Even though Team Liquid's writers are pretty good at making predictions, if there is a group of people more well equipped to prophesize a tournament, it's the pros and casters that live the game each day. So, even though we are pretty confident in our own guesses completely objective assessments, we decided to poll a bunch of famous people, chosen by who actually replied to me on twitter and skype, for their insight into BlizzCon.
With only 12 hours left until the biggest tournament of the year, it seems like the pros have chosen 2 very clear favorites! On the other hand, 3 players received ZERO votes as potential WCS Global Finals winners. Ouch, guys.
Blizzard have also announced a series of exhibition matches between the eliminated players from the Ro16. You can find the known information for that here.
Note: the following quotes were only edited for layout and capitalization.
Solar: "Life because the last remain zerg and he is really good at practice games and really confident!!"
Kane: "I think INnoVation will win BlizzCon, seeing the way he's been playing recently reminds me a lot of early HotS when he was dominating. I think if he can best Taeja he will reach the finals."
ZombieGrub: "INnoVation! Going back to a KeSPA team + dat hunger for championships = mechanical domination. ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ"
PiG: "I think INnoVation has my bet. Historically he's just a scary dude in a situation where he can leverage mechanics without having to do too many mindgames, and I think the current state of ZvT and PvT Terran is performing well, and Innovation especially just looks incredibly confident. Of course we can always be surprised with a few really weird players like Bomber still in the mix, and Taeja flying out of the gate really hard. But my instincts tell me neither of those two will be making it past top 4."
CatZ: "Since everyone else will mostly say herO/Innovation i'll pick Life, I won a bunch of money betting on him vs Zest, he should defeat San and might have the best shot at beating herO in the final, Life's real final will be the Semi Final, where he'd meet TaeJa or INnoVation, both very strong players, and terrans on top of that. Also he's the last zerg hope, seems we only get one per tournament these days, so gotta hold on to the #hope"
FanTaSy: "I think the winner of Inno vs Taeja will be champion."
TLO: "I really don't know. All the people I thought will win are out. My prediction for a german Redbull article was 3-0 Zest haha"
Bunny: "I think the champion will be the winner of Taeja vs Innovation. I'm leaning more towards INnoVation since he just won GSL though."
MaSa: "I think INnoVation will beat Classic at the finals, either with score of 4-1 and 4-0. Classic already dealt with Polt, and will have to deal with Bomber or MMA if he were to advance to ro4. Meanwhile INnoVation does not have to deal with protoss as I predict life would beat San. That lets INnoVation to completely understand how Classic plays against terran, but the other way around."
Scarlett: "Some terran will win. Coin flip to pick which one. And herO has a chance but probably some terran. I think Life could make semis and lose to a terran. If herO beats Classic, he has a good chance. I think he has the best PvT. RIP zergs. Maybe next year. Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012. We got immortal sentry'd back then."
Blysk: "I'm rooting for, and favoring herO to win Blizzcon. Not just on the basis he called me his best friend at Dreamhack but, consistent. Also, he's got quite a track record to reach finals only to be taken down by a PvP, but in this case, there ain't no tosses on the other side of the bracket, so i would say, he's got a good chance "
HuK: "I think INnoVation will win. The bottom bracket looks a lot strong than the top bracket. In my opinion, herO and INnoVation are the two best players. INnoVation will win the whole thing after going up against herO in the finals.
GuMiho: "I think herO will win. I think herO's PvT is the best. As long as he can win his PvP in the quarter-finals, he should be fine afterwards since he'll face a Terran in the semi-finals. And since I think there is a strong chance that he'll face INnoVation in the finals, he'll win the whole thing by taking down two Terrans after his quarter-finals match."
Symbol: "I think herO will win. I actually know herO a little bit and saw him practice one time. He is very good and he knows how to play mind games with his opponent. He's also very good at microing the little things. I also think he is the best protoss player when it comes to blink micro. Also, protoss is very strong right now, so I think a protoss champion will emerge.
Balloon: "I think INnoVation will win. Recently, his force has been overwhelming and he's so good."
SuperNova: "I think herO will. He is a very solid and flexible player. He is showing an even stronger form than before for a short-term tournament like this, and I don't see anyone left in the quarter-finals that could defeat him."
San: "I think TaeJa will win. At first, I thought he was going to lose to soO. But since he overcame the biggest hurdle, I think he's going to win the championship now by riding his current momentum. I noticed that his desire and passion to win BlizzCon is different than everyone else's since he's been performing so poorly for WCS AM tournaments this year."
