Nexus Games returns to Europe November 14

Just after BlizzCon 2017, we’re seeing a new avenue for amateur players to complete. The Nexus Games is slated to Heroes of the Storm‘s version of the Hearthstone Global Games or Overwatch World Cup, pitting a team handpicked by Blizzard against other nations to see which country has the most talent on the ladder.

Anyone toward the top of the Hero League ladder with a minimum of 75 games played in Season 3 before October 24th is up for consideration as a player. This competition is only for specific countries in Europe, which are listed on the official site. You have to be a legal resident of the country you’d like to play for, in addition to some other rules which can be found in the full rules PDF.

One thing is spelled out very clearly — no current pro players in the HGC are allowed to compete. This is a huge reversal from the last Nexus Games, which basically served as a stop gap between the regular season and the finals at BlizzCon last year. They do say that Open players are allowed to compete, though. Unlike the Open, you don’t have to do the hard work of hunting for teammates on your own. This could be a good thing, allowing players to just focus on gameplay. It could also be a disaster, considering how toxic people can be when the stakes are virtually zero.

The Nexus Games starts November 14th, just ten days after BlizzCon ends.