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BlizzCon Preview
With BlizzCon just around the corner and hype everywhere for the upcoming tournaments, let’s take a moment and remember that not only are these the best players and teams in the world competing at BlizzCon, but that this is a global tournament. Each team carries the flag of their region into this international tournament much like an Olympic athlete carries the torch of their nation into the arena. We are blessed to see so much cooperation and the growth of esports as a world endeavor, and nothing but good things can come from these annual conventions which bring us all closer together and in contact with one another. This is an incredible event.
That said, let’s move to the hype! For the Heroes of the Storm tournament, we will be seeing eight of the best teams in the world compete for glory and a sizeable chunk of money. Representing the Americas, we have Tempo Storm and Cloud9, two veteran teams that have been playing since the very beginning of the Alpha. For Europe, Na`Vi and Dignitas will be vying for the crown, both well known for their innovation and flexibility. China sends two representatives: Team YL and a coalition of Brave Heart and Edward Gaming to replace eStar Gaming, both wielding a chaotic and unfamiliar metagame. Korea’s behemoth, Team DK, also graces the world tournament with their presence and monstrous talent. Finally, the Taiwanese representative is none other than Logi GIA, an unknown and underappreciated team but nonetheless strong in its region and worthy to compete on the global stage. The teams are stacked, the competition is on, and the best of the best are competing for the ultimate prize of the BlizzCon crown and title “King of the World”.
Let’s get a closer look at the teams competing:
When the news that Brave Heart would be replacing eStar due to visa problems, it certainly disappointed many fans who had high hopes of finally seeing China’s No.1 team. But don’t lose hope! The Team “Brave Heart” coming into BlizzCon is no ordinary team, but rather a mash-up of players from Brave Heart and EDG. The mixture of Brave Heart’s aggression and EDG’s strategic minds has potential to turn into a deadly force. Their support player, EDG’s Gemini, is considered to be one of the most creative players in China, and together with EDG’s kaerdiar, the two will have a huge impact in the way the team plays at BlizzCon. We have already seen many examples of how quickly a small roster change can bring a team to the next level. Any team that takes “Brave Heart” lightly might be surprised to see what lies underneath.
When a King falls, another one rises to take its place. Cloud9 has always been at the top of the North American scene behind only Tempo Storm, but that has changed now. A couple of weeks before the Americas Championship, they managed to finally surpass Tempo Storm and cemented their newly-gained status of best team in North America by becoming the Americas Champion this past September. Cloud9 has always been a team defined by their aggressive playstyle and disdain for split-push compositions, focusing instead on constant team fights across the map. With their strong mechanics and vast game knowledge, Cloud9 is a serious candidate to win the World Championship.
The European scene is not quite like the North American one. In Europe, even though for a long time TeamLiquid was the top team, the gap between the top team and everyone else has never been as wide as the one in North America. Each and every one of the teams was able to beat any other team in the region. In the middle of this highly competitive environment, Team Dignitas was born. Formerly known as team Bob?, the team was formed from the remnants of other teams. As destiny would have it, this new team would end up rapidly becoming one of the top teams in Europe and qualify later in the year to the Heroes of the Storm World Championship, only losing against the region's new behemoth, Na`Vi.
GIA comes into BlizzCon as one of the true underdogs of the tournaments, being virtually unknown in the English-speaking world and largely ignored by the Korean and Chinese scene. However, GIA has a hidden weapon in the shroud of relative anonymity: other teams can’t really prepare for them well. These guys have been playing on the Korean server, so they’re used to an elevated level of play, and the individual skill levels on the team appear to be consistently great. Their biggest weakness is that they seem to make up compositions on the fly, and games often look quite messy compared to the stable, refined games of veteran teams like DK and Tempo Storm. Still, they have plenty of potential to advance if they stick to their gut and play their best this week.
The Natus Vincere Heroes of the Storm division started on April 3rd this year by acquiring team Tomorrow Big, one of the top European teams at the time. Even though the team went through a couple of roster changes, it all worked out for the better, as Na`Vi was the only team to be able to repeatedly beat the best European team at the time, Team Liquid. Na`Vi qualified to the European Championship when they secured the first place at the first qualifier back in July with a very strong performance. Going into the European Championship, they were certainly one of the favorite teams to win it all, but very few people could have predicted what would happen: Na`Vi swept the European Championship undefeated. Going into BlizzCon, Na`Vi is looking as confident as ever to face the other regions and show what Europe is made of.
