It's been satisfying to read the speculation about Snute joining Liquid. I thought that Snute and Liquid were a perfect match, and it was great to see that so many people agreed. It means that we've done a good job showing our fans what kind of vision we have for our players, and that Snute has done a great job in showing everyone the personality that was so attractive to us. It was a no brainer that we were interested in Snute as a Liquid player, and I'm very happy to make it official.
Snute lives up to what I want my players to stand for. He's extremely down to earth, thoughtful, and caring about his fans. He also cares a lot about his position as a professional gamer, and tries to present himself and his industry in a positive manner.
Although I'd love to pick up a non-Korean Terran / Protoss player who's right for Liquid - and I'm sure you all have your favorites among them - for me Snute is the perfect pickup even if it makes us a little Zerg heavy. With how critical Liquid is about its recruits, when the perfect player and person comes along, race can only have a limited impact in the decision. For me it is more important for Snute's character to fit Liquid than his race. There are very few players out there with the skill, potential, and personality to join Liquid, and I wasn't going to let this opportunity get away.
We had been talking to Snute for some time now, and were close to a deal before HomeStory Cup VI. Winning HSC just reaffirmed what we already knew about his skill. There's a popular impression that I don't want to recruit tournament winners, and focus on up and coming players instead. Although I love to be able to scout lesser known players and help them develop into stars on Liquid, it's not an approach I'm stuck with. Just like with race, that's only one of the many factors that end up contributing to a decision. Snute has so much ahead of him still, and we would love to help him achieve all that he can.
Snute will travel to Poland to play his first tournament as a Liquid player at IEM Katowice. After that... One of the things drew Snute to Liquid was that we both wanted him to spend a period in Korea for training. The details are still to be determined, but we will definitely make it happen at some point this year. You can count on seeing Snute in Korea in 2013, and hopefully in the Proleague as well!
Liquid did amazing things in 2012, and we're on pace to do the same in 2013. Welcome to the team, Liquid`Snute.
Check out this replay pack from Liquid`Snute, including games against NaNiwa, Kas, Stephano, and more! Download Now
Interview with Liquid`Snute
This is a big day for Liquid. We couldn't be happier to announce the first Norwegian since Liquid`Drone back in 2002.
We sat down to talk to him about his views on practice, StarCraft, and how his life has been since he dedicated himself to becoming a professional gamer one year ago.
Welcome! Could you introduce yourself?
Hi! My name is Jens, I'm 22 years old and have been playing SC2 full-time for one year. I used to be studying music technology at the university in Trondheim, but I quit and became a pro-gamer instead.
Tell us about your gaming experience before starcraft. There might be some people who don't know of your achievements!
Hehe ^^ I used to compete a lot in dance dance revolution, also known as machine dance, and was the Norwegian champion way back somewhere around 2004.
So how did you get into StarCraft?
A friend of mine in elementary school had an older brother that played Brood War, so my friend and I had small LANs where we'd play games like Dark Colony and Brood War. Eventually we introduced it to the boys and girls at school and it became the flavor of the month. At some point there were like fifteen 11year old boys and girls playing brood war and meeting online with dialup modem haha. It was rather casual though. I kept on playing casually for a few years a bit on and off, but quit completely eventually.
In 2011 you started to stream and eventually you would achieve some results in WCG and qualify for ESWC. What made you start to get competetive?
I think what triggered it for me was going on a vacation to Korea with my friend Richard 'GLRiChY', where we played some on iCCup before the release of SC2. I got smashed left and right and some korean BM'd me with a simple line: "You need effort". After that trip to Korea I got a bit of my competetive drive back.
I didn't start playing SC2 right away, but picked it up after a month or so. As some people know from early on I didn't play 1v1, but 2v2 with my teammate RiChY and we would compete together. He always had high expectations and I'd often be holding the team back, so it was natural that I wanted to improve to be a better teammate and not make him upset! xD However, what sparked my drive to win in 1v1 was definitely the Norwegian LANs and the scene we had in Norway early on. There were so many players that were far better than me, so I did everything I could to beat them. Eventually, I did - just barely - and I qualified for WCG and ESWC where I'd face even greater challenges. I was already quite pumped after winning 3 norwegian LANs in a row but I faced even more resistance abroad. That's when the competetive drive kicked in once more.
Your stream gained what we might call a 'cult following'. Why do you think it became so popular, especially being unfeatured? (Sorry! ^^)
Probably because of the commentary and how I used to play back then, my style would always revolve around mass drops, multitasking, baneling bombs, infestor shenanigans, gold bases, baneling busts, mutalisks, 14/14-speedling baneling pressure/allins/micro in ZvZ, things that are really really fun to watch. Lots of explosions. My IRC channel was also a nice place to chill and hang out and talk to people since there were so few, but consistent viewers, so it was very cozy.
