Fireside will be losing another key core member of our team as Bethnicz will also be stepping down from the team following the events of Physgun Fireside Denver 2025. Bethnicz has been our lead video editor and content director since July 2023, which would mark NEARLY two years with Fireside!

Initially when Fireside returned with the project Trial By Fireside back in 2021 (2022?), we were only running streams and doing production for matches. Outside of Retrospection Chats, a podcast run by myself (siyo), we had a bunch of ideas for our YouTube channel but neither the time nor the skillset to turn the ideas into a reality. Bringing Bethnicz on board helped up our game and put us on the map with TF2 content creation.

Competitive TF2 is a scene where most of our stories about players and epic moments of the past are primarily passed through word of mouth, and it tends to be the case that there’s little to no documentation of events that happened way back in the past.

TF2’s collective history of almost 2 decades deserves to be validated in a way beyond disappearing YouTube channels and 12 year old forum discussions. But in the process, the reward of making these videos is usually only self-fulfillment, and not compensatory in any meaningful way. Antlers and I had discussed previously about trying to use our platform for documentation and preservation, but nobody encapsulated and pushed that idea further than Bethnicz. 

Competitive TF2 content was relatively outdated before the videos you now see from Youtubers like Wild_Rumpus, along with a few others. Bethnicz came in with a new set of ideas that focused on building storylines and documenting stories, like ROME and Witness Gaming Highlander. Bethnicz also expanded these stories to help introduce newer players to the competitive history of TF2 and pushed forward his ideas in an attempt to fill the gap for new followers of the scene.

Along the way his own skill set grew. It’s incredible to watch the progress of somebody who is as dedicated to growing their unique talents and utilizing them for a vision of making TF2 more accessible to an everyday crowd, and Bethnicz put on a masterclass. You can see some of the videos and projects that Bethnicz had a hand in here, to get an idea of what an impact he’s had on our community.

• This Competitive TF2 Team is Grinding Their Way to the Top of TF2 Esports (ROME)
• How Witness Gaming Highlander Ended a Team Fortress 2 Esports Dynasty
• Recap Series
• North America’s Superteam
• RGL Season 15 Invite LAN Playoffs Interviews and Photos
• Localhost Philly (RESUP.GG Philly LAN 2023) TF2 will be BIG and here's why…
• LOLGUY The Prodigy

I think with Bethnicz we accomplished a goal that we wanted to emphasize at Fireside: to be an organization that could be a springboard for people to grow within and use that to further their skills and prospects. Sure, we may not have put out the best videos, but we tried our best to see our vision through and walk the talk so to say. As Bethnicz moves onto greater things in and outside the competitive TF2 scene, I can confidently say that the work we did not only satisfies that goal, but also fills a much needed area of competitive TF2 content creation that few are willing to take on. 

Antlers had this to say on Bethnicz’s impact on the Fireside team and regarding his path forward:

“It’s always a bittersweet moment to see somebody so integral to the FiresideCasts mission and ethos like Beth, but I know that as I got to see his skills grow, it connected with how Fireside grew, and I am forever thankful for that. I’ll miss working with him in our day-to-day interactions, but I know that he will keep the fire burning and push far past what we were capable of giving him here. Good luck, and thank you for everything.”

And a few words from the man himself, Bethnicz:

“I want to make one thing clear, just because I’m stepping down does not mean two things: 1) I’m leaving TF2, I love it too much to go away. I might do my own projects for the comp TF2 scene or just TF2 in general. 2) TF2 competitive coverage is over. I have hired one person to talk about competitive TF2 and that’s you. Cliche I know minus five frags, but it’s true.

All it takes is basic knowledge of video editing and a smidge of passion for competitive TF2 to actually make something for this community. It doesn’t have to be high quality with 200+ visual effects, you can do a podcast and still achieve something in this community. Whether it be a podcast about your team, making comp TF2 meme compilations, or making a documentary yourself about something you like in this community, people want to listen and see something in the competitive TF2 community. You just have to take the time to do it."

by antlers with input from siyo

2025 is already a landmark year in terms of news that we put out, and hopefully this will be no exception. As Fireside Casts continues to grow, we’re using this time to share some exciting developments in our journey as a production organization.

Where Have We Been?

Fireside Casts started as a side project after an early team conclusion of RGL season 2, where myself, siyo, and a couple other players shared our love of the game with the production experience that I brought to the table after having produced for teamfortress.tv. And as it turned out, we were starting to capture the attention of the community, who met us all the way with the passion and fun that we had with our free time. 

Our early goals haven’t changed—elevating the competitive scene and creating a space where people can be themselves has always been central to who we are. Our announcement before the New Year was a reflection of that vision. A lot of work has gone into preparing for it, and while the launch hasn’t always been smooth, we’re 100% committed to seeing it through with the passion that we express in all of the work that we put out..

Physgun Fireside Denver 2025 – The Big LAN Event

The biggest event in our history, Physgun Fireside Denver 2025, is set to take place from May 24-26, 2025. This international LAN event will feature 14 teams, 2 tiers of competition, and an atmosphere of the type of community that we’ve put years of work into creating. It's been an around-the-clock effort to make sure that everybody going leaves with memories for years to come.

Key event highlights include:

• A high-stakes tournament with an array of world-class teams battling it out for the championship, and the expanding prize pool that comes with it.

• Exclusive collectible merch, stay tuned for details on that!

• Live broadcasts and commentary streamed across Twitch, complete with high-quality production and brand-new assets.

• Interviews with our players, staff and community that make it all possible.

Our registration for teams’ sign-ups ends in the near future, so make sure you get your spot before the 16th of February!

Minor Renovations – A Better Fireside Experience

One key aspect to our ability to interact with our audience is through our website, firesidecasts.tv. We’ve known for a bit that a little polish was needed, but with work, life, and other dedications, we’re committing now to enhancing the Fireside experience for people looking to catch up on the latest merch, any more news regarding our LAN event, or that want to meet our team. 

But that’s not all! Our stream look has also been a focus of improvement as our main output as a production organization. We intend to launch that look at our LAN, but keep tuned to our streams leading up to Denver while we test out the changes that we make! We’re always looking for feedback, so if you have suggestions for improvements, let us know!

A Leadership Transition – What’s Next?

After years of dedication to Fireside Casts, we (Antlers and Siyo) have decided to step down from our leadership roles following the conclusion of the Physgun Fireside LAN. This decision wasn’t made lightly, but we believe it is the right time for Dr. Underscore and Lacy Avenue to take the reins, continuing our mission of putting the community first. We both will remain with Fireside in some capacity, with siyo working on content creation, like the Competitive TF2 Recap series with Bethnicz, and me stepping to a more consultative role.

We are incredibly proud of what Fireside Casts has become and deeply grateful for the support of this community. More details on our transition and future leadership structure might not be as public as this message is, but rest assured that we intend for Fireside to keep hosting events and streaming after our departure. Our priority is to make sure the PHD 2025 is the best event we’ve ever hosted (so far!), and we are excited to go out on a high note.

Final Thoughts – Be Part of the Fireside Experience

We’re beyond excited for what’s ahead in 2025. Whether you’re competing at Physgun Fireside Denver or tuning into our streams, your support makes it all possible.

Fireside Casts has always been about putting the community first, and experiencing that with the people that make it all worthwhile. While it's sad for us to take our leave, the road ahead for Fireside is still full of stories to tell. If you want to be part of it, we are always open to accepting new volunteers and staff, as long as you’re willing to learn new things.

Follow us on Bluesky, Discord, and YouTube for the latest updates, and keep an eye on our website or on TFTV as we roll out more details in the coming months.

Let’s make 2025 burn bright!