Coming out as the lone survivor of what has been considered the strongest region is Team DK. Unlike the unorthodox hero compositions of MVP Black that many Western audiences have come to enjoy, Team DK likes to stick to their core set of heroes while still innovating through gameplay, rotations, and decision making. A team of ex-Starcraft professionals plus their “commoner support” Jaehyun, this team has been dedicating their life to Heroes for over a year with the sole dream of winning BlizzCon. The strong coordination of their two frontline players, sCsC and Noblesse, makes them absolutely deadly with a double-warrior composition. As a huge favorite to take the tournament, any team that faces Team DK needs to be prepared to face the wrath of sCsC’s Arthas and Noblesse’s Illidan.
The strongest team Chinese coming into this BlizzCon is Team YL. Although YL has always fallen a bit short of being the number one team in China, they have always maintained their ground as the top contender in the region, especially when their main competitors, eStar and EDG, dropped in performance. A team known for their love of Illidan compositions, some of their ideas in giving power to Illidan have been adopted by other teams such as Team DK. Team YL is stylistically very similar to eStar in their preference for skirmishes and small team fights. Their strong mechanics and team fighting prowess are going to be quite a threat.
Tempo Storm was the undisputed best team in North America for several months prior to BlizzCon, losing only one game before the Americas Championship. From May to September it wasn’t even a question if Tempo Storm would get to the finals of a tournament, it was a fact. Thanks to their incredible team coordination and decision making, they always stood up over the rest. Everything was perfect, perhaps too perfect. Following their loss against Cloud9 in the Americas Championship, it has come to light that Tempo Storm is facing severe internal struggles caused in part by Blizzard’s enforced roster lock. In the most recent tournament, the HTC Heroes Brawl, Tempo Storm placed in fourth place, making the first time in six months that the team hasn’t been able to get to the finals of a tournament. Still, Tempo Storm is not a team to be underestimated. Their outstanding results are a testament of their skill, and if Tempo Storm can bring their best game to BlizzCon, they are a serious candidate to win it all. The question is, which Tempo Storm will show up at the Championship? In the past, Tempo Storm has called themselves the best team in the world. The time has come to stand behind their words.
Not much is known about the Taiwanese team GIA, and from what little is known about them, they are the underdogs. However, they may prove to be the wildcard of the group. Cloud9 will be facing them in the first match of the group, and judging from C9’s mechanics and skill they are definitely the favorites going into this match. However, Logi GIA made it to BlizzCon, meaning they are the best from the region and should not be underestimated. Team YL will be playing against Dignitas, making it a match between second places from their respective regions. While China is an important region, Team YL is well behind eStar. Meanwhile, Dignitas has always been able to compete for the top spot. The edge goes to Dignitas here. C9 vs Dignitas will be an interesting match, but with the momentum C9 is having, it is hard to bet against them. Likewise, Team YL vs Logi GIA will be an interesting match up that is very hard to predict. For the sake of making a prediction, YL will win, it could go either way.
C9 > Logi GIA
Team YL < Dignitas
C9 > Dignitas
Logi GIA < Team YL
Dignitas > Team YL
Cloud9 and Dignitas advance.
Under normal situations, Team DK is expected to come up top with Na`Vi trailing in second place. MVP Black showed back in MSI MGA that Korean region is a step above NA and EU. While both regions have stepped up their game since then, DK is still expected to be a notch above Tempo Storm and Na`Vi. Team DK is a clear favorite, but they do have a history of being weak against unfamiliar meta and being slow starters in tournaments. It’s quite possible for DK to underestimate their opponents too much, and be caught off guard by the surprise tactics of NA or EU teams. Na`Vi showed an impressive performance in the European Championship, and with Tempo Storm’s steady decline these past few weeks, Na`Vi is likely to advance to the playoffs over them. The big uncertainty here is how well Brave Heart will be able to put together the team in the limited time they have. Brave Heart may not do well in their first match against Na`Vi, but they could look like a completely different team in their BlizzCon match a week later.
DK > TS
Na`Vi > Bheart
DK > Na`Vi
TS < Bheart
Na`Vi > Bheart
Team DK and Na`Vi advance.
That said, let’s move to the hype! For the Heroes of the Storm tournament, we will be seeing eight of the best teams in the world compete for glory and a sizeable chunk of money. Representing the Americas, we have Tempo Storm and Cloud9, two veteran teams that have been playing since the very beginning of the Alpha. For Europe, Na`Vi and Dignitas will be vying for the crown, both well known for their innovation and flexibility. China sends two representatives: Team YL and a coalition of Brave Heart and Edward Gaming to replace eStar Gaming, both wielding a chaotic and unfamiliar metagame. Korea’s behemoth, Team DK, also graces the world tournament with their presence and monstrous talent. Finally, the Taiwanese representative is none other than Logi GIA, an unknown and underappreciated team but nonetheless strong in its region and worthy to compete on the global stage. The teams are stacked, the competition is on, and the best of the best are competing for the ultimate prize of the BlizzCon crown and title “King of the World”.