Norway isn't known for its gaming scene, while Sweden is a global powerhouse, and Denmark has some strong players in other types of games. Any theories about why Norway seems to have less of an interest in esports?
I think Norway has some interest in esports right now, but more from a spectator side. There are a lot of people going to barcrafts and following international SC2 in their spare time. People love to watch DreamHack and the GSL, but little attention is given to the Norwegian scene, because we don't have any truly major/premier events.
You can see the difference from Norway to Sweden in our largest competitions: DreamHack and The Gathering. DreamHack puts a lot of effort into SC2. The Gathering hosted a good competition in 2012, but it was not made into mainstage material. This year, there will be little to none focus on ESPORTS at all at TG.
As for why we have so few players I think that most people find it way more important to study/work hard, be with friends/girlfriend, party in the weekends and establish a future rather than dedicating everything to try-hard SC2. The living expenses in Norway are not very friendly to full-time players, so we're mostly left with (junior) high-schoolers and hobby/part-time players.
Spending massive amounts of time playing games is unfortunately still not commonly accepted in Norway. Parents are for the most part negative towards video games because of a lot of negative articles about gaming in mainstream media. Receiving support and acceptance from those around you is tremendously important when you want to dedicate a lot of time to something and get good at it, so I hope that the public opinion of gaming in Norway is going to change for the better.
Do you feel extra weight as the most successful Norwegian? Even if you now have more help (or challengers) than you might have a year ago?
I used to, in Norwegian competitions. When I was the only one playing full time and dedicating a lot to it, I'd often be nervous and afraid of losing to part-time players. However, that's exactly what happened quite a few times, at WCS for example. Fortunately I've matured and shifted away from that negative mindset. As long as I do my best to win, it doesn't matter. When it comes to the international scene I don't feel any added pressure.
You made the decision to become a full-time pro at the start of 2012. What prompted you to make that decision?
It was mostly about a gradual decline of interest in studying. I also noticed that I couldn't travel much and study at the same time due to strict absence rules at the uni. After winning the autumn LANs and travelling to WCG and ESWC, I realized I had a greater desire to travel and live as a pro-gamer.
I don't want to regret anything and I spent a lot of time thinking about going full-time. I decided that it would be the best time for me to just quit the studies and enjoy life in solitude practicing and streaming from the mancave in Trondheim and then do everything in my power to improve and attend competitions.
When was the first time you thought; "I might be good enough to keep doing this"?
Definitely after the Norwegian 2011 autumn LAN season and after attending WCG2011. After I made my choice, I never had any doubts. I wanted to play full time for one year to see what it'd be like. I constantly pushed my own limits and slowly but surely I managed to catch up to people I previously considered unbeatable to me. I had my plans set for 2012, no looking back, I just kept practicing focusing on the tasks ahead.
What did your family think? What were the challenges getting started?
My parents were skeptical at first. They wanted me to study. But reasoning goes a long way and most of all parents want you to be happy with what you do in life, so eventually my parents came to accept that it was what I wished for. To me there would be little point in going to University if I wasn't motivated for it.
As for how it is to get started ... it's a bit different. I had just moved to a new city, knew only a few people, and just quit uni before making any close friends. The result was spending months in solitude, sometimes I'd go days without talking to people in person and sometimes it would be a bit awkward to interact with people again. It's more of a funny thing though. Even if I was mostly alone I was happy and I had good flatmates to talk to.
There were very few challenges getting started. Playing full-time from an apartment is a very simple and peaceful existence. I did well in planning out my financial situation carefully beforehand and it all worked out. I didn't expect to make big money to begin with. When you start off as a pro-gamer it's all about putting yourself in a stable and comfortable position where you can let go and give it your all for a given time and then re-evaluate.
Throughout the first half of 2012, you only achieved one notable result, winning the ONOG Invitational. Did you ever think of quitting?
No. I had so many things going on and I always had competitions to look forward to, I wanted to do my best in every one of them. While I didn't show top placings it was simply because I was not supposed to do so yet. Backing down was never an option to me despite the lack of notable results.
You are known among your stream viewers for your work ethic, can you describe the practice you put in throughout 2012?
I guess it would all sum up to self-diagnostics, self-observation and targetted elimination of critical errors and weaknesses while slowly building a stronger fundamental understanding of the game. In the beginning of the year I'd judge myself, point out mistakes, find the biggest one of them and eliminate them one at a time. It was a very simple, meticilous, but also slow approach.
