Stephano. PHOTO: CAMERON CARSON
As one of the most successful and popular Western players, it's no surprise to fans that Stephano has a large following in Korea as well. But to the Zerg player himself, it was apparently quite a shock. "I really didn't know," he said. "I've only participated in American and European tournaments so I didn't know about any fans in Korea." Spending more time in Korea will surely help that fanbase to grow, but on a more personal level he claimed to be fitting in well in Korea, especially with his current housemates: "Compared to other Korean players I think the TSL people are really nice."
Discussing his own game, Stephano admitted that he has been practicing a lot more in Korea. "During my stay at the TSL house, I've been practicing 8 - 9 hours a day," he said. "When I'm in France, I practice about 3 - 4 hours a day and I stream a lot." That regime has obviously worked well for him, as he told This Is Game that he has earned $120,000 in prize payouts alone. But the Frenchman is far from finished and wants to return for more rigorous training. "After attending MLG I'm thinking about going back to Korea around November or December," he said. " It's not finalized but if I am in Korea by that time I think I'll be able to attempt Code S."
Stephano admitted that he is much less confident of success in the GSL, though, saying "If I have to practice to prepare for only one player then I'm not very confident." With so many players in the league, he claimed that it is difficult to judge the level of individuals. Still, if his assessment of the meta game is accurate, that should push things a little in his favour. "Zerg is stronger than Protoss," he said. "The current balances are not that bad." But Stephano believes that the real secret to his success is mental. Asked how me manages to stay close to the Korean players, he answered "It's because I try not to think of them as Korean players. Whether they are Korean, European, or American players, the secret is to just do my own plays."
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Team Liquid - Translation
