EPTDisclaimer: It's going to be gushy and fanboyish deluxe. I was like a little boy during Christmas this event.
First, an outline of the event. It took place in Globen, a large arena in Stockholm which is one of the symbols of the city. Over two days several different games were played and shown. The main Globen stage alternated games, on day one I think it was all CS:GO, on day two WoW, Hearthstone and finally SC2 if memory serves. The tournaments that weren't on the main stage all took place in a large side hall, the Annex, which also housed all the vendors. The Starcraft players were in one of three player areas, two were on balconies that were restricted to players, staff and press only, while in the middle there was a fenced off LAN area. You could stand behind the latter one and watch the pros play their games. The group stage matches alternated between the areas while the playoffs were all in the publicly available area, and from the semifinals on the players moved to the main stage.
Instead of trying to make a narrative, I'll share some highlights, thoughts and funny moments
- First of all, being new to events like this and the arena, on day one I started off by accidentally walking into both restricted player areas, looking for a friend. Noone seemed to notice nor care though :D And in my defence, it wasn't until I left the second restricted area that they had covered the entrances with curtains, so I honestly didn't know. But at least I didn't bother anyone or get thrown out, which I'm happy with.
- Koreans! 22 Koreans according to Smix! Going from never having seen a progamer in real life to bumping into soO, a legendary Kespa badass from Brood War, was completely surreal. Back in Brood War, it actually felt like these guys were from a different planet. Here they were, right in front of me. I made pictures of some players for them to sign, I wanted something more than just autographs on a piece of paper, and I've kicked myself a thousand times for not bringing pictures of CJ Hero, soO, Leenock and so many others. Honestly, I think part of me still didn't believe they were real people until I got there
Luckily, I did bring a picture of Jaedong and got a moment with him!![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ch6Hm85.png)
Took me a solid two hours of standing around and glancing at Jaedong like a creepy stalker to work up the courage to ask for a signature
- Standing behind pro players and watching them play is a lot more fascinating than watching streams. Not only because it's an actual tournament game so you see them at their peak performance, you also get a complete picture with the screen, keyboard, mouse, even their postures and how they compose themselves between games. What I took away that surprised me the most was how calmly the Korean pros played. Obviously they play at breakneck speed, but the action on the screen does not look frantic at all. Instead, everything just looks efficient and clean. It gave me a tangible impression of how precision and experience is just as important as speed.
- I met up with Tjockas, an awesome guy I know from Basetrade TV where we both hang out. While I spent a lot of time wandering around by myself, I also enjoyed every second I spent with Tjockas and the Finnish guy Marko we ran into. He came up asking where Welmu was playing and we got to talking, he ended up sticking with Tjockas for both days. If you're reading this, I didn't get your last name, feel free to contact me if you want to! I had a great time with you, and watching you and Welmu speak in incomprehensible Finnish for hours :D My favourite Tjockas moment was when he bought a stuffed Umbreon as a gift for mYiPengWin who was so happy he showed it to everyone and carried it with him most of the event. My favourite PengWin moment was at the end of the event when he rushed the stage and had Solar sign his chest :D
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/s5hE9Pp.png)
Original tweet by PengWin
- Speaking of mYiPengWin, he spent so much time talking to fans and being awesome, he made the event a great deal more enjoyable for everyone. All the players I met were great guys and girls but PengWin was by far the most outgoing and generous with his time. I also saw Grubby really take the time not only to talk to fans but he actually sought out those he saw that appeared too shy to approach him, which is no surprise
For me, bumping into Snute in the street, getting a signature and a fairly long talk was a highlight. So was meeting QueenE and Livibee who stuck together, I had promised a friend of mine to get their signatures. When I noticed I didn't bring a magic marker, QueenE took the time to hunt down a vendor she knew to borrow one! Both of them were so lovely and friendly. The same goes for Vibe!![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/6OxIUIN.png)
Back and front of my Snute picture. DEAL WITH IT!
- Another completely awesome pro was the 12 year old Italian GM, mYiReynor. He was the cutest kid ever and brought a lot of life to the player area, not to mention beating Bombur and Triaz to make it to the second group stage at less than half of my age :D What really melted my heart was watching how all the Koreans adopted him as a little brother, I'm convinced he had the time of his life and his joy and energy spread. MMA was adorably shy when I approached him, I hope I didn't come off too strong when I praised him but he looked so humble and a little uncomfortable despite his many years of being a pro.
- Zethian is another guy I know from Basetrade TV, he works as an admin for Dreamhack. With such a stressful job, we didn't have much time to talk, but the few minutes I had with him he seemed really cool. And the amount of work he put into the event was insane. I have so much respect for the people who made this happen! Another esports personality and player I have a ton of respect for is Maddelisk, and I was lucky enough to bump into her too. The only player I had a prepared picture for that I couldn't find was Liquid Hero, but he didn't stay for long. Snute also told me that Hero's keyboard didn't arrive on the plane and they didn't have a spare, so he was forced to play on borrowed gear which made it all the worse for him. I feel for him and I hope he feels better for his next event!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/uxWfrKP.png)
Sorry for butting in on your conversation with QueenE, Livibee and Vibe Madde, but thank you a ton for taking the time to sign this!
- Having spent most of the event standing behind the players watching them play in first person, the change in going to the main stage was monumental. I was there for the end of Hearthstone, and while I enjoy the game, it doesn't bring out mad hype in a crowd. The moment the Starcraft intro played though, something happened in the audience. The pyrotechnics were amazing, the show was introduced in a shower of gold and the crowd went insane. This being my first live event, I can't compare it to anything, it might have been a mediocre crowd for all I know, but being among them it felt like being in the middle of Iron Squid. Every time a baneling group got close to a widow mine, you felt it in the crowd. With the exception of the dropped game, the production was absurdly good. I think the finals might have been considered bad for the viewers at home, but for me it was an epic clash that I will never forget.
- I had many favourites going into the event, Solar was just one of them, but at the semifinals, he was the one I was cheering for. I made a Solar cheerful that you may have seen on stream, and I can't even describe how happy it made me when he won. You probably couldn't see it on stream, but the main stage had player cams, and when Solar pushed up the ramp on Deadwing to secure his win in the last game his face was a beacon of happiness. He was so overjoyed and I felt it too. Seeing him cry on stage and raising his trophy as a champion... I haven't been that happy in a long while. And the best part for me - I ran into Solar on the way out of the event and he took the time to sign my cheerful! This is seriously my most treasured possession right now and I'm so grateful to Solar for taking the time in the middle of celebrating his victory to sign the cheerful of a stuttering teary-eyed fan. It meant so much to me!
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/uNiGdyj.png)
His signature first in squiggly English and then below in Korean. Kang Min Soo, my hero <3 Also drawing, not a skill I have
I could go on forever, but I think this captures my event. In closing, do yourself a favour and attend a Dreamhack. It is truly incredible.