At the start of 2012 I would still win games with tricks, mindgames, opponent-tailored strategies, all-ins and blind counters, abusing multitasking and micro rather than focusing on strong fundamental understandings of the matchups. It gave me a bit of success, but I could also not keep up in a lot of situations. I remained open to things, I knew that I had a lot to learn, and I tried my best to understand the game better. It took a very long time, but I managed to readjust and improve. Especially the time in the Ministry of Win and Korea afterwards added to my skill in the areas I lacked.
The part that changed the most in the later parts of 2012 was the mental aspect which truly allowed me to take advantage of the accumulated experience. I've always been very self-judgemental. In practice it would encourage me and act as a reminder, but it also backfired on my self-esteem. What we could see in the end of the year was me overcoming mental obstacles that had been troubling me at international LANs this year.
Apart from practicing hard I want to be friendly, respectful and just trying to learn from my mistakes. Every time I lose it's because of myself and while it's rough it's also encouraging. Sometimes it's difficult to stay positive, but I have such a strong practice flow that's been rolling for months and months, nothing can really stop me from wanting to practice.
What did you find to be the most effective practice? Was there any period where something really flipped a switch?
I really would like to say something sensationalist here but the simple truth based on what I've observed is that my improvement has been pretty much constant throughout the year regardless of where I've been. There have been marginal differences, but a lot can also be attributed to overcoming certain obstacles that give you a certain boost and it's difficult to know for sure what's up. If there was anything that I perceived as a big switch, it would be my confidence boost after returning from Korea. But to me it seems like natural development and practice paying off over time, I don't think there's anything magical to it.
Your style has changed a bit over time, and it usually hasn't had much to do with what's popular at the time. How do you describe your approach to strategy?
In the beginning of the year I'd usually do fast-paced strategies that were fun to use more than effective, and that trait is still somewhat with me today. But back when I practiced in the MoW I developed a better diagnostics system which helped me change my style to avoid losing trends and strategies so that I could win more games.
My approach to strategy today is still similar to what it was before, it's just more well-rounded and I don't take as many risks as I used to. I still have the approach where I'll strike at someone if I spot a weakness. You can still see me use Nydus worms, unorthodox timings and things that generally are perceived as losing moves. I'm a very dangerous opponent in that regard. Even if I'm not taking risks and gambles as often as I used to, it's still something that I am capable of.
I think my default approach is rather simple: Create a winning pattern, attempt to shut down winning patterns from my opponent, strike unexpected timings, and take advantage of leads to finish off my opponent swiftly. Although my strategies vary as well.
You were one of the pioneers of mass infestor...
Kind of, yes. I had some really strong infestor harassment and deadly tactics. But I don't think people would think of me as a pioneer... only a few people would watch me play back then and I'm not sure if it even inspired anyone but my few stream viewers.
... and now you're not a fan of them? How come?
Actually I like the infestor a lot still, it's very much needed to stay in the game over time. It's more the thing about rushing to the ZvP endgame with broodlord, infestor and spine that is a bit boring. Ling-Infestor used to be one of my favorite combos, it was so strong and fun to play. Neural nerf made it less viable though. It is good that the nerf happened because ling infestor was absolutely ridicilous vs protoss. Now it's not as powerful of an option anymore and less tempting to use, which is a bit unfortunate since it's a very fun style to play. Infestors are still fun to use vs Terran, they are almost always stronger than the Mutalisk. Both are fun to use and viable options.
ZvZ-wise the last GSL finals was all about the infestor, droning up to comfort zone and making roaches. It seems like a lot of modern euro ZvZ revolves around pure roach now though. I think that the infestor is a neccessity to ZvZ in theory, but close map tension makes it a bit difficult sometimes. I've been able to defeat a lot of people using mass roach against greedy infestor play, but it can go both ways.
You were also a pioneer of a particularly imbalanced build on Antiga, care to explain?
Haha, yes ;D I figured that it was possible to take the gold base first vs Protoss and follow it up with a drone transfer from main to gold and abuse a baneling bust timing right before Forge FE Warpgate tech would finish. It was a lot of fun and I am happy that I hopefully contributed to tournaments removing gold bases from their map pools, that's pretty much what I wanted to accomplish with abusing that strategy for weeks on ladder and in an official tournament qualifier. I want to apologize to the protoss players that had to experience it for weeks..
How do you characterize the way you play now? It's not exactly 'standard' anyway. ^^
I don't know. I hear from my colleagues that my style is difficult to play against and that it's not all turtly and stuff, but I still feel like I play rather standard with the one exception of not going up to hive tech all that fast. I'm not doing nearly as many multitasking taxing things and crazy strategies as I used to, I'm far less creative than I used to be, so to me I feel very plain compared to what I used to be. But I'm happy to hear that!
