PVP Live might be returning to Hearthstone after a long absence from the scene, ending their spell in tournament purgatory.
Having started almost a year ago, in June 2015, the Hearthstone Pro League (HPL) organized by PVP Live was one of several long-running leagues that defined the competitive landscape. The tournament was advertised with a sizeable $60,000 prize pool and featured 16 invited players from Europe, North America and Asia, competing over the course of what was supposed to be three months.
While the massive round robin group stage completed without a hitch, the playoffs suffered multiple delays. Originally planned for August, the final rounds were then pushed to November after the conclusion of the World Championship and then again to a new estimate of early 2016. No word has come from PVP Live since, and the players that took part – particularly the eight qualified for the playoffs – were left wondering whether they would ever get to compete for those five figure prizes.
The playoffs were not the only thing missing from the HPL experience. Several players who took part in the round robin told GosuGamers that they are still owed payments from the matches they’ve played. PVP Live, however, have made clear their intentions to wire said payments soon, possibly “within the week”.
This pay-out operation looks tightly connected with PVP Live’s plans for their future Hearthstone endeavor. According to a GosuGamers source, the company is looking to resurrect the Hearthstone Pro League and deliver the conclusion it has lacked thus far. The good news for the players committed to playing out the playoffs is that they will be fighting for a larger planned prize pool of $75,000, which alone would make HPL among the highest paying invitationals this year.
GosuGamers has reached out to PVP Live spokespeople and we are awaiting comment.
Update 00:30 CEST, April 13: PVP LIve's CEO has confirmed to GosuGamers that they are "in the process of planning the HPL finals and working with the players to make it one of the most exciting events of 2016." Comments on the prize pool or confirmed players are yet to be made.
