Posesi of Japan is the 2021 Hearthstone World Champion! After beating glory 3-2 in the final match, Posesi has joined the Hall of Champions and taken home $200,000 (USD) in prizing. 

Speaking with TJ following his victory, Posesi was full of emotion. “I’m very happy, because I am finally the champion. Once it hit and we went 2-2, I was like ‘it really happened, oh my god am I going to lose here?’ I have to give a shoutout to the entire Japanese community!”    

Day one began with the eight competitors split into two groups. In Group A, Posesi, Gaby, and Nalguidan secured victories to advance on the second day, while Tianming was eliminated from the competition. Group B saw glory, McBanterFace, and KZG.Xiaobai bid farewell to Frenetic. With victories in both of their day one matches, Posesi and glory emerged as the winners of their respective group matches, foreshadowing what was to come in the Grand Final!

Posesi entered Day 2 with a 2-0 record, securing his spot in the semifinal upon winning Group A. Posesi bested McBanterFace 3-2 advancing to the Grand Final to face his fellow Japanese competitor, practice partner, and 2020 World Champion, glory. Heading into a difficult final match against glory, Posesi was able to showcase masterful control of the new Fractured in Alterac Valley meta to secure ultimate victory.

"This was a fantastic weekend to close out the competitive year and the year of the Gryphon," said Ben Lee, Game Director for Hearthstone. "2022 is going to be another exciting year for Hearthstone and we can't wait for the community to jump into all that we have planned. Congratulations to Posesi!”

Hearthstone Esports returns on February 18-20 for the first Masters Tour of 2022! Check out the full program details and follow Hearthstone Esports on Twitter and YouTube to never miss a moment of the action. We’ll see you in the tavern in 2022!