Everyone, get in here—because we’ll soon be going to the polls to decide the teams for the 2018 Hearthstone Global Games (HGG)! Until then, though, here’s a rundown of the full program.
Voting Criteria
Team eligibility this year will be determined by Season 1 Hearthstone Competitive Points (CP). A country or region’s top point earner will automatically be the team anchor unless they decline. The next eight point earners are eligible to be voted on to the final four player team.
Should any player decline to be put up for vote, the next eligible player in line will take their place.
Format
HGG 2018 will once again feature 48 countries and regions. This time, the first phase will be a Swiss-format bracket that includes all 48 teams. The Swiss rounds will run from mid-July to early September, and will pare the bracket down to just 16 teams.
After that, we’ll take a short break before heading into the Round of 16, which will be played in dual tournament format. This will last two weeks in September and will identify the eight teams advancing to the playoffs. The HGG playoffs this year will take place at BlizzCon 2018!
Schedule
Want to keep up with the action? Here are specific dates and times for all HGG 2018 broadcasts, which will air on the official PlayHearthstone Twitch channel.
| Week/Phase | CEST | PDT | KST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1, Swiss Rounds | July 17: 10:00 a.m. CEST July 18: 4:00 p.m. CEST July 20: 3:00 a.m. CEST |
July 17: 1:00 a.m. PDT July 18: 7:00 a.m. PDT July 19: 6:00 p.m PDT |
July 17: 5:00 p.m. KST July 18: 11:00 p.m. KST July 20: 10:00 a.m. KST |
| Week 2, Swiss Rounds | July 24: 10:00 a.m. CEST July 25: 4:00 p.m. CEST July 27: 3:00 a.m. CEST |
July 24: 1:00 a.m. PDT July 25: 7:00 a.m. PDT July 26: 6:00 p.m PDT |
July 24: 5:00 p.m. KST July 25: 11:00 p.m. KST July 27: 10:00 a.m. KST |
| Week 3, Swiss Rounds | July 31: 10:00 a.m. CEST Aug. 1: 4:00 p.m. CEST Aug. 3: 3:00 a.m. CEST |
July 31: 1:00 a.m. PDT Aug. 1: 7:00 a.m. PDT Aug. 2: 6:00 p.m PDT |
July 31: 5:00 p.m. KST Aug. 1: 11:00 p.m. KST Aug. 3: 10:00 a.m. KST |
| Week 4, Swiss Rounds | Aug. 7: 10:00 a.m. CEST Aug. 8: 4:00 p.m. CEST Aug. 10: 3:00 a.m. CEST |
Aug. 7: 1:00 a.m. PDT Aug. 8: 7:00 a.m. PDT Aug. 9: 6:00 p.m PDT |
Aug. 7: 5:00 p.m. KST Aug. 8: 11:00 p.m. KST Aug. 10: 10:00 a.m. KST |
| Week 5, Swiss Rounds | Aug. 28: 10:00 a.m. CEST Aug. 29: 4:00 p.m. CEST Sep. 1: 3:00 a.m. CEST |
Aug. 28: 1:00 a.m. PDT Aug. 29: 7:00 a.m. PDT Aug. 30: 6:00 p.m PDT |
Aug. 28: 5:00 p.m. KST Aug. 29: 11:00 p.m. KST Sep. 1: 10:00 a.m. KST |
| Week 6, Swiss Rounds | Sep. 4: 10:00 a.m. CEST Sep. 5: 4:00 p.m. CEST Sep. 7: 3:00 a.m. CEST |
Sep. 4: 1:00 a.m. PDT Sep. 5: 7:00 a.m. PDT Sep. 6: 6:00 p.m PDT |
Sep. 4: 5:00 p.m. KST Sep. 5: 11:00 p.m. KST Sep. 7: 10:00 a.m. KST |
| Week 7, Dual Tournament | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated |
| Week 8, Dual Tournament | To be updated | To be updated | To be updated |
Dates are subject to change.
Apart from the tournament broadcasts, we also have a weekly show focused on the Hearthstone Global Games! Catch that on Twitch at 7:00 p.m. CET / 10:00 a.m. PDT / 2:00 a.m. KST on Mondays each week the broadcast runs.
My country has not been included in the Hearthstone Global Games. Why?
We have included the same 48 countries and regions that competed in HGG 2017. We are always looking for ways to include more countries into our esports tournaments. We hope to have more countries included in future tournaments.
Why is HGG focused on competitive point earners rather than community figures this year?
We want to focus on the highly-competitive aspect of this prestigious tournament.
I am eligible to be voted for but was not contacted. Who should I contact?
Please send us an email at HearthstoneAdmin@blizzard.com and include “[HGG VOTING]” in your subject line.
Where will the broadcast be aired?
You can watch all HGG broadcasts on the official Hearthstone Twitch channel.
Voting for HGG 2018 will begin very soon. Meanwhile, share your thoughts on #HGG2018 with us on the official Hearthstone Esports Twitter!