You've had some solid results in the past few months, but your big breakthrough seems to have been Homestory Cup. What was the key to your incredible winning run there?
I'm slowly improving month by month, and in every month I have some fluctuations in shape. I was in good shape at HSC and I had a lot of confidence thanks to my experience, my recent offline tournament results and also the people close to me supporting me so much. Special thanks to my girlfriend.
Where was there room for improvement?
I lost two matches to Stephano. I did a lot of things right but I should focus more on getting my own transitions right. I feel like I improvised a bit more than I should have and it wasn't as crispy as I wanted it to be. With added confidence and preparation, I'll do better. I also need to improve my scouting and not take too many risks and beware of overdroning. The other thing I need to work on is splitting my army and setting up defensive positions more swiftly. Those are the few things I can think of right now.
What are your goals for 2013?
In 2013 I want to become more consistent as a top Euro zerg, if not the best foreigner. I also want to go to Korea and do well for my team. Most of all, I want to give SC2 my all in every moment of practice and work on my attention management and thinking pattern in-game.
Aside from that, exercise more, especially strengthen the back and avoid the typical moderate stress/office pains that I have now. I don't want to experience wrist problems either, so I will bear that in mind while practicing and stretch well. I also started sleeping fewer hours than I used to because I'd oversleep a lot and it takes time and energy away from practice and life.
Liquid is only your second professional team, what brought you to join TL?
I knew that if I was going to join another team it would have to be one of the very best. I played for GamersLeague for over a year and I grew very attatched to them. At the same time I wanted to make sure that I could have the best opportunities available for me to grow as a player. I knew that Liquid would provide me with the opportunities to compete with the very best and be a reliable and encouraging team.
What do you think you can bring to Liquid, and what can Liquid bring to you?
I want to be a great teammate and practice partner. I want to improve and Liquid will bring me plenty of opportunities to practice and prove myself as a competitor. I can also represent the team in Dance Dance Revolution-battles against other SC2 teams if it's ever needed T_T..
What does the Liquid name mean to you?
To me, Liquid has been what the SC2 community is gathered all around and what the community is cheering for, a friendly and mannered team with a strong fighting spirit. I'm very happy to be on the team that is so revered within the community.
As a recent Korean-destroyer, we have to ask you about the difference between Koreans and foreigners. Why do you feel that Koreans have the edge, and how were you able to take it back?
I think there are more Koreans putting a lot of effort into the game than there are foreigners, they also live and support each other in team houses. Most foreigners are hesitant about leaving home. Some of the Koreans also have a lot of experience from competitive Brood War, so that counts too. I was able to take back a bit of the edge because I went full-time and practiced hard.
Thanks so much! Any final words?
Thanks for reading this interview and shoutouts to everyone who's been cheering me on, your support is invaluable. Last year was great but this one will be even better! I'll do my best to show you more great games from all across the world and I'll practice a lot on stream. Don't miss it! Thanks to Liquid for the very warm welcome - it's an honor to be on the team. I also want to show my appreciation to TL's sponsors, The Little App Factory, Razer, Twitch and Barracuda Networks. Thank you!
So TL paid more than GamersLeague, sad for them, they will not have any good players : (. Anyways, perfect pickup, but i would like to see toss more than zerg, good luck.
Congrats Snute! I knew it was a perfect fit, called this way before Slasher leaked it ^_^ I think I actually posted in Sea's retirement thread that they should get you!
SNUTE ! Great to see a norwegian in TeamLiquid :D Maybe that will help with having more events here somehow ^_^
I live in Norway for 6 months now and I have to say there's big potential for e-sports here, even though it probably pays way less than an ordinary job :p !! I will for sure start following Snute more closely in the future.
well at least he will get a proper salary now... gl to snute eventhough I would have liked to see him on another team but oh well... no money no players I guess ^^
Congrats Jens, been following you and GL since the later dates of beta, allways had fun watching your stream,or talking with you on irc/starcraft2.no and keeping track of you and richys 2v2 results, the victory in italy proved that both of you had what it took to win, even if its sad to see you leave GL, i hope you will have all the chances you can dream of!
Happy countryman on a medium cold night in Trondheim :D
This makes me so happy. Love Liquid recruiting on character as opposed to strictly tournament results. That's the heart of what makes Liquid charming and endearing.
"Liquid`Snute: Because it Just Makes Sense" - I have a feeling this headline might have been written after reading all the posts in the Liquid`Snute rumour thread. Half of them said that it would make perfect sense. And it does!
I'm perhaps most looking forward to Snute in Korea. Perhaps we should petition NRK (Norway's BBC, kind of) to make a followup to their [GG99]Slayers documentary
Congrats to Snute! I am glad to see Liquid pick up another player, and somewhat happy that it isn't another Korean. I was hoping they'd get either a Terran or a Protoss though.
