Upsets Abound at the HCT EU Fall Playoffs

Europe’s opening salvo in the fall Hearthstone Championship Tour (HCT) Playoffs was a spectacular one, with both new and returning faces finding success. Four of Europe’s best now find themselves Los Angeles–bound, and await the Fall Championship next month with bated breath. Sintolol Once again, Thomas “Sintolol” Zimmer came out swinging—only this time, he’s punched his first-ever ticket to a seasonal championship. After appearing at the 2017 HCT World Championship on the back of his region-leading Hearthstone Competitive Point (CP) earnings, Sintolol is no doubt hungry for a shot at the 2018 World Championship. If he can pull off a top four finish at the 2018 HCT Fall Championship, Sintolol will become the ninth player to appear in multiple World Championships, joining a list including Kranich, Thijs, Purple, Neirea, Kolento, JasonZhou, OmegaZero, and tom60229. Moyen Hearthstone’s competitive scene always welcomes new challengers, and Jan “Moyen” Moy made a very strong debut in the European Playoffs. Taking a top spot in the Playoffs alongside his practice partner Sintolol with a similarly aggressive lineup (Moyen brought Secret Hunter instead of Sintolol’s Tempo Mage) is an impressive feat for this young German competitor. RENMEN Best known for being a member of the Russian team in the Hearthstone Global Games (HGG), RENMEN is also a breakthrough success story from the Fall Playoffs. Unlike Sintolol and Moyen, he played a very combo-heavy lineup, finding his way through the competition with a Quest Rogue, Malygos Druid, Cube Warlock, and Cube Hunter. Navigating this tournament with four decks all featuring such a high level of complex decision-making is no easy task, and it will be interesting to see how RENMEN fares during the Fall Championship if he arms himself with a similar lineup. hatul In an amazing first for HCT, Israel’s Eden “hatul” Zamir has advanced from the Hearthstone Challengers program through the Fall Playoffs all the way to the Fall Championship! This was hatul’s first HCT appearance, although he’s also a visible (and well-dressed!) member of Team Israel in HGG. Look for hatul during the Fall Championship to see if his miracle run to the top can carry him through the competition to become the first amateur player to take the stage at the 2018 World Championship. If you missed out on all the action, you can find the VODs for the Europe Fall Playoffs on Twitch (Day 1, Day 2). We’ll be back with more Fall Playoff action this weekend as Asia-Pacific takes the stage—check back for the preview of that before the weekend! Do you think Sintolol can become the next repeat competitor at an HCT World Championship? Will Hearthstone Challenger hatul prove that anyone who puts their mind to it can go the distance? Let us know who you’re rooting for in the comments!