One of the highest-profile personalities and players in Hearthstone has signed with NRG eSports.
Jason “Amaz” Chan announced the move today, putting into question the future of the organization he co-owns and co-founded, Team Archon.
Amaz emerged as one of the biggest community figures in Hearthstone shortly after its launch thanks to his informative stream and strength as a player, joining Root Gaming and eventually Team Liquid in 2014 before parlaying his success into founding Team Archon near the end of that year. Archon has since hosted many of the game’s best players, like James “Firebat” Kostesich, who won the Hearthstone World Championship at BlizzCon 2014 one week after joining the team. They put together the game’s first team house early in 2015.
Since then, Amaz and Archon itself have shifted into wider community roles. Amaz has casted and hosted events, with Archon putting on a $250,000 league last year. But that community focus has come at the cost of the competitive team. In June, Jon “Orange” Westberg left the squad, leaving Archon with only William “Amnesiac” Barton as an active competitor.
Now, with Amaz joining NRG eSports, it seems Archon itself may be next to go. Amaz told his stream that an announcement regarding the team’s future is on the way. In a press release, he stated that NRG eSports co-owner Andy Miller’s goals seemed to align with his community initiatives, meaning that his role with the esports team likely won’t be as just a competitor. So while Archon’s future may be in jeopardy, the man who made it a part of Hearthstone’s community will likely be just as involved as ever.
