Could Hearthstone be losing its lustre as an Esport? Na'Vi, one of the world's most successful Esports organisations and one of the premier faces of high-level Hearthstone play, has killed off its official team, letting go both world champion Sebastian "Ostkaka" Engwall and Insomnia Truesilver Champion III finalist, Sebastian "Xixo" Bentert.
No reason has yet been given by the team about why it would drop such high level players from its roster, but it seems likely that it's because Na'Vi is giving up on Hearthstone as a competition it wants to be part of. That would suggest that the game itself isn't bringing enough fans and money to be worthwhile.
PC Gamer does suggest another reason though: despite being top players, neither of the above Na'Vi alumni were big streamers. That restricts their potential earnings, especially when you consider how random Hearthstone can be - in which case it may just be a question of getting the right people on board to pay for the team's support in return.
What will be interesting to see in the near future, is if Na'Vi recruits new Hearthstone players - perhaps with a bigger emphasis on streaming - or whether it just leaves the game now and pursues more popular competitive games like Counter Strike and League of Legends.
Image source: Na'Vi
