Following two Grandmasters seasons and six Masters Tours, we are gearing up to conclude the year with the Hearthstone 2021 World Championship! With $500,000 (USD) on the line, the top eight players in the world are set to meet this weekend on December 18-19 to see who will join the Hall of Champions and finish off 2021 as the next Hearthstone World Champion.
We recently asked each of the competitors a series of quick-fire questions to learn more about them ahead of the weekend’s tournament. Let’s get to know the two European contenders!
Frenetic – The Striker
With his championship victory at Masters Tour Montreal in 2020, Frenetic became one of the key faces to watch in the competitive scene. His first season in Grandmasters proved that he was more than just a skilled player, he was a devastating opponent to be feared as he bested xBlyzes to secure the 2021 Season 1 Europe spot at the World Championship.
HS Esports: In one word, what is your greatest strength at Hearthstone?
Frenetic: Self-critique!
HS Esports: What has been the highlight of 2021 so far?
Frenetic: I think my moment of this 2021 is the final of Grandmasters season 1 vs xBlyzes.
HS Esports: Other than yourself, who do you think has the best chance to win the 2021 World Championship?
Frenetic: It is difficult since it is not known how we are all going to adapt to the new goal, it can really be anyone. I would like it to be Nalguidan since I have trained a lot with him during the year.
HS Esports: Why do you think you are going to win the 2021 World Championship?
Frenetic: I don't know if I'll win there are a lot of very good players on the list. But if I had to give a reason, it is that I tend to be very good at high stakes. I plan to seize the opportunity like nobody else.
HS Esports: What does becoming the World Champion mean for you?
Frenetic: Winning the World Cup for me would be like the dream achieved within Hearthstone, it is the maximum that a player can aspire to. Years ago, I watched these competitions from the position of a fan, and it is very crazy to be in this position now.
Gaby – The Undisputed
At just 16 years old, Gaby is the ultimate Hearthstone wunderkind. Though for years he was considered the most feared player on the European ladder, his Top 4 finish at Masters Tour Madrid then championship victory at Masters Tour Orgrimmar solidified him as one of the most feared players in all of Hearthstone. He enters the 2021 World Championship on the heels of his Grandmasters Season 2 Europe victory, ready to prove that youth is not a deterrent to victory.
HS Esports: In one word, what is your greatest strength at Hearthstone?
Gaby: Speed. My greatest strength at Hearthstone would probably be my ability to spot pretty fast the line that gives me the most chances to win a game, so in important tournaments, I can take my time to think more about lines that could eventually be even stronger and interesting than the “basic one”.
HS Esports: What has been the highlight of 2021 so far?
Gaby: My best memory from 2021 is obviously when I qualified for the Worlds, when I saw the card that made me win I came out of the bubble I was setting myself in during the match to not think about anything else than the games, I realized that I just made it, I realized the first part of my dream which is to become a Hearthstone World Champion!
HS Esports: Other than yourself, who do you think has the best chance to win the 2020 World Championship?
Gaby: I would say Glory a second time, when I watch competitions, he is the one that plays the same way I do. Probably the competitor at Worlds I’m the most afraid of.
HS Esports: Why do you think you are going to win the 2021 World Championship?
Gaby: Because I don’t even play Hearthstone anymore, Hearthstone plays me. I’m going to get trash-talked a lot for this if I do misplays but I for sure know one thing, I’m the best Hearthstone player right now and I couldn’t really explain why, I just know it, I see things that people don’t
HS Esports: What does becoming the World Champion mean for you?
Gaby: A lot, a goal that would be achieved, also a dream that would get realized, I’d just feel so happy, I probably want to win Worlds to feel accomplished, proud of myself and happier than ever for one moment, that I’ll keep in my memory forever.
Be sure to watch the 2021 World Championship on December 18-19 to see if one of these players can secure the title for Europe, only on YouTube. We’ll see you in the Tavern!
