![HCT 2018: Everything You Need to Know About Seasonal Playoffs](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/blog_header/hz/HZ91VCUAOMMO1520302726516.jpg)
The Hearthstone Championship Tour (HCT) 2018’s Season 1 is almost at an end! This first point-earning season of 2018 culminates in the Summer Playoffs, which lead into the first seasonal championship of the year—the Summer Championship.
If you’ve been gunning to qualify for a Seasonal Playoff this year, we’ve got you covered. Iron out your dates and plan your travel with more information about HCT 2018’s Playoff locations!
Format
HCT 2018 will utilize the Swiss format. Players can expect to compete in seven rounds of Swiss, which will progress into a dual-tournament top eight playoffs. The top two players from each group will move on to play in the Seasonal Championship. The semifinals and finals will not be played.
Matches will be best-of-five with one ban in the Conquest format, and make use of only cards in Standard rotation.
Schedule
Europe | Americas | Asia-Pacific | |
---|---|---|---|
Summer Playoffs |
Playoffs: May 5 and 6 Deck Submissions: May 1 |
Playoffs: May 12 and 13 Deck Submissions: May 8 |
Playoffs: May 19 and 20 Deck Submissions: May 15 |
Fall Playoffs |
Playoffs: Sep. 1 and 2 Deck Submissions: Aug. 28 |
Playoffs: Sep. 15 and 16 Deck Submissions: Sep. 11 |
Playoffs: Sep. 8 and 9 Deck Submissions: Sep. 4 |
Winter Playoffs |
Playoffs: Jan. 12 and 13, 2019 Deck Submissions: Jan. 8, 2019 |
Playoffs: Jan. 19 and 20, 2019 Deck Submissions: Jan. 15, 2019 |
Playoffs: Jan. 26 and 27, 2019 Deck Submissions: Jan. 22, 2019 |
All seasonal playoffs will take place in local timezones.
The HCT Summer Championship will run from June 28 to July 1, while the HCT Fall Championship will take place from Oct. 11 to 14. The HCT Winter Championship will be held in Winter 2019, from Feb. 28 to March 3.
All Seasonal Championships for HCT 2018 will be held in the Blizzard Arena in Los Angeles, California.
Venues
Our commitment to 2018 was to maintain the accessible, distributed model for HCT Playoffs, while increasing on-site staffing and infrastructure support for playoff venues. This means we will have fewer playoffs venues per region, but each venue will be built for competitive play, with stable internet connections and a more controlled competitive environment.
Several venues in 2017 had Fireside Gatherings attached to them that also granted the Power Core card back. To keep venue environments competitive, we will be scaling back on official Fireside Gathering activities at playoff venues. If you are interested in spectating Playoffs in-person, please keep an eye out for notice of which venues will have Fireside Gatherings.
Summer Playoffs Locations
![](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/gallery/DT6HR34ZJED91520302230843.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands |
Esports Game Arena Raadhuisstraat 134 2406 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands |
Kiev, Ukraine |
Cybersport Arena Vadyma Hetmana St, 13, Kyiv Ukraine, 02000 |
Milan, Italy |
Samsung Arena Via Mike Bongiorno, 9, 20124 Milano MI, Italy |
Moscow, Russia |
CyberSpace Avtozavodskaya ylitsa, 18, Moskva, Russia, 115280 |
Prague, Czech Republic |
Kavarna Majak Jankovcova 1060/10, 17000 Praha 7-Holešovice, Czechia |
![](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/gallery/YL3DHYNQU1D31520302230828.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Auckland, New Zealand |
Megaweb f1/51 Hobson St, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand |
Bangkok, Thailand |
INI3 Digital PLC 8th Floor, Room 8/1-8/2, Galaxy Place Building 149 Nonsee Road, Chongnonsee, Yannawa Bangkok 10120, Thailand |
Melbourne, Australia |
Zen Gaming Lounge 280 City Rd, Southbank VIC 3006 |
Seoul, South Korea |
WDG PC Bang B2 View Building, Bongeunsaro 107 Gangnamgu, Seoul |
Sydney, Australia |
WangYu Cyber Café Level 1, 382 Sussex St Sydney, Australia, 2000 |
Taipei, Taiwan |
Blizzard Arena Taipei 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District |
Tokyo, Japan |
Tokyo School of Anime, Kita Kasai Building 4-10-1, Kita Kasai, Edogawaku, Tokyo, Japan |
![](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/gallery/MVHD45YQ4PAH1520302230826.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Austin, Texas |
Mothership Books and Games 2121 West Parmer Lane Suite 119, Austin TX 78727 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
LocalHost S.A. Av. Fondo de la Legua 631 Boulogne, Buenos Aires :: Argentina |
Curitiba, Brazil |
Cooldown E-Sports n’ Burgers Av. Silva jardim, 1145 (6,294.57 mi)Curitiba, Brazil 80230-000 |
Fairfax, Virginia |
The Cave 10621 Braddock RdFairfax, Virginia 22032 |
Lima, Peru | Jirón Gral José Ramón Pizarro 619 Pueblo Libre 15084 |
Santa Ana, California |
Esports Arena 120 W. 5TH STSanta Ana, CA 92701 |
Thornhill, Ontario |
Zanzone eSport Club 505 Highway 7 East, Suite P1-10 (2,164.55 mi)Thornhill, Ontario L3T 7T1 |
Fall Playoffs Locations
![](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/gallery/DFV1QN9BK8D61520302236869.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands |
