The High School Esports League (HSEL) is in full swing as our Fall Major progresses and the ever-so daunting, yet exciting playoff is inching closer by the day. In the meantime however, we realise there are players out there who didn’t quite make the playoff cutoff rankings and are still itching for some more competitive gameplay, or perhaps players who couldn’t sign up in time and can’t wait for Winter Open to start.

To address these needs, we’ve introduced a new type of competition: Weekend Rivals, sponsored by Mobcrush.

Weekend Rivals, as the name implies, is a series of smaller weekend-long tournaments for Fortnite (duos), Hearthstone, and Super Smash for the Wii U and 3DS. These more compact tournaments allowed for ease of access and less commitment, while still allowing for maximum competition.

Having a smaller tournament means having little or no prize right? Think again! Winners of EACH WEEKEND get an additional $100 dollars worth of scholarship. That means at the end of every week, we dish out $400 worth of scholarships.

In addition to scholarship money, there is an extra boon out for grabs for a few lucky Fortnite players. The top Fortnite performers will play remotely vs. DreamHack participants, all streamed on the front page of Twitch!

If you want to secure your spot at a chance in winning these prizes, then stay tuned, as in the near future we may announce another round of Weekend Rivals! The best part of this mini tournament however, is that if you have already purchased a Battle Pass with HSEL (required to play in our Majors or Opens), you can play for free! Any newcomers will have to pay a small $5 entry fee.

The following is an interview with winner of the first ever Hearthstone Weekend Rivals, Slay! Slay is currently 5-1 in the regular season, and is a multi-season legend player. Let's hear some of his thoughts on his Weekend Rival Victory

Q1. What are your thoughts and feelings on winning the Weekend Rivals, and how challenging was it moving up the bracket?

A1. “It was definitely a challenge considering I lost to the same guy I just beat yesterday. I feel pretty good although I would feel better if I wasn’t as lucky when it came to some of my draws. One of my games this weekend for example, I ended up drawing all my board clears before turn five while playing against a Zoo Warlock”

Q2. What were some of your expectations going in? Did you feel confident you could win?

A2: “ I expected to go against more fast decks because they are much cheaper to craft than slower decks. With this in mind I made sure to bring cards such as mind control tech to increase my odds of winning. I did feel confident that I could win because I haven’t lost any regular season matches yet.”

Q3. How did that strategy pan out?

A3. “It worked out well, I did generally go against more fast decks. In the finals however, I went against slower decks that lead to long matches where small decisions could potentially make a difference in the outcome. My final game in particular was very long and if my opponent held on to his holy smite instead of using it to damage to my hero right away he might have been able to win the match by using it in combination with mind blast to deal over 30 damage to my hero in one turn.”

Q4. How are you feeling going back into the regular season, having won Weekend Rivals?

A4. “I feel confident that I can win, however I have had some close games. In addition it is important to note that not all players in the regular season participated in Weekend Rivals. I look forward to playing more matches and hope to improve at Hearthstone as a result.”

Q5. Final question, what do you say to anyone who hasn't participated in Weekend Rivals or was on the edge on participating?

A5. “I would tell them that participating in Weekend Rivals would be a positive experience for anyone trying to get into competitive Hearthstone or even just for the enjoyment of playing in it. It can also let people know what to expect from the regular season and help them gain a competitive edge over people who decided not to participate. If another opportunity like this comes along, I would recommend that they take it.”