Let’s get a closer look at the teams competing:
Brave Heart (-Edward Gaming)
When the news that Brave Heart would be replacing eStar due to visa problems, it certainly disappointed many fans who had high hopes of finally seeing China’s No.1 team. But don’t lose hope! The Team “Brave Heart” coming into BlizzCon is no ordinary team, but rather a mash-up of players from Brave Heart and EDG. The mixture of Brave Heart’s aggression and EDG’s strategic minds has potential to turn into a deadly force. Their support player, EDG’s Gemini, is considered to be one of the most creative players in China, and together with EDG’s kaerdiar, the two will have a huge impact in the way the team plays at BlizzCon. We have already seen many examples of how quickly a small roster change can bring a team to the next level. Any team that takes “Brave Heart” lightly might be surprised to see what lies underneath.- “Dream team” of players from Brave Heart and EDG
- No one can predict what this team will bring to the table
- Expect them to get better and better later in the tournament as they get more time to practice with each other
- Favorite heroes: ???
Cloud9
When a King falls, another one rises to take its place. Cloud9 has always been at the top of the North American scene behind only Tempo Storm, but that has changed now. A couple of weeks before the Americas Championship, they managed to finally surpass Tempo Storm and cemented their newly-gained status of best team in North America by becoming the Americas Champion this past September. Cloud9 has always been a team defined by their aggressive playstyle and disdain for split-push compositions, focusing instead on constant team fights across the map. With their strong mechanics and vast game knowledge, Cloud9 is a serious candidate to win the World Championship.- ”KingCaffeine is, without a doubt the best Warrior player in the game” (Phantom)
- Teamfight-focused playstyle
- Due to their high individual skill, each member can play a variety of roles
- Favorite heroes: Leoric, Jaina, Tyrande
Dignitas
The European scene is not quite like the North American one. In Europe, even though for a long time TeamLiquid was the top team, the gap between the top team and everyone else has never been as wide as the one in North America. Each and every one of the teams was able to beat any other team in the region. In the middle of this highly competitive environment, Team Dignitas was born. Formerly known as team Bob?, the team was formed from the remnants of other teams. As destiny would have it, this new team would end up rapidly becoming one of the top teams in Europe and qualify later in the year to the Heroes of the Storm World Championship, only losing against the region's new behemoth, Na`Vi.
- They are a jack of all trades. A new meta is around? They already mastered it
- They aren't afraid to try new strategies with uncommon heroes
- Double warrior is their most played style
- Favorite heroes: Karazim, Chen, Tyrael
Logi GIA
GIA comes into BlizzCon as one of the true underdogs of the tournaments, being virtually unknown in the English-speaking world and largely ignored by the Korean and Chinese scene. However, GIA has a hidden weapon in the shroud of relative anonymity: other teams can’t really prepare for them well. These guys have been playing on the Korean server, so they’re used to an elevated level of play, and the individual skill levels on the team appear to be consistently great. Their biggest weakness is that they seem to make up compositions on the fly, and games often look quite messy compared to the stable, refined games of veteran teams like DK and Tempo Storm. Still, they have plenty of potential to advance if they stick to their gut and play their best this week.
- Unpredictable strategies and meta
- Known for incredibly narrow escapes
- ”Go big or go home” attitude in team fights
- Favorite heroes: Zagara, Tyreal, Leoric
Natus Vincere (Na`Vi)
The Natus Vincere Heroes of the Storm division started on April 3rd this year by acquiring team Tomorrow Big, one of the top European teams at the time. Even though the team went through a couple of roster changes, it all worked out for the better, as Na`Vi was the only team to be able to repeatedly beat the best European team at the time, Team Liquid. Na`Vi qualified to the European Championship when they secured the first place at the first qualifier back in July with a very strong performance. Going into the European Championship, they were certainly one of the favorite teams to win it all, but very few people could have predicted what would happen: Na`Vi swept the European Championship undefeated. Going into BlizzCon, Na`Vi is looking as confident as ever to face the other regions and show what Europe is made of.
- Versatile; Their compositions vary wildly from one game to the next
- Aggression; Na`Vi playstyle focuses on always pushing forward
- Many veteran players; experience is key
- Favorite heroes: Kael’thas, Kerrigan, Tyrande
Team DK
Coming out as the lone survivor of what has been considered the strongest region is Team DK. Unlike the unorthodox hero compositions of MVP Black that many Western audiences have come to enjoy, Team DK likes to stick to their core set of heroes while still innovating through gameplay, rotations, and decision making. A team of ex-Starcraft professionals plus their “commoner support” Jaehyun, this team has been dedicating their life to Heroes for over a year with the sole dream of winning BlizzCon. The strong coordination of their two frontline players, sCsC and Noblesse, makes them absolutely deadly with a double-warrior composition. As a huge favorite to take the tournament, any team that faces Team DK needs to be prepared to face the wrath of sCsC’s Arthas and Noblesse’s Illidan.