Note: Not even San thinks San will win T_T
DongRaeGu: "I think herO will win. Since he has already proven his PvP skills, I think he's a shoo-in for the semi-finals. I feel that Bomber will probably advance through to face herO in the semis, but since herO already has beaten Bomber before for KeSPA Cup, I think herO will be the dominant one there. INnoVation will probably be the one he'll face in the finals but I still feel that herO will win in the final set.
RagnaroK: "I think TaeJa will win. TaeJa told me himself that he's been working hard and TaeJa is strong when it comes to overseas tournaments. He also has a style that is unique to other Korean players so I think it will be difficult for other Korean players to face him. He even beat soO.
Check: "I think either INnoVation or Bomber will win. Terran is just too good."
Daisy: "I think herO will win. I predict that the semi-finals will be Bomber vs herO, and San vs INnoVation. I am presuming that INnoVation will advance to the finals. As long as he can overcome Classic in the PvP match for the quarter-finals, then everything else should be fine for herO since he is the best PvT player. However, since the balance and map balances have all been good for Terran these days, I of course, do not expect any one-sided matches to occur.
Mamuri: "I think INnoVation will win. My vote goes for him because I think he will ride his momentum from the GSL win and take the whole thing.
Seed: "I think INnoVation will win. I say this because whenever I play against INnoVation on either ladder or for a tournament, I always feel like I'm going up against a wall."
Note: and lastly, Wolf with a last minute prediction
Wolf: "You'd never expect Wolf to pick a non-GSL player to win Blizzcon, but I'm gonna have to go with TaeJa here. He's so good in these types of tournaments. He doesn't seem to feel the pressure of huge crowds, or rather, perhaps he gets energy from them. When I think of a huge, overseas tournament, TaeJa hoisting a trophy comes to mind. So when it comes to the biggest finals of the year... I'm going with Taeja. With his performance against soO, he's looking good. A lot of people would say herO, and I would too- if it were in Korea. Blizzcon is TaeJa's stage."
Scarlett with the hardcore whine. And poor San, I understand what it's like to have no self confidence, or maybe he's just a realist, same thing really I suppose.
Wow, so few going with Bomber, the times I've seen Bombers TvT I've been amazed. I'm sure Bomber will wreck MMA and could take Innovation, makes me wonder if he can take down herO.... The Answer: Yes he can.
On November 07 2014 17:03 Noonius wrote: Scarlett is clearly taking lessons from TaeJa on how to whine about balance. Also everyone knows that TaeJa is gonna win it all.
She needs take lesson from Teeja on how to win titles.
On November 07 2014 17:03 Noonius wrote: Scarlett is clearly taking lessons from TaeJa on how to whine about balance. Also everyone knows that TaeJa is gonna win it all.
She needs take lesson from Teeja on how to win titles.
Scarlett will need to go to a private clinic, you know, for the burn
On November 07 2014 17:03 Noonius wrote: Scarlett is clearly taking lessons from TaeJa on how to whine about balance. Also everyone knows that TaeJa is gonna win it all.
She needs take lesson from Teeja on how to win titles.
Scarlett will need to go to a private clinic, you know, for the burn
Hopefully that clinic can treat her for her hypernatremia.
Too hard to call. Technically Classic and San even have chances to win. That's how unpredictable the game is. I'd love it if one of them won. Imagine the amounts of wtfs.
On November 07 2014 18:45 sc2chronic wrote: Too hard to call. Technically Classic and San even have chances to win. That's how unpredictable the game is. I'd love it if one of them won. Imagine the amounts of wtfs.
Just imagine the amount of wtfs if Maru ninja's the trophie away like he rightfully deserves T_T
On November 07 2014 16:17 SetGuitarsToKill wrote: Scarlett with the hardcore whine. And poor San, I understand what it's like to have no self confidence, or maybe he's just a realist, same thing really I suppose.
lets not pretend scarlett is anywhere close to the only zerg who thinks zerg is weak or that she isn't half joking most of the time
I predicted herO or Innovation since i saw the top 16 even without brackets. Classic's weaker MU is PvP if herO beats him he will win it all . Higher chances are that winner of the tournament will come from herO/Classic or Innovation/Taeja . I am not exactly sure at what level are Innovation and Taeja's TvPs right now , but they are consistently solid players so i wouldn't be surprised if either one winning , still my vote goes to herO .
I'm shocked Bogus has so many votes. Oh sure, he's very good and a recent gsl champ, but he's in Taeja's domain and a potentially stronger TvT (Bomber) is on the other side of the bracket. He seemed a bit weaker than usual against Hyun as well.
I'm going with Life/Taeja. Both of them seem to be around their peaks at this tournament, and with their unique style they can beat everyone when they play well. The semi's between them will be a real treat. I think herO will go to the finals, but then lose to whoever comes from the lower bracket.