Meh, another Korean would have been better, even though I don't really care for Liquid-Koreans
On January 10 2013 00:42 iMAniaC wrote: I'm perhaps most looking forward to Snute in Korea. Perhaps we should petition NRK (Norway's BBC, kind of) to make a followup to their [GG99]Slayers documentary
Its a pitty in the announcement there is no photo of Snute in the Liquid shirt/uniform. I'd love to see an official video-interview with him as a presentation. Text is fine, but sometimes too hard.
On January 10 2013 00:21 HoLe wrote: Grats to Snute!
Not too impressed with his results. HSC is an obvious exception.
Let's see what he can do.
he also won the European regional against all the very best Europeans to qualify for IPL 5 where he took out Startale Life and be tied as the highest finishing foreigner at the event.
I remember meeting and talking with Snute on the night before the OSL final back in August when he was there with his Norwegian friends; really nice guy - but he left the bar we were all at early to go practice more SC2 on the Korean ladder at the PC bang. Then I knew that he was a dedicated fellow destined for great things. Nice to see how far he's gone since that moment.
On January 10 2013 00:56 monk. wrote: He reminds me of my favorite WC3 player, Creo, so much. Go Snute ^^.
hehe very true sir. Then again, stephano reminds me of him too in some way. Come out of nowhere, dominate, and (used to) put a timer on how long he'd play.
Love this move, love this player. It used to be fun to drop into his stream when it wasn't that large...alas those days are gone :D Well done and good luck.
Congrats! I always really liked Snute's stream. Such a nice guy. Always well manerd, talks alot on his stream about strategy and his way of thinking and seems generally friendly and pleasant. Good luck, kick ass! :D
snute is a perfect fit for liquid. nazgul really is good at picking the liquid players. its like theres a set of players who are destined to be on liquid, and its nazguls job to find those players.
On January 10 2013 01:07 L3g3nd_ wrote: snute is a perfect fit for liquid. nazgul really is good at picking the liquid players. its like theres a set of players who are destined to be on liquid, and its nazguls job to find those players.
As I said in the other thread, Snute is a good pickup for Liquid. Quality player and seems a nice guy too. Hopefully we can see him over in ProLeague along with Stephano, Jaedong, Revival, Zenio, Idra and Suppy.
On January 10 2013 00:56 monk. wrote: He reminds me of my favorite WC3 player, Creo, so much. Go Snute ^^.
hehe very true sir. Then again, stephano reminds me of him too in some way. Come out of nowhere, dominate, and (used to) put a timer on how long he'd play.
Just that Creo was way more manner then Stephano and with more style
I have to say, since I started watching SC2 in March of 2011 I have hated Liquid for the amount of blind fanboys they have and because of Ret. But after they joined in with EG at proleague, watching TLO's stream, and this acquisition of Snute, they are my 2nd favorite team now.
Congrats to both parties, although I would like to point out TL picking up only zergs feels similar to EG picking up only established talent (save Suppy). Still a fan of both teams, but it's getting pretty silly on both sides.
On January 10 2013 01:25 Mortal wrote: Congrats to both parties, although I would like to point out TL picking up only zergs feels similar to EG picking up only established talent (save Suppy). Still a fan of both teams, but it's getting pretty silly on both sides.
Incredible news. I didn't really care for Snute much before, but ever since his recent plays at tournaments I have started liking him. And now he is in Liquid. Even Better. Congratulations and good luck to both Liquid and Snute )
So happy for you Snute! I know you put a lot of effort into getting to where you are today and I have no doubt you will keep up the hard work and continue to improve. Thanks for the time we spent together in GL! You have come a long way from being an unfeatured streamer here on TL with 30 viewers lacking the accolade to become a featured streamer.
Will you be staying in Sweden while arrangements for Korea are made? Hopefully you will remain the same down to earth guy we know and respect. Here's to your new team and best of luck for the future.
God, this interview made me an insta-fan so hard! So many things about Snute I didn't know. It sure as hell make sense now how he was able to find his space in the scene (: .
Awesome to see a norweigan join TL! Always thought that Snute seemed like a very nice guy and hardcore practice beast.
Keep it up, go to korea and get roflstomped by HerO and TaejA for a few days and learn how to beat them. Bring more nordic glory to the scene Best of luck to you sir and liquid as a whole
Welcome to Liquid "norrbagge", you´ll fit in like a glove. Been following your stream since a year back or so makes even more sense to do it now under the liquid-tag gg gl to you sir!
Didn't know much about him before, except that he is getting very good, and I must say this interview really paints him in a good light. Sounds like he has a very good attitude and good drive, I hope that translates to more success in 2013.