Esports Game Arena Raadhuisstraat 134 2406 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands |
Bergamo, Italy |
Esports Palace Via Giosuè Carducci, 4, 24127 Bergamo BG, Italy |
Kiev, Ukraine |
Cybersport Arena Vadyma Hetmana St, 13, Kyiv Ukraine, 02000 |
Moscow, Russia |
CyberSpace Avtozavodskaya ylitsa, 18, Moskva, Russia, 115280 |
Prague, Czech Republic |
Kavarna Majak Jankovcova 1060/10, 17000 Praha 7-Holešovice, Czechia |
![](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/gallery/K3C3IMAPRQF51520302236869.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Auckland, New Zealand |
Megaweb f1/51 Hobson St, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand |
Bangkok, Thailand |
INI3 Digital PLC 8th Floor, Room 8/1-8/2, Galaxy Place Building 149 Nonsee Road, Chongnonsee, Yannawa Bangkok 10120, Thailand |
Melbourne, Australia |
Zen Gaming Lounge 280 City Rd, Southbank VIC 3006 |
Osaka, Japan |
Osaka Communication Art School 2-4-6 Kita Horie, Nishiku, Osaka City, Osaka, Japan |
Seoul, South Korea |
WDG PC Bang B2 View Building, Bongeunsaro 107 Gangnamgu, Seoul |
Sydney, Australia |
WangYu Cyber Café Level 1, 382 Sussex St Sydney, Australia, 2000 |
Taipei, Taiwan |
Blizzard Arena Taipei 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District |
![](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/gallery/YBLWYADJAV0L1520302236868.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Austin, Texas |
Mothership Books and Games 2121 West Parmer Lane Suite 119, Austin TX 78727 |
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
LocalHost S.A. Av. Fondo de la Legua 631 Boulogne, Buenos Aires :: Argentina |
Curitiba, Brazil |
Cooldown E-Sports n’ Burgers Av. Silva jardim, 1145 (6,294.57 mi)Curitiba, Brazil 80230-000 |
Fairfax, Virginia |
The Cave 10621 Braddock RdFairfax, Virginia 22032 |
Lima, Peru | Jirón Gral José Ramón Pizarro 619 Pueblo Libre 15084 |
Santa Ana, California |
Esports Arena 120 W. 5TH STSanta Ana, CA 92701 |
Thornhill, Ontario |
Zanzone eSport Club 505 Highway 7 East, Suite P1-10 (2,164.55 mi)Thornhill, Ontario L3T 7T1 |
Winter Playoffs Locations
![](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/gallery/F1EXQ49JVEVQ1520302241719.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands |
Esports Game Arena Raadhuisstraat 134 2406 AJ Alphen aan den Rijn, Netherlands |
Bergamo, Italy |
Esports Palace Via Giosuè Carducci, 4, 24127 Bergamo BG, Italy |
Kiev, Ukraine |
Cybersport Arena Vadyma Hetmana St, 13, Kyiv Ukraine, 02000 |
Moscow, Russia |
CyberSpace Avtozavodskaya ylitsa, 18, Moskva, Russia, 115280 |
Prague, Czech Republic |
Marova Letni Zahradka Havlíčkovy sady 59/2, 120 00 Praha 2-Vinohrady, Czech Republic |
![Asia-Pacific-map_Inline.jpg](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/content_entry_media/bi/BI3N2JJT63LM1544564305637.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Melbourne, Australia |
Zen Gaming Lounge 280 City Rd, Southbank VIC 3006 |
Seoul, South Korea |
WDG PC Bang B2 View Building, Bongeunsaro 107 Gangnamgu, Seoul |
Sydney, Australia |
WangYu Cyber Café Level 1, 382 Sussex St Sydney, Australia, 2000 |
Taipei, Taiwan |
Blizzard Arena Taipei 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District |
Tokyo, Japan |
Tokyo School of Anime, Kita Kasai Building 4-10-1, Kita Kasai, Edogawaku, Tokyo, Japan |
![Americas-map_Inline.jpg](https://bnetcmsus-a.akamaihd.net/cms/content_entry_media/u6/U6CCG2TA3J981544564329413.jpg)
Locations |
Venue |
Buenos Aires, Argentina |
LocalHost S.A. Av. Fondo de la Legua 631 Boulogne, Buenos Aires :: Argentina |
Curitiba, Brazil |
Cooldown E-Sports n’ Burgers Av. Silva jardim, 1145 (6,294.57 mi)Curitiba, Brazil 80230-000 |
Fairfax, Virginia |
The Cave 10621 Braddock RdFairfax, Virginia 22032 |
Lima, Peru | Jirón Gral José Ramón Pizarro 619 Pueblo Libre 15084 |
Santa Ana, California |
Esports Arena 120 W. 5TH STSanta Ana, CA 92701 |
Thornhill, Ontario |
Zanzone eSport Club 505 Highway 7 East, Suite P1-10 (2,164.55 mi)Thornhill, Ontario L3T 7T1 |
Please note that venues and locations are subject to change.
Competing in Playoffs
If you’re new to competitive Hearthstone, there are several ways you can qualify for Seasonal Playoffs. You can play on the Ranked ladder or compete at Tour Stops to earn Hearthstone Competitive Points. If you earn enough of these points in a season, you’ll be able to qualify for the Hearthstone Masters program and Seasonal Playoffs.
If ladder climbing and travelling the world aren’t for you, you can also choose to compete in Challenger Cups and at Tavern Hero Qualifiers. Challenger Cups are online cups that progress you into the Challenger Finals, while Tavern Hero Qualifiers are offline events in your local Hearthstone community (hosted at approved Fireside Gatherings). Winning one of those also gets you into the Challenger Finals. From there, the top eight players of the Challenger Finals will move on to compete in the Seasonal Playoffs.
Interested in starting your journey into competitive Hearthstone? Learn more by clicking the buttons below!