Months of Fireside Gathering competitions and a grueling online qualifier have all been leading up to this moment: one final showdown of epic proportions before BlizzCon—the North American Fireside Gathering Championship!

The four finalists who won their local Fireside Gatherings and successfully battled their way through the online qualifier will now face-off in person in the North American Fireside Gathering Championship! This final stage of the tournament will be a high-stakes single-elimination bracket using the Conquest format.

You can catch the climactic championship matches on the official Hearthstone Twitch channel hosted by ESL, with shoutcasting by TJ ‘Azumo’ Sanders, Dan "Frodan" Chou and Blizzard's own Robert "Whirthun" Wing

This is, after all, a Fireside Gathering Championship, so it’s a fantastic time to find a local Fireside Gathering to watch the stream with friends and cheer on your favorite duelist together!

The stream begins on August 22 at 10:00 a.m. PDT, so be sure not to miss a minute of the action!

In addition to the biggest chunk of the prize pool, the winner of the North American Fireside Gathering Championship will earn an even greater prize: a seed into the Hearthstone World Championship Americas Qualifier. That means they could become one of the finalists who will move on to compete in the 2015 Hearthstone World Championship at BlizzCon for their share of a prize pool worth $250,000!

Now it’s time to meet the players who have earned the right to compete for the title of Fireside Gathering Champion. Read on and pick a player to root for!

CapnCrunch

Age: 25

Hometown: Kansas City, MO

Qualifying Fireside Gathering: Gem City Games in Centreville OH

What do you do when you’re not playing Hearthstone?

Usually I’m tuning into player streams, tournaments, or catching up with the latest Grand Tournament reveals.

How long have you been playing Hearthstone, and how did you get started?

I was fortunate enough to get a key during closed beta. I’ve always had a strong interest in trading card games, and I previously played World of Warcraft, so playing Hearthstone only seemed natural.

Does your BattleTag have any special meaning or significance? Why did you choose it?

Although the BattleTag CapnCrunch isn’t unique, I chose the name while playing as a Holy Paladin in the early Wrath of the Lich King expansion for WoW. When my fellow raid members desperately needed a heal they would say “Crunchitize me Cap'n!” . . . at least that’s what I tell myself.

What are Fireside Gatherings like in your area? If you’re not a regular Fireside attendee, what did you think of the one you attended?

I’ve been able to attend a few Fireside Gatherings and even hosted one. I helped host a Fireside Gathering Qualifier in Kansas City which had a turnout of over 64 people. Thanks to the help of SoPro Gaming, an incredible LAN gaming center, we were able to accommodate such a large group and provide a great experience to those who came.

Despite it going well over our intended time, most of the attendees had a blast and I can’t wait to hold another event for The Grand Tournament expansion.

It’s always great to meet fellow players who are enthusiastic about Hearthstone. During the Fireside Gatherings, I’ve had the opportunity to make some friends, meet established players in the pro scene, and even talk with one of the hosts of the Well Met! Podcast. I would highly recommend attending a Fireside Gathering, so be sure to check to see if one is available in your area and definitely attend a qualifier event next year if you enjoy competitive Hearthstone.

Did you have any epic moments from the Stage 2 Fireside Gathering Championship qualifiers that you’d like to share?

I had several close games during the event, but a couple moments stand out above the rest. In two separate matches, I had close to a full board with Dr. Boom in play and my opponent played a Brawl. By chance, Dr. Boom ended up coming out of the brawl unscathed in both instances leading to a win.

Another memorable moment was my match as Patron Warrior versus a Midrange Hunter. I was down to 10 health with two Armorsmiths on board (one silenced) opposing a Mad Scientist, a Savannah Highmane, and an Ironbeak Owl. My pivotal turn 8 begins and I play Warsong Commander, Grim Patron, Inner Rage and with some smart trades, I’m able to clear the entire board, trigger the Freezing Trap from the Mad Scientist with my silenced Armorsmith, gain 6 armor, and have a full board on my side. By the end of the game, I had over 34 armor so the game turned around from a near loss to a commanding victory.

What are your plans if you win the Hearthstone World Championship?

Although it would be a dream come true, I think there are just too many great players out there and I still have a lot to improve on for this to be a reality. If winning the World Championship did somehow happen, I’d celebrate with friends and family and be thankful for the opportunity to play something I loved on a worldwide stage at Blizzcon.

Do you stream? If so, how can viewers find you?

I do not currently stream, but if I do it will be on http://www.twitch.tv/capncrunchhs

CapnCrunch can be found on Twitter @CapnCrunchHS

Puffin

Age: 35

Hometown: Irvine, California

Qualifying Fireside Gathering: Amazon Fireside Gathering in Irvine CA.

Puffin almost missed being in the Finals. The player who originally claimed this seed bowed out, allowing Puffin to move on to the Fireside Gathering Championship.