Congratulations to Snute. I met him at HSCV and he was an incredibly friendly down to earth guy, he even sat down with us for a few minutes watching the stream on a laptop outside the pub. One of the highlights of my trip was meeting him!
To all the people saying he's mediocre, he isn't, he's very innovative and I'm sure he will grow exponentially if he gets to practice with the Koreans.
Sounds like a good match between Snute and TL, although I can't help but feel that TL is getting crowded with zergs and depending on how far Snute actually can bring it, it could end up as just another mid-tier zerg (Alongside Ret, TLO, Sheth, and Zenio). Lets hope not and GL to both parties!
Yay! The Liquid picks up the Jedi Master himself! =p
Really fun player to watch, it would be sick if he could compete in Proleague sometime! I think that format would really mesh well with his play-style.
Probably one of my favorite interviews. I am so happy Snute is going to be playing for Liquid. I met him at IPL and he's the coolest guy, not to mention he gets major <3s from me for having a unique style and fun with the game. Congrats to Snute! I can't wait to see you in Korea, too!
Yay, I always thought snute was one of the players who got bad rep because he supposedly started having a lot of success as one of the patchzergs, but i always thought he was just a really smart player. Well deserved to snute, and hope he has a great time at Liquid, congrats to Liquid for pickup ofc.
A nice pick up for Liquid and huge recognition for snute for his performance lately. Congratulations to both, looking forward to results. Nazgul is right that Liquid is a little zerg heavy now, but there are lots of good candidates out there that could fit with Liquid, possibly Polt and Parting.
It´s great to see liquid pick up a foreigner again after such a long time. Good Luck to Snute and Liquid! I didn´t seem a lot of him till HSC but his play looks interesting and he has an awesome lastname.
Congratulations Snute! Been enjoying your stream for quite a while, and seeing you win Homestory cup was awesome. This announcement might be even better though! Good luck in Korea, come back to Trondheim and stop by a barcraft sometime!
Oh god you're serious. Theres the whole TSL team, Polt, Hyun, theres Parting, and Liquid recruits Snute, he is not a bad player, but im still waiting a recruit as the team deserves, like EG did with Stephano. Maybe Liquid is kinda broken ($) :/
There has been some "patchzerg" hatin' from some people.. To them I say: read this interview! Holy smokes this guy has worked hard! Gratulerer Snute, vell fortjent!! Congratulations dood!
EG are now officially the second best DDR team. Sorry iNcontroL
Snute is a fantastic player and I like his approach to the game. I wish more people were like him. Hopefully liquid picks up another Terran and Protoss soon though ^_^
On January 10 2013 05:25 yawnoC wrote: EG are now officially the second best DDR team. Sorry iNcontroL
Snute is a fantastic player and I like his approach to the game. I wish more people were like him. Hopefully liquid picks up another Terran and Protoss soon though ^_^
I really cannot believe that liquid hasn't picked up Polt. He seems like everything they could ever want...
1, Terran 2. Korean with English skillz 3. Plays a lot of foreign tournaments 4. Great player 5. Nice guy, great fan base.
And he's been a free agent for a long time now... why isn't he the one getting announced? I guess because he is staying in the US, and won't be going to Korea (long-term) until he's done with school?
I'm actually very interested now that I heard about his practice habits. Someone who is willing to work hard and be so critical to himself has a good chance to go far! Good luck!
I actually cried when i watched the video on the front page! So happy for you snute! Remember me? Im the one that made the joke on your irc a year ago when you wondered how you could support yourself as a sc-pro. My suggestion was NAV'Snute
I have been following him for some time now and he is an awesome player. When the rumours came up that he would be joining Liquid, I thought it would be the perfect fit.
Why's it slashers fault that this got spoilt? He did his job as a gaming journalist. This is how all transfers are handled in the sport world. You hear about a deal for days/weeks before it goes through. Esports still relies on secrecy to get page views, rather that the discussion of transfers like you'd see on a sport forum. I wish we'd get away from "announcement of announcement" type crap. It tends to provide a anticlimax when the deal is revealed, rather than just discussing the merits of it beforehand.
I've been a fan of Snute for like forever now. I've been watching his stream since the dawn of time and I remember all his 4 roach opening and quick gold base guides from way way back.
Honestly, for me this is an eSports dream come true. Good luck to Snute, I wish him the very best in his gaming career. Nothing short of a fantastic pickup for Liquid.
On January 10 2013 07:07 Mr. Black wrote: Extra! Extra! Read all about it! 'Woot!,' Fans Hoot as Slasher Scoops the Straight Poop on Cute Liquid Recruit Snute! No Comment from EG Suit Scoots.
