The 2014 Hearthstone world champion James “Firebat” Kostesich has left Team Archon, likely igniting a bidding war for the player.
Kostesich announced his departure late last night, giving no details other than that it was his choice to leave.
Archon later confirmed the move, saying that they were “saddened” by his departure and that they wished him the best in his future endeavours.
Kostesich was one of the founding members of Jason “Amaz” Chan team in November 2014, days before winning the first Hearthstone World Championship. He went on to win the StarLadder kickoff season and Pinnacle titles, before becoming the first player to defend a Hearthstone LAN title with the Gfinity Spring Masters events.
Though his departure has come as a surprise, Kostesich has on several occasions raised complaints about the team on his stream. In September, he said the team “treats me like shit” after his computer monitors were taken from his room in the team house for the Archon Team League Championships without his permission. Last February he also claimed that the team came close to releasing him after he missed streaming goals due to being on vacation.
Ultimately, Kostesich stayed on the team and re-signed just four months ago—though that announcement has since been quietly removed from Archon’s website.
Kostesich’s free agency is an opportunity like few others in Hearthstone. Everyone from current top teams to teams looking to step up their game to organizations making their first step into Hearthstone will be eyeing this opportunity very closely.
Photo via Blizzard (all rights reserved, used with permission)
