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So at GSL vs The World right now, an employee from Blizzard talked about how purchases of WarChest can go towards funding SC2 as an E-Sports.
We keep hearing about whether Blizzard may or may not continue WCS in the next year. And this rumor persists year after year.
But can't the revenue from WarChest be used to perpetually fund WCS and the SC2 E-Sports scene? I mean, all that matters to Blizzard is that they don't lose money continuing SC2 as an E-Sports. If Blizzard even made some money from the WarChest, I would say that is a fair trade off if WCS continues.
I don't work for Blizzard so I don't understand why they would discontinue WCS if they break even from the WarChest every year, or even better, if the WarChest leads to profit for Blizzard.
I just want to keep SC2 as an E-Sports alive and keeping the WCS running is critical for this.
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No. Because Activision/Blizzard don''t want some of the money. They want ALL of the money.
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I'm not sure they exactly break even with warchest money, the cost to run WCS isn't just the prize pool. The production and organisation for events is very expensive too.
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On August 15 2019 17:09 sunnyshine wrote:
I'm not sure they exactly break even with warchest money, the cost to run WCS isn't just the prize pool. The production and organisation for events is very expensive too.
Exactly. That's why I am wondering whether they are losing money or making money after the WarChest.
There are production costs and marketing costs. Then there are travel costs and hotel costs for the players. Then there is the cost for staff in their SC2 division and of course, staff in the E-sports division that are overseeing SC2.
If they are not breaking even with the WarChest money, that is not good because that would give them a reason to cut WCS down the road.
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On August 15 2019 17:03 showstealer1829 wrote:
No. Because Activision/Blizzard don''t want some of the money. They want ALL of the money.
They are a "for profit" company that is accountable to their shareholders. They aren't a charity, LOL.
It's within reason for a "for profit" company to want to profit from their business. If they are losing money on SC2, even after the WarChest, then that gives them more reason to discontinue WCS.
The bottom line is, do you want to see many more years of WCS? Or do you want to see SC2 as an E-Sports stop?
If we want to see SC2 as an E-Sports continue, the WCS is critical for the SC2 E-Sports scene and for that, Blizzard can't lose money on SC2.
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They are not losing money on SC2. They just don't profit from it as much as from OW or HS. The comment about wanting "all the money" does make sense. Activision is not interested in marginal profits.
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On August 15 2019 18:30 True_Spike wrote:
They are not losing money on SC2.
And how do you know? Source?
Sorry, please don't say things like this without a source. People said the same thing about HoTS, that Blizzard was making money on it. And then Blizzard decided to stop the HoTS pro circuit.
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I hope there is GSL and WCS in 2020 as well. Because it's the 10th year of SCII.
I hope there is a celebration, probably during GSL vs World 2020.
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Imagine if they stop with the WCS to support Warcraft because there can't be two RTS at Blizzcon/DH/etc. 
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Not if they look like the last skins but with different color palette.
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i think the Warchest has already helped keep ATVI supporting SC2. I love Terran mirror matches with players using 2 different skins. My gf and I will watch replays together while I make up some BS lore why the 2 Terran factions are fighting. Its silly, stupid, idiotic fun.
Please Mr. ATVI sir, I respectfully request
Moar Warchests
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I hope they give us more skins for buildings. And more banners. It is not that difficult to make money.
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Northern Ireland14296 Posts
I don’t get why they don’t use this more often for more tournaments.
I’d love to bump the prize pool of GSL and especially the Super Tournaments which have a small pool compared to the quality of player there, help Korean pros where they’re both region locked out of WCS and also don’t have the Kespa support of old.
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On August 16 2019 03:20 Wombat_NI wrote:
I don’t get why they don’t use this more often for more tournaments.
I’d love to bump the prize pool of GSL and especially the Super Tournaments which have a small pool compared to the quality of player there, help Korean pros where they’re both region locked out of WCS and also don’t have the Kespa support of old.
Maybe they don't think it would sell that well if they were doing it more often?