On January 10 2013 07:35 Gendo wrote: Not sure about this...expected someone at international level..
Well, he's been improving quite consistently last year. Also, just looking at foreigners, he's looking quite well atm. At homestory cup he defeated grubby, stephano and symbol (6-0 at that). That alone of course is no proof of his level, but it is a significant step forward compared to a few months ago.
Also, i don't know what is to be expected from 'international level', but if that means 'being able to compete with koreans', then not a lot of foreigners would be potential candidates.
In combination with the image tl's looking for, this is imo the best option.
I love when rumors are actually true. This is a great pickup by TL, I am happy tosee a new foreigner on the team. His attitude is great and I know he will be a fantastic addition to the roster. I can't wait to see what training in Korea does for his skill level, hopefully he can yield some great results!
Congrats and good luck Snute! I really wish Slasher didn't spoil this, but you can't keep everything a secret right? I really hope TL finds some players who play Protoss or Terran.
I didn't know much about snute before homestory cup. When he was commentating, you really got a sense of how much understanding of the game he has. Also, his english was quite impressive. He definitely has potential in 2013, I think this will be a good signing for both parties.
How I feel about this, really. It's emotional and a big wall of text, so it's in a quotes for those who don't like that type of thing.
To put this into better words than "AWW YEAA"... my soul filled with joy when I heard this news. I first saw Snute in action at IPL 5 (I only really joined the community around September ^_^), and I knew he was great. He was very genuine in interviews and impressed me beyond belief by doing what had been inconceivable for foreigners - he beat Life. This gave me a great impression.
After that, I began to follow him like I did many other of my favourite players; cheering for them in tournaments, looking at Twitter updates, etc., but I noticed something about Snute. He always seemed cheerful and positive, even if he lost (IPL 5, for example) and it made me happy seeing a player act like so. His skill was showing too; after HSC VI, he showed his potential as a player at the very top of the food chain. To my shame, I somehow missed his stream (it may also be something to do with me not browsing unfeatured streams ), but nonetheless I still loved this charismatic, awesome player. I heard no news, which saddened me, but I assumed Snute was enjoying his holidays, which is a great thing!
Then came the Slasher speculation, but I'm skeptical about that sort of thing. Then, today (or yesterday, depends how you put it), I saw the announcement had joined Liquid - a top tier team that's known for it's manner and awesome community. It made sense, as it was a perfect match, but at this point I felt like I was experiencing a fantasy (no pun intended); as I said, it filled my soul with joy. Better yet though, Snute had a stream running! I instantly jumped on and expected something along the line of my favourite FXO streamers; quality games, interaction with fans (but maybe more because he can speak fluent English), but yet again I underestimated him.
I noticed on his stream that in defeat, he still kept a great smile on his face and realized what he did wrong; in victory he pointed out mistakes; and he took time to interact with his fans, responding to those he had time to, even though there were 2K viewers. Not to mention he worked for hours on end to improve and please his fans. This person was amazing; he took good manner to an entirely different level and showed a dedication to the game almost unheard of everywhere else.Even in games where viewers were unsure whether stream cheating was going on (I doubt there was but meh), he still blamed the loss on his self and improved on his mistakes. He even interacted with his opponents and talked to them like someone would to a good friend.
In essence; probably the best pro gamer I've ever seen, perhaps not in skill but in dedication and kindness.Keep going, Snute! Go to IEM Katowice and make all your fans proud! We're cheering for you! Liquid`Snute fighting!
Anyhow, at IEM Katowice he's in a group with Grubby and mOOnGLaDe and some TBD spots. Unless the TBD spots are filled with Code S Koreans, I'm sure Snute will be able to advance to at least the round of 12 and do Liquid proud there.
Team liquid is still recruiting players based on looks I see, one more handsome devil in the TL lineup How long until they release a TL calendar I wonder? One request, get Jinro and Haypro to participate even thou they are retired.
The downside to this recruitment is that Snute always made me think of Snoot and so in my head his name is now Liquid Snoot, thx for that TL.
Aside from all this Snute is one hell of a player, for a Norwegian.
Such a great player with a super cool personality. But this is really unexpected since TL had 3 Zerg players already, but still great pick by TL! yes!!
Congrats to both parties! Been following Snute for a long time, before he was featured and stuff, used to game with him back in the days as well. Liquid`Snute hwaiting!
Do any other Aussies think of Sam Kekovich saying "you know it makes sense" every time they see this thread title?
On topic I think this is a pretty good pickup. Snute reminds me a lot of the Huk pickup, both are/were decent players at the time of their signing with the will to get a LOT better. If Snute turns out as well as Huk (although hopefully stays with TL instead of joining EG) I think Nazgul will be pretty happy with himself and Snute will probably still be unsatisfied at not being the best in the world.