- Known for strong rotations and solid decision making
- Powerful counter-initiations in team fights
- Near-invincible on Dragon Shire and Garden of Terror
- Highly coordinated frontline that maximizes the potential of double-warrior composition
- Favorite heroes: Abathur, Arthas, Illidan
Team YL
The strongest team Chinese coming into this BlizzCon is Team YL. Although YL has always fallen a bit short of being the number one team in China, they have always maintained their ground as the top contender in the region, especially when their main competitors, eStar and EDG, dropped in performance. A team known for their love of Illidan compositions, some of their ideas in giving power to Illidan have been adopted by other teams such as Team DK. Team YL is stylistically very similar to eStar in their preference for skirmishes and small team fights. Their strong mechanics and team fighting prowess are going to be quite a threat.
- Love for compositions centered around Illidan
- Similar in style to eStar
- Strong mechanics and team fighting strength
- Favorite heroes: Illidan, Jaina, Sylvanas
Tempo Storm
Tempo Storm was the undisputed best team in North America for several months prior to BlizzCon, losing only one game before the Americas Championship. From May to September it wasn’t even a question if Tempo Storm would get to the finals of a tournament, it was a fact. Thanks to their incredible team coordination and decision making, they always stood up over the rest. Everything was perfect, perhaps too perfect. Following their loss against Cloud9 in the Americas Championship, it has come to light that Tempo Storm is facing severe internal struggles caused in part by Blizzard’s enforced roster lock. In the most recent tournament, the HTC Heroes Brawl, Tempo Storm placed in fourth place, making the first time in six months that the team hasn’t been able to get to the finals of a tournament. Still, Tempo Storm is not a team to be underestimated. Their outstanding results are a testament of their skill, and if Tempo Storm can bring their best game to BlizzCon, they are a serious candidate to win it all. The question is, which Tempo Storm will show up at the Championship? In the past, Tempo Storm has called themselves the best team in the world. The time has come to stand behind their words.
- The “Zuna Factor”
- One of the best teams in the world when playing at their best, but internal struggles could make that impossible
- Known for strong rotations and strong laning phase
- Multitude of strategies
- Outstanding decision making
- Favorite heroes: Jaina, Uther, Muradin
Predictions
Group A
Not much is known about the Taiwanese team GIA, and from what little is known about them, they are the underdogs. However, they may prove to be the wildcard of the group. Cloud9 will be facing them in the first match of the group, and judging from C9’s mechanics and skill they are definitely the favorites going into this match. However, Logi GIA made it to BlizzCon, meaning they are the best from the region and should not be underestimated. Team YL will be playing against Dignitas, making it a match between second places from their respective regions. While China is an important region, Team YL is well behind eStar. Meanwhile, Dignitas has always been able to compete for the top spot. The edge goes to Dignitas here. C9 vs Dignitas will be an interesting match, but with the momentum C9 is having, it is hard to bet against them. Likewise, Team YL vs Logi GIA will be an interesting match up that is very hard to predict. For the sake of making a prediction, YL will win, it could go either way.
C9 > Logi GIA
Team YL < Dignitas
C9 > Dignitas
Logi GIA < Team YL
Dignitas > Team YL
Cloud9 and Dignitas advance.
Group B
Under normal situations, Team DK is expected to come up top with Na`Vi trailing in second place. MVP Black showed back in MSI MGA that Korean region is a step above NA and EU. While both regions have stepped up their game since then, DK is still expected to be a notch above Tempo Storm and Na`Vi. Team DK is a clear favorite, but they do have a history of being weak against unfamiliar meta and being slow starters in tournaments. It’s quite possible for DK to underestimate their opponents too much, and be caught off guard by the surprise tactics of NA or EU teams. Na`Vi showed an impressive performance in the European Championship, and with Tempo Storm’s steady decline these past few weeks, Na`Vi is likely to advance to the playoffs over them. The big uncertainty here is how well Brave Heart will be able to put together the team in the limited time they have. Brave Heart may not do well in their first match against Na`Vi, but they could look like a completely different team in their BlizzCon match a week later.
DK > TS
Na`Vi > Bheart
DK > Na`Vi
TS < Bheart
Na`Vi > Bheart
Team DK and Na`Vi advance.