What do you do when you’re not playing Hearthstone?

My time is spent working, being with friends and family, playing video and board games, and eating good food.

How long have you been playing Hearthstone, and how did you get started?

I've been playing Hearthstone since early alpha, so I got started as soon as I had access to the game. I played the original WoW TCG (the physical game), and I was super excited to hear that Blizzard was making a digital card game.

Does your BattleTag have any special meaning or significance? Why did you choose it?

It's a handle that I've used for a long time. It was originally a nickname that my friend gave to me in college when I got her a plush puffin, and she named it after me.

What are Fireside Gatherings like in your area? If you’re not a regular Fireside attendee, what did you think of the one you attended?

The Firesides I've been to have been fairly big, particularly the one that I attended to qualify for this tournament. It was a big production with a stream and everything, with a lot of participants. I thought it was great and was fun to meet new people there and see old friends.

Did you have any epic moments from the Stage 2 Fireside Gathering Championship qualifiers that you’d like to share?

In the Patron Warrior mirror match that I had in the Round of 16, I managed to get my effective health over 80 with about 50 armor.

What are your plans if you win the Hearthstone World Championship?

I would probably just celebrate with friends and keep playing Hearthstone for fun.

Do you stream? If so, how can viewers find you?

I do stream, they can find me at twitch.tv/puffinplays

You can find Puffin on Twitter at @puffinplays

Timmahtim

Age: 21

Hometown: Buffalo, New York

Qualifying Fireside Gathering: GameOn LAN in Tonawanda NY

What do you do when you’re not playing Hearthstone?

When I'm not playing Hearthstone I like to play piano, ultimate Frisbee, and other video games like League of Legends and Rocket League.

How long have you been playing Hearthstone, and how did you get started?

I've been playing Hearthstone since around open beta. I was always interested in card games so it was an easy fit. I started taking the game seriously around five months ago.

Does your BattleTag have any special meaning or significance? Why did you choose it?

I actually wish I could change my BattleTag to my handle "LegendofTimmah". It was my name in League of Legends, and having reached D1 in that game, I wish I could bring the name over to Hearthstone. Sadly, there aren't enough characters for the name!

What are Fireside Gatherings like in your area? If you’re not a regular Fireside attendee, what did you think of the one you attended?

We don't have very many Fireside Gatherings in my area, but the ones we do have are always a lot of fun. People in my area are very friendly, skilled at the game, and are all there to enjoy themselves. It's also fun casting the games when we have them.

Did you have any epic moments from the Stage 2 Fireside Gathering Championship qualifiers that you’d like to share?

I had a few "Ehh, I'll just go for it" moments in Stage 2, and my final victory came down to a top deck from my opponent playing Tempo Mage. I was at 5 health and he still had a Fireball and Frostbolt left in his deck. He top-decked Azure Drake, making Frostbolt an option for lethal. Thankfully, he got Arcane Missiles off the top instead, and that was that. I was sweating bullets the whole time.

What are your plans if you win the Hearthstone World Championship?

If I win the Hearthstone World Championship I plan to stream a lot more, enter more tournaments, and try to make a name for myself in the Hearthstone scene. It's always been a dream of mine to play a game I care about professionally, ever since I started playing Halo 3, Starcraft 2, and League of Legends.

Do you stream? If so, how can viewers find you?

I do stream! Viewers can find me at Twitch.tv/LegendofTimmah

You can find Timmahtim on Twitter at @LegendofTimmah



Kevan

Age: 27

Hometown: San Jose, CA

Qualifying Fireside Gathering: AFK Gamer Lounge in San Jose CA

What do you do when you’re not playing Hearthstone?

I play Magic: the Gathering and fantasy football.

How long have you been playing Hearthstone, and how did you get started?

I've been playing since the open beta in 2013 and I was introduced to the game by a friend who played during closed beta testing.

Does your BattleTag have any special meaning or significance? Why did you choose it?

Couldn't wait to get started playing so I just picked the first name that came to mind in order to create a battle.net account.

What are Fireside Gatherings like in your area? If you’re not a regular Fireside attendee, what did you think of the one you attended?

I've only attended one local Fireside Gathering at this point, but it was a great experience. I was not familiar with the LAN environment since this was my first foray into an online game, so it was cool having everyone in the same room. Shout out to AFK Lounge in San Jose for running an awesome event!

Did you have any epic moments from the Stage 2 Fireside Gathering Championship qualifiers that you’d like to share?

Stage 2 was full of great matches. Most sets went to the fifth game. Coming back from 0-2 to win three straight against Face Hunter felt pretty satisfying.

What are your plans if you win the Hearthstone World Championship?

I would start trying to make it to top 100 Legend each season. And maybe buy a new car.

Please join us in wishing each of these competitors the best of luck, and be sure to tune in to watch all the action on Saturday!