I think I'm alone in finding this a bit sad I guess? I love Snute and I like the Liquid atmosphere, but all the fanboys makes it hard for me to root for Liquid players. Same happened when Taeja and Hero joined Liquid.
Though it has to be said, it seems like a perfect fit. Snute really made HSC6 for me with his positive attitude.
On January 11 2013 20:49 Mikau wrote: I think I'm alone in finding this a bit sad I guess? I love Snute and I like the Liquid atmosphere, but all the fanboys makes it hard for me to root for Liquid players. Same happened when Taeja and Hero joined Liquid.
Why? Because you want to cheer for Snute but now you feel you can't because he joined Liquid? That sounds odd.
On January 11 2013 20:49 Mikau wrote: I think I'm alone in finding this a bit sad I guess? I love Snute and I like the Liquid atmosphere, but all the fanboys makes it hard for me to root for Liquid players. Same happened when Taeja and Hero joined Liquid.
Why? Because you want to cheer for Snute but now you feel you can't because he joined Liquid? That sounds odd.
I think it's a 'rooting for the underdog' thing. Or maybe I'm just a closet hipster who doesn't want to be associated with bandwagons (let's be honest here, joining Liquid does huge things for your popularity). Or maybe I'm just weird. All very possible options.
This. Is. Sick. It was awesome to see a fellow Norwegian doing so well, maybe especially since he's really the only player we have at this level. To see him joining Liquid is absolutely sick. Huge grats to Snute!
On January 11 2013 20:49 Mikau wrote: I think I'm alone in finding this a bit sad I guess? I love Snute and I like the Liquid atmosphere, but all the fanboys makes it hard for me to root for Liquid players. Same happened when Taeja and Hero joined Liquid.
Why? Because you want to cheer for Snute but now you feel you can't because he joined Liquid? That sounds odd.
I think it's a 'rooting for the underdog' thing. Or maybe I'm just a closet hipster who doesn't want to be associated with bandwagons (let's be honest here, joining Liquid does huge things for your popularity). Or maybe I'm just weird. All very possible options.
Yeah, you can scratch "closet" if that's why lol. If you stop following something you really like just because a lot of other people suddenly also like it, especially if that something hasn't changed at all, you're a terrible hipster person.
I get it if Snute changes personality and/or playstyle to something you don't like, but as long as he stays the same I can't fathom why more people liking him affects you negatively in any way.
I watched him play with richy a lot because they often where on the enemy side in AiLillekanin-Stream and with AiSiiieesch so when I read this it was like "I know that name I know that name"
On January 10 2013 07:35 Gendo wrote: Not sure about this...expected someone at international level..
Well, he's been improving quite consistently last year. Also, just looking at foreigners, he's looking quite well atm. At homestory cup he defeated grubby, stephano and symbol (6-0 at that). That alone of course is no proof of his level, but it is a significant step forward compared to a few months ago.
Also, i don't know what is to be expected from 'international level', but if that means 'being able to compete with koreans', then not a lot of foreigners would be potential candidates.
In combination with the image tl's looking for, this is imo the best option.
Meant that with only Hero and Taeja as Koreans and the Europeans not being really relevant at the moment i was expecting someone else, especially not a recently relevant zerg. I'm all for TeamLiquid but with only the 2 koreans performing at the moment it's kind of sad, i worry they may lose their status..
On January 11 2013 20:49 Mikau wrote: I think I'm alone in finding this a bit sad I guess? I love Snute and I like the Liquid atmosphere, but all the fanboys makes it hard for me to root for Liquid players. Same happened when Taeja and Hero joined Liquid.
Why? Because you want to cheer for Snute but now you feel you can't because he joined Liquid? That sounds odd.
I think it's a 'rooting for the underdog' thing. Or maybe I'm just a closet hipster who doesn't want to be associated with bandwagons (let's be honest here, joining Liquid does huge things for your popularity). Or maybe I'm just weird. All very possible options.
Yeah, you can scratch "closet" if that's why lol. If you stop following something you really like just because a lot of other people suddenly also like it, especially if that something hasn't changed at all, you're a terrible hipster person.
I get it if Snute changes personality and/or playstyle to something you don't like, but as long as he stays the same I can't fathom why more people liking him affects you negatively in any way.
But, have it your way.
Wow, why so aggressive? I never said anything about stopping following him. Way to jump to conclusions and acting like a douche based on those conclusions.
Good to know that if TL loses a SC2 team match, Snute can outdance the other team and shout "You just got served" (or the less common you just got f'd in the A (Cartman)).
All TL needs now is a dancing rooster and a tap dancer.