James "Firebat" Kostesich - Hearthstone Player

James "Firebat" Kostesich is an American Hearthstone player. His name is derived from his favorite StarCraft: Brood War player, FirebatHero.

Firebat treats the game like an escape from the real world. He first began playing Hearthstone by hanging out with people online and sharing screens, stating that "hanging out with tons of players" is his favorite thing about the game.

Firebat reached the top ranks in ladder almost every month; playing in a few tournaments such as VGVN Naxxramas #3, and the HearthStats League Invitational during the month of September 2014. He did not make much noise until it was announced that he and Tempo Storm's Hyped had earned to the two sought-after seeds into the North American Qualifiers Group Stage, meaning they got to pass by the 128 man Swiss Round that preceded it.

In the North American Qualifiers Group Stage, Firebat stunned the crowd by taking his first series against Twisted 3-1 on the back of his Hunter, taking the final victory with his Zoo. He was sent to the Lower Bracket by StrifeCro, but bounced back almost instantly with a 3-2 win against Deathstar, and eventually crushed Hyped with a 3-1 and took his invitation to the World Championships at BlizzCon.

At the 2014 BlizzCon World Championship, Firebat went through the likes of Qiruo and Kranich to get to the play off bracket, where he would eventually defeat Kaor, and then Dtwo. In the grand finals, he had to face-off against the Chinese champion Tiddler Celestial, but he ultimately came out unscathed with a dominating 3-0 victory, making him the first ever World Champion in Hearthstone's history.