Interesting read though, nice to read the opinions of pros on this!
Hahaha at San. I started out picking Bomber, Polt, Taeja and Innovation to win the tournament. And life as the only Z to make it to the Ro8. Most of that is holding up. I'm still putting it as being between my favorites. Taeja was way too underrated coming into this tournament. I guess, since I consider him to be the best player in the world for a long time now I'm a Z!
Teaja already won so much tournaments with the "I will go retire" state of mind. Now he is doing it for his brother who asked him to win. Trainning even harder.
I cant see him fall. He will crush and prove thats he is the best in the world .
Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
On November 07 2014 23:30 Ragnarork wrote: Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
Yeah. I don't support Scarlett's statement at all. I think I'll go remove myself from her fan club... oh wait
On November 07 2014 23:30 Ragnarork wrote: Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
Its pretty salty but its pretty sad how different the pro's think about terran compared to the majority of the community. Its going to be Innovation i think. Or an other terran.
On November 07 2014 23:30 Ragnarork wrote: Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
Scarlett's always been a big whiner, just people tend to ignore it more than they did with Idra, probably because Idra attacked specific players more.
On November 07 2014 23:30 Ragnarork wrote: Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
The original statement was actually "not even BL/infestor could win 2012 WCS. We got immortal sentry allined back then". She's only talking about BWC, not the whole year.
On November 07 2014 23:30 Ragnarork wrote: Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
Scarlett's always been a big whiner, just people tend to ignore it more than they did with Idra, probably because Idra attacked specific players more.
Yep, she used to whine about ZvP, then ZvZ and now ZvT Idra was BM, she is funny. No need to be salty, or rage about it
On November 07 2014 23:30 Ragnarork wrote: Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
Scarlett's always been a big whiner, just people tend to ignore it more than they did with Idra, probably because Idra attacked specific players more.
Yep, she used to whine about ZvP, then ZvZ and now ZvT Idra was BM, she is funny. No need to be salty, or rage about it
Her whine moves with what her worst matchup is at the time, like most people would naturally do really.
On November 07 2014 23:30 Ragnarork wrote: Scarlett is so salty. And completely hypocrit. "Even broodlord infestor couldn't win in 2012" is blatanlty and hilariously false it's almsot on the IdrA level of rage.
Scarlett's always been a big whiner, just people tend to ignore it more than they did with Idra, probably because Idra attacked specific players more.
It's kinda obvious she means 2012 WCS finals not the entirety of 2012 ...
Also, Idra's an immature jerk. He did/does a lot more than just balance whine.
On November 07 2014 16:13 hellokitty[hk] wrote: That's so funny from San and Nazgul. Surprised no one said POLTUUUUUUUUU!!! After all, he's terran too.
probably cause they was asked after POL IS ALREADY ELIMINATED ? xD
With BOMBER doing so insanely well recently, I doubt any terran can beat him... Cure copied a lot of Bomber's openings and almost got Innovation in a close series...
Innovation plays mech... period, and he plays it the same way every time. He did it in every game in the GSL finals apart from catalenna, where he busted out a two base push. While he''s strong in what he does, I don't think he's got the best TvT in here.
Flash probably has the best TvT in the world, which is why Innovation said he didn't fear anyone but Flash in the GSL Championship he won... Point is, Taeja Vs Flash was insanely close at IEM Toronto... Taeja played against this style for perhaps the first time in a while and handled it beautifully... I give Taeja an upper hand vs innovation for sure...
MMA comes back from fending off ForGG easily in a way where we understand his preparation for a match up and studying his opponent is really good... Maybe he can prepare for Bomber, but Bomber doesn't follow a style in particular... He'll just do exactly what you do and produce twice as many marines... So I guess if MMA can beat Bomber, which is highly unlikely... he may as well be good enough to take the crown...
( .....p.s. I miss POLT :'(.... )
EDIT
oops sorry off topic there... I say BOMBER's got this!!!
On November 08 2014 03:37 [PkF] Wire wrote: I don't see San winning, but every other contestant has a VERY realistic chance. My bet is on Bomber though.
EPT
4 Terrans 
3 Protoss 
1 Zerg
All the people I thought will win are out. My prediction for a german Redbull article was 3-0 Zest haha"
Blysk: "I'm rooting for, and favoring herO to win Blizzcon. Not just on the basis he called me his best friend at Dreamhack but, consistent. Also, he's got quite a track record to reach finals only to be taken down by a PvP, but in this case, there ain't no tosses on the other side of the bracket, so i would say, he's got a good chance 
"
Liquid`Nazgul: "pls no i dont know"
