deal.
Diablo Immortal and Candy Crush Were Biggest Contributors to Activision Blizzard’s Mobile Growth in Q3
Activision Blizzard’s financial performance in the third quarter of 2022 was defined by a significant shift toward mobile gaming, which accounted for 52.3% of the company’s total revenue.
- Mobile gaming became Activision Blizzard’s primary revenue driver in Q3 2022, accounting for 52.3% of total revenue with $932 million in earnings.
- Mobile revenue grew 14% year-over-year, providing a critical buffer against significant declines in the PC and console segments, which fell 37% and 36% respectively.
- Candy Crush Saga remained the company’s top-grossing mobile title, generating $316.8 million during the quarter.
Analyst Bulletin: Mobile Game Market Review September 2022
The mobile game market in September 2022 was characterized by a strategic shift toward intensified monetization and a focus on major content updates to drive engagement.
- Mobile developers are increasingly adopting aggressive monetization strategies, such as adding new or additional battle passes, in anticipation of Apple's price hikes in European and select Asian markets.
- League of Legends: Wild Rift saw a nearly 10x revenue spike in China following a September update that introduced a 1v1 PvP mode and new gacha monetization mechanics.
- Dragon Ball Z Dokkan Battle achieved the top-grossing position on the iOS Store in both Japan and the USA in September, driven by the success of its 'Worldwide celebration: The Strongest in the Universe' campaign.
What We Know About Axie Infinity: Origin So Far
The introduction of Axie Infinity: Origin represents a strategic pivot for Sky Mavis, aiming to transition the title from a niche play-to-earn model toward a mainstream, free-to-play (F2P) mobile card battler.
- Sky Mavis is launching 'Origin' (Battle V3) to pivot Axie Infinity toward a free-to-play (F2P) mobile card battler model, aiming to scale its userbase beyond the existing crypto-native audience.
- The update introduces three non-NFT starter Axies to lower the barrier to entry, replacing the previous requirement for new players to purchase three NFTs, which historically cost significantly more.
- To address SLP token inflation, Sky Mavis is implementing a new power-up system using 'Runes and Charms' that requires players to spend in-game resources and eventually SLP to enhance their Axies.
State of Card Battler Mobile Games Report 2021
The mobile card-battler sub-genre represents a high-growth segment within the broader mid-core strategy market, characterized by strong monetization and increasing global diversification.
- Mid-core games drive 60 percent of total mobile player spending despite accounting for only 20 percent of worldwide installs.
- The U.S. has become a critical growth engine for card battlers, capturing 27 percent of the revenue market share and seeing a 53 percent increase in revenue per download.
- Mobile card battlers reached a new financial baseline of over $55 million in monthly player spending during the first half of 2021.
The State of Card Battler Mobile Games
The report examines the mobile card-battler sub-genre, focusing on global market dynamics and U.S. performance during the first half of 2021.
- Card-battlers are a high-growth segment of mid-core strategy, accounting for 34% of total strategy revenue and experiencing a 17% revenue increase in Q1 2021.
- The U.S. market is capturing a larger share of player spending, growing to 27% of global revenue in H1 2021, a six-percentage-point increase year-over-year.
- Card-battlers demonstrate strong monetization potential with a U.S. Revenue Per Download (RPD) of $19, which is double the global average and represents the fastest RPD growth (175%) among strategy sub-genres in H1 2021.