[Interview] Meliora.eGGz – Road to IEM Pyeongchang

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Peru10118 Posts

January 30 2018 02:35 GMT

Can you tell us something about you? Why did you choose that name?
My name is Juan Sebastian Latorre and I am 18 years old. I will go to the university and besides playing StarCraft, I like rap and I do “freestyle”, I am even an admin in a popular web. About my name, I saw an image of HotS that had many green zerg eggs so that is why.

What do you want to study?
Computer Science

How is a normal day in your life?
If I am free, I will play SC2, lately I have been playing more seriously and the results are showing. Sometimes I go out with my friends but if there is nothing I have to do, I play SC2.

How did you get involved with SC2 and eSports? How long do you play?
I have been playing since 2011, so 7 years now. At the beginning, I didn’t even know you could play with other people. After that everything happened naturally, I had my first clan and more and more people told me that I was doing great and when I got to a decent skill level I started signing up to tournaments and won more experience.

This have been a great year for you so far. You made it to IEM, WESG and you got a new team, Meliora, what can you tell us about them?
They have been amazing since I joined them even though I don’t have much time with them. They worry about how I feel and about my results, besides the great teammates I have now and all the things I am learning from them.

About IEM, what is the first thing you remember about the qualifier?
The most significant thing was to face KiLLeR in the first round. He is a player I admire a lot for everything he did for the SC2 scene in LatAm. I thought… well I already made it to WESG, its ok now. However, when I managed to focus and win against him, I think that gave me a confidence boost that helped me the next day and I was able to classify.

We all remember KiLLeR in the early day, he is a living legend here, do you think that was the hardest series because all of the emotions you were feeling or there was another more difficult?
I think that was the hardest one, he had taken the bronze in several Copa Americas before and that win gave me a lot of confidence. I trained a lot for this tournament and I started great all the series, even against Kelazhur, and it was thanks to that momentum that I could take most of the games.

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Photo: fragster.de

What are your goals for IEM Pyeongchang?
I would like to pass the first round, however I am focusing more in what I can get from the tournament... like experience, practice and knowing players. I think all of that will help me to become a better player and to reach that pro level that is closer every day.

How are you preparing?
The ping make it very hard to play in other regions but I got several smurf accounts that I use. I also have talked to several players to learn from them.

Cham, Kelazhur and SpeCial also made it to IEM, have you talked about the tournament?
I am a very good friend with Cham, I am always trying to learn from him, and he gives me good advice. With Kela and SpeCial is different and we also have WESG kind of close and we are rivals so it is no good that we know everything about each other.

What did your friends and family told you about your achievement?
It was weird because I had already told them that the travel to California was cancelled (WESG) but after I explained them the situation they congratulated me and wished me luck. They almost don’t let me travel lol.

About the region, who do you think is your biggest rival?
I guess Halfbreed (KiLLeR) because I have played him several times now in tournaments. Also Erik, who is playing amazingly right now. I believe both of us will be the successors of the current pros.

What is your goal for Copa America 2018?
I want to reach the finals of any season, however I will have less time to practice so I don’t expect much from me but I feel I must reach at least the level to be a finalist in latam.

Lets talk about less serious things… which player do you admire?
Despite everything that have happened, Life. I have always been his fanboy. I did a presentation about him at school when I had 14 years old.

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Photo: redbull.com

Never thought you would say his name. Now, if you were chosen to be the captain of LatAm ALL STARS to play against Korea ALL STARS, which players of each race would you pick?
Well, the terran would be Kelazhur. The zerg Chammy and the protoss… Pacomike I guess? If I could, I would pick SpeCial instead of Pacomike.

Why do you think there are so few protoss in LatAm?
Well I don’t think we have few players, it is just that most of them haven’t reach to the level necessary to compete. Now, I think that our style (latam) focus on fast games and being better mechanically than your opponents. It is weird to have a player that plan their strategy well and polish his play style to execute them well and precisely and that’s what a good protoss need.

Who are the best of each race?
soO, sOs and INnoVation

Do you have any words for your fans and the community?
Thanks to everyone that follows me and I hope to represent well the region. Thanks to my team Meliora Esports who had supported me and they are like a family to me. I also hope that the LAtAm community keeps growing and I will try to give my best effort.

Twitter: @Meliora_eGGz
Twitch: twitch.tv/eggz_co

p.s. sorry for any gramatical error.