"We are here to decide our fate" is echoing in the background as the round of 32 is starting. What a bloodbath. They have all prepared for this, most of them would never be satisfied with anything but the top three. Some have practiced for years and are now challenged by the best players in the world. And they have to be the one best guy. No, second best will not do it to win. One guy only. And everyone else is going to die trying.
 Androide, reaching top four. |
Fortunately everyone might not experience it that way and the World Cyber Games also includes the title "
Winning is not a major concern" picturing ElkY losing a show match and lots of happy players. The Starcraft playoffs included such a great quality of gamers and some even laughed after being beaten by the Koreans in games each shorter than approximately ten minutes. Nevertheless, the disappointment I saw in some people's faces after losing was enourmous. Not to mention the one I personally felt when my favorite player lost. Players staring at their monitors in the empty game list thinking through what went wrong or how it could end up like this. Though for once they all fought to the end. Continuous attacks including at first lots of cracked lings and thereafter thoroughly decreasing in numbers was something that was featured in the end sequences of
Testie's last game versus
forU on Dahlia of Jungle. Two zerglings trying to harass a whole protoss army. Only one drone collecting minerals, having the main whiped out and hardly any units left - no, as long as one is left we must still fight.
That is the true spirit, as I experienced it, of World Cyber Games 2004.
There were lots of upsets. I think what surprised most was the top four lineup. Did you honestly expect
[3wD]Christian (Beast) and
Androide in the semi-finals versus two of the Koreans?
Beast impressed in the finals by his calm and safe playing even though he was facing an obviously extremely superior player and that he never really got in to the game. Or did you honestly expect
RRB[Rush] to beat both the progamers
Legionnaire and
ElkY?
 Testie playing forU |
Most predicted the Koreans to get top positions though perhaps many thought they had to put more effort trying to get there. The only Korean who lost a game versus a foreigner was
forU versus the king of the hill,
rS.Testie. Testie beat forU on Gorky Island by being offensive with several goliath drops. Testie seemed so calm and had a really low apm-number, almost like he was playing a random newbie on Battle.net.
Round of 32
|
  ToT)Mondragon( | > |  KniF | 2-1
|
 Draco[pG] | < | Advokate[S2] | 1-2
|
 SW)Day[9] | > |  DarkCaleb | 2-0
|
| Xellos | > |  Skyr.Blizzy | 2-0
|
| YioSEn[rush] | > | Legionnaire | 2-1
|
| ElkY | > |  TeG_Shamanul | 2-0
|
| [3wD]Christian | > |  Shanhai | 2-0
|
| RiF)Ex | > |  StYm | 2-0
|
 SW)TreK[cF] | < | [pG]FisheYe | 1-2
|
| midas[gm] | > | Ray | 2-0
|
| rS.Testie | > |  Eriador[pG] | 2-0
|
| forU | > |  Yan[S2] | 2-0
|
 Clawson(TE) | < | PGC.Androide[3D] | 0-2
|
| Hero[pG] | < | ToT)tomsOn( | 0-2
|
 ZelotITO | > | ToT)Strafe( | 2-0
|
 iD.Twisted | > |  Gorky | 2-1 |
Round of 16
|
| ToT)Mondragon( | < | Advokate[S2] | 1-2
|
| SW)Day[9] | < | Xellos | 0-2
|
| YioSEn[rush] | > | ElkY | 2-1
|
| [3wD]Christian | > | RiF)Ex | 2-0
|
| [pG]FisheYe | < | midas[gm] | 0-2
|
| rS.Testie | < | forU | 1-2
|
| PGC.Androide[3D] | > | ToT)tomsOn( | 2-0
|
| ZelotITO | > | iD.Twisted | 2-1 |
Round of 8
|
| Xellos | > | Advokate[S2] | 2-0
|
| YioSEn[rush] | < | [3wD]Christian | 1-2
|
| forU | < | midas[gm] | 0-2
|
| PGC.Androide[3D] | > | ZelotITO | 2-0
|
Round of 4
|
| Xellos | > | [3wD]Christian | 2-0
|
| midas[gm] | > | PGC.Androide[3D] | 2-0
|
forU and Xellos |
It's been a great day and now, as I'm writing the post, some players are still here playing for fun matches like 4on4 on Hunters, discussing their playoffs matches and looking through replays and buildorders. "
After all we're all friends" reminds me that it might after all not have been as serious as I experienced it in the beginning. Though the hunger for fame and for the $25,000 cash prize have been featured the whole day and can not be left out. Fair and serious competitive gaming is Starcraft at its peak.
Let's just repeat that because this is what both World Cyber Games and GosuGamers struggles for.
Fair and serious competitive gaming.
Don't miss tomorrow's finals (12.30 PM PST, 21.30 CET). The best Starcraft player in the world will get a new name.
For matchups and maps for the playoffs, go to the coverage!
For all pictures from today, press the link below!
Links
GosuGamers WCG Coverage - Everything you need to know!
SG Image Archives - Pictures from 9th October