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My personal answer is no. Some of the money is contributed to the prize pool but most of them are still basically profit for the company. The end goal of War Chest is frankly for Blizzard to make money.
I would prefer using the money to create more international tournaments instead of increasing the prize pool at some bigs tournaments. Not just professional tournaments but also community/fans/viewers tournaments. Promoting the games at deeper levels than just a handful or professionals.
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On August 16 2019 04:19 Vutalisk wrote:
I would prefer using the money to create more international tournaments instead of increasing the prize pool at some bigs tournaments. Not just professional tournaments but also community/fans/viewers tournaments. Promoting the games at deeper levels than just a handful or professionals.
i prefer Blizzard hand money to the biggest streamers who are good at being conveners for online events. That is a great way to Increase prize pools for weekly online events and it spreads to money out to players who are not top 25 in the world. The world's best players don't have hours available every week and can't be in a location of low latency to the home server of every weekly event.
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Northern Ireland14296 Posts
On August 16 2019 03:22 deacon.frost wrote:Show nested quote +On August 16 2019 03:20 Wombat_NI wrote:
I don’t get why they don’t use this more often for more tournaments.
I’d love to bump the prize pool of GSL and especially the Super Tournaments which have a small pool compared to the quality of player there, help Korean pros where they’re both region locked out of WCS and also don’t have the Kespa support of old. Maybe they don't think it would sell that well if they were doing it more often?
Perhaps that would be the case aye.
That said it’s odd that there isn’t a mechanism. I can monetarily support streamers, SC content creators, leagues that rely more on donations like Olimoleague or whatever, and the two already largest prize pools in the calendar in Katowice and Blizzcon
But I can’t support the prestige regular tournament in the scene 
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I have a very hard time believing that blizzard has ever broken even on running sc2 pro scene. Until lotv was released it made sense to keep driving interest in order to sell the next installment. Of course Blizzard probably earned money on the sales of the actual games but thats probably it. In my opinion (obviously no source) people are generally vastly underestimating what these things cost, just what wages cost for the esport people and how many labour hours is needed to make sure everything runs smoothly. Not to mention the balance staff working on it.
Lets pretend blizz has 1 person full time on starcraft balance, the average yearly salary in america is $47,060. A warchest is roughly 30dollar (I guess since it is 30 euro).
Going by the numbers from 2018 katawice it seems they sold roughly 93 000 warchests, since 25% went to prizepool and the prizepool was increased by 700 000. That would put their earnings on 210 000 dollars after prizepools percentage is knocked off. That needs to cover all the prizepools blizzard pays throughout the year, sponsoring tournaments like GSL and all the wages of everyone working on sc2. Not to mention developing the content of the warchest, just cosmestics is cheap but its not free.
Edit: Just gotta add that Blizz has good reason to keep supporting sc2, it gives the good publicity and keeps fans around (if they ever intend to release any new rts after reforged). I mean it is clear there is a demand for RTS and Blizzard has pretty much total control of the whole genre. If they manage to figure out a way to properly earn money from an RTS continously it could be a gold mine.
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United States29168 Posts
Well, the most cynical POV you could take on this is that Acti-Blizz's primary goal is to create mega-successful franchises like Call of Duty and World of WarCraft, and any resources (people, money, office space, whatever) spent NOT making such franchises is a waste. In that scenario, 'growing' SC2 from a 5 to a 10 (by whatever metrics of success you want to use here) is insignificant, when the sole goal is to make 100's.
I think the hope for the continuation of SC2 esports funding is that all of the backlash from phone-gate and killing off HotS so abruptly and callously made Blizz reconsider being SO cutthroat, and put A LITTLE more weight back into the intangible benefits of goodwill, reputation, etc.
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I hear that the sale of Warchest in China was very good. Combine with the strong performance of Time in WCS and other tournaments, it is one of the main reasons that Blizzard China - Netsea decide to sponsor the China Team League officially.
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EPT
