According to the accompanying frequently asked questions in their blog, the reason behind the three Masters Tour events having no prize pools is that Hearthstone wanted to “prioritize rewarding the most consistent players.”
“With players having a direct qualification path to the world championship by playing ladder, we want to prioritize rewarding the most consistent players over the course of the whole year,” the FAQ entry stated. “The current scope of Hearthstone Esports is separate from the success of Hearthstone. We are thrilled with the upcoming content plans for the game and can’t wait for players to get to see what is being worked on in the years to come,” they added as they assured players that the game itself was not on a decline. However, they also revealed that there are no plans yet for Hearthstone Esports in 2024.