EPT
Date: November 12th, 2011
Location: Universal Hall Berlin, Germany
Start Time: 13:00 GMT (+00:00)
Players:
Empire.Kas, Liquid`TLO, 
Acer.Nerchio, Mill.Stephano, Liquid`Ret, ESC.GoOdy, 
aTn.Socke, Grubby
Prize Breakdown: 1st Place: $5,000 – 2nd Place: $1,750 – 3rd Place: $1,000 – 4th Place: $750 – 5-8th Place: $375
Official Site: http://www.battleinberlin.com/index.php
Location: Universal Hall Berlin, Germany
Start Time: 13:00 GMT (+00:00)
Players:
Empire.Kas, Liquid`TLO, Acer.Nerchio, Mill.Stephano, Liquid`Ret, ESC.GoOdy, aTn.Socke, GrubbyPrize Breakdown: 1st Place: $5,000 – 2nd Place: $1,750 – 3rd Place: $1,000 – 4th Place: $750 – 5-8th Place: $375
Official Site: http://www.battleinberlin.com/index.php
Battle in Berlin - TeamLiquid Preview
by: Deezl
Battle in Berlin isn't a tournament out to revolutionize ESPORTS like some of the other November tournaments. It is an 8-man European invite tournament, flying in famous players and crowd favorites into the German capital city to provide a solid day of entertainment for ESPORTS fans. The venue appears to be sizable, reportedly allowing for up to 500 spectators with extra space for many other things. A $10,000 prize pool and good payouts for all places is to be respected, and the talent is certainly good. German home favorites Atn.Socke, Liquid'TLO and ESC.GoOdy are in attendance, so I damn well expect every Berliner worth his socks to show up and support their local eSporters. And hopefully some Dutchmen too, to cheer on Ret and Grubby.
The overall bracket is pretty damn deadly and the first round should produce at least three exciting matches out of the four. The three championship Zergs are all in attendance - WCG Poland winner Nerchio, BNet Invitational and Assembly Winter champion Ret, and IPL3/ESWC champ Stephano. TLO will also be playing Zerg for this tournament, reportedly - and last we checked, TLO has Ret and Morrow for training partners and had a unique and successful brand of Zerg in the past. Though it's been awhile since we've seen him tearing up the scene like he used to, I think he'll provide us with some amazing games. With four great and varied Zergs attending, this tournament should be a great Zerg clinic for aspiring players watching the stream.
The Protoss in attendance are the rock-solid Socke and the world-famous Grubby, who qualified over Nerchio's teammate Osho. Socke is a proven warrior with his staple robust builds, but Grubby had been looking quite flimsy until the past few months. One big Protoss notable is absent from the tournament – White-Ra was unable to obtain a Visa. This is, of course, a big loss for the tournament. White-Ra is a huge crowd draw and entertaining player, and has shown his ability to compete on level with any player at any event - something Socke and Grubby have yet to prove.
The Terran invite, Kas, is a player we haven't heard much of on the international stage in a few months, but recent cup results confirm his continued beastliness. Kas will be joined at the front by White-Ra's replacement - Panzer Terran Goody. Goody has been a great but inconsistent player in EU since he was unleashed, but he will, if nothing else, greatly extend the duration of the tournament. Notably lacking are Korean and NA attendees, which is fine for a first time event of this scale – success should be gauged before spending more money on flights. It provides a rare chance to see the depth of the EU talent pool minus expatriates Naniwa and SaSe.
Crisis Management
by: Primadog
Hello, seems I not get Germany visa in time you replacement me plz...
I have already fly tickets but t.t ((
I have already fly tickets but t.t ((
What do you do?
"The first one always sucks," this is a mantra repeated by every tournament organizer I’ve ever spoken to. In eSports, something always goes wrong; it’s like a fundamental force of nature (and let’s not forget tournaments beset by actual forces of nature, poor MLG). Regardless of how prepared you are, there will always be times when the things going wrong are out of your hands. The true test of character for tournament organizers is their resolve in handling the inevitable crisis. Some fold under the pressure, some deflect blame onto others involved; Blizzard, the ISP, God, whoever is most convenient. Others fade away, going AWOL, disabling cellphones and feigning broken mics. Still others simply abscond with mountains of raw currency… allegedly.
Luckily, the Battle in Berlin staff has kept it together.
White-Ra hit VISA-trouble just days from the Invitational, and they immediately went searching for a worthy replacement. GoOdy may not have the universal appeal that White-Ra brings, but who does? GoOdy is well-known, plays an iconic "Panzer general" style, and brings with him the hope of the home nation. Most importantly, the staff was candid, honest, and quick in explaining the situation to the community. Surprisingly enough, TeamLiquid accepted the apology in stride. It's easy to forget, despite the tired talk of how quixotic the userbase has become, TeamLiquid.net remains the center of the English StarCraft universe for good reasons.
The lesson here for aspiring tournament organizers is a simple one; don't panic. We appreciate your hard work, honesty, and humility, even in the face of occasional hiccups. As long as the event ends better than it started, the goods will be all we talk about.
On November 12th, the fate of the world will once again be settled in Berlin.
Tune in.
