After all, how did Haymitch win the Hunger Games?

This Wednesday, the 16th, the author Suzanne Collins released the official synopsis for his new book in the “Hunger Games” franchise, “Sunrise on the Reaping”, a work focused on the character Haymitch Abernathy that will hit bookstores in March 2025, and will gain a theatrical adaptation in November 2026.

The synopsis says:

“As the day of the 50th annual Hunger Games dawns, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quaternary Massacre, twice as much tribute will be taken from their homes. In District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too much about his chances. He only cares about getting through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all of his dreams crumble. He’s been ripped from his family and his love, taken to the Capitol with the other three tributes from District 12: a young friend who’s almost a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most arrogant girl in town.

When the Games begin, Haymitch understands that he is doomed to failure. But there’s something in him that wants to fight… and make that fight resonate far beyond the mortal arena.”

The 50th edition of the Hunger Games, responsible for marking the second Quaternary Massacre, which will be featured in the books, is exactly the year in which Haymitch became the second tribute in the history of District 12 to win the competition, giving him the opportunity to become become a mentor to Katniss and Peeta years later.

But how did Haymitch manage to win the Hunger Games?

When he was selected to compete in the Games, Haymitch was just 16 years old. Right at the beginning of the competition, he formed an alliance with another tribute from District 12, Maysilee Donner, aunt of one of Katniss’s friends and the original holder of the mockingjay pin in the books, remaining together for much of the challenge, and fighting side by side. against careerist tributes and the hybrid creatures created by the Capital, known as Beastantes.

It was during one of these fights that Maysilee managed to save her companion’s life, killing the last survivor of the group that attacked them, strengthening the bonds between the pair. As the days went by, as the number of competitors decreased, the girl decided to venture alone, but ended up being killed.

After his death, the competition came to an end, leaving only Haymitch and a tribute from District 1. While resting, the young man ends up discovering while throwing stones that the arena was surrounded by an invisible force field, just as Katniss discovers the same thing in “Catching Fire”.

Upon meeting, the opponents fought a violent battle, in which Haymitch was seriously injured. While crawling on the ground trying to get away from the girl from District 1, he approaches a cliff, and the girl tries to end her life by throwing an ax in his direction.

However, remembering his discovery made days before, the boy from District 12 manages to dodge the axe, causing the weapon to hit the force field, and ricochet towards the opponent, resulting in his death and, consequently, Haymitch’s victory. .

Despite being the last survivor, and the great winner of the second Quaternary Massacre, the character’s life was not happy after the 50th Hunger Games. This is because, as reported by the portal ScreenRant, the tyrannical president Snow would not have been happy at all that the tribute had taken advantage of the force field to win.

Therefore, as a form of punishment, Snow had all of Haymitch’s most important people killed, including his mother, younger brother and girlfriend, leaving him alone. The loss of his loved ones, combined with the trauma created in the arena, began to disturb him ever since, causing him to turn to alcohol in an attempt to suppress his feelings.