When the world’s watching, which Hearthstone nation will prove they’re the greatest on the globe? Prepare to find out as the Hearthstone Global Gamesdraws to its epic conclusion August 25 and 26 at gamescom in Cologne, Germany. With national pride on the line, as well as a share of the $332,000 USD prize pool, we’ll see which of the final four teams will step up when it matters most.
Some of the game’s top competitors, as well as fan-favourite players selected by the card-slinging community, were offered the chance to represent their country in Hearthstone’s first-ever Global Games. Now we’re down to the final four teams, including two from Europe:
Ukraine
Aleksandr ‘Kolento’ Malsh and Eugene ‘Neirea’ Shumilin have consistently proven themselves at the top level, while Artem ‘DrHippi’ Kravets demonstrated his skills by reaching the Hearthstone World Championship finals last year. Along with Hunter specialist Mykola ‘NickChipper’ Velychko, Ukraine has beaten some top teams—including early favorites the Netherlands—on their way to the final four.
Czech Republic
Led by innovative deck-builder Stanislav ‘StanCifka’ Cifka, the Czech Republic has brought some fantastic play to the game board and had fun along the way. Former Hearthstone Championship Tour competitor Mikuláš ‘Pokrovac’ Dio will bring valuable high-level tournament experience to the semi-finals, while Jaromír ‘JáraVyskočil’ Vyskočil and Petr ‘CzechCloud’ Žalud have already shown that they know a thing or two about competitive play.
United States
Since its roster was unveiled, the United States has been among the favorites to lift the HGG trophy. Former Hearthstone World Champion James ‘Firebat’ Kostesich lines up beside William ‘Amnesiac’ Barton, David ‘Dog’ Caero, and Edwin ‘HotMEOWTH’ Cook—all top-eight finishers at recent major events. In addition to strong tournament performances, each player regularly shows off their abilities via livestream, climbing the ranks and building their strong fan bases along the way.
South Korea
South Korea arrives at gamescom following a convincing 3-0 victory over Mexico in the quarter-finals. Back-to-back winner of the 2016 Asia-Pacific Spring and Summer Championships Ilmook ‘handsomeguy’ Kang will be aiming to keep the good form going at gamescom, along with Hakjun ‘Kranich’ Baek—the only player to earn consecutive top-eight finishes in the World Championship. And skilled players Sanghyeon ‘DDaHyoNi’ Baek and Cho ‘Flurry’ Hyun Soo have already secured some vital wins during the tournament.
