EPT
Interviews by Mizenhauer; translated by verecunda
herO: "I also think that all the practice I put in when Protoss wasn’t doing as well is paying off. It’s like I was training with a weighted vest and I’m finally able to take it off."
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/2025/codes1/heroro12.jpg)
TL.net: Congratulations on advancing to the Round of 4. You looked a cut above the rest of the group today and seem to be gaining momentum as you go. How confident are you that you can parlay your run of form into a GSL championship?
I’ve been playing well recently and I’m happy with how things went today. I really want to win this season and I think that desperation is paying off.
You’re the poster child for post-military success. What has allowed you to have such a prosperous second half of your career while so many other returnees struggle to get back to where they were before their service?
I think a lot of it comes down to determination and hard work. I missed StarCraft II a lot during my time away from the game and that desire still fuels me. I practice very hard and play in a lot of online events and that keeps me sharp.
I also think it’s a little easier to get back into the swing of things when you play Protoss so that worked out in my favor.
How do you feel about the current state of Protoss?
I feel I shouldn’t answer this because I don’t want to accidentally get Protoss nerfed. I think Protoss has a mild advantage over the other races at this point, but this is the first big tournament of the year and I can’t say anything for certain.
Your games against ByuN and Cure today had a very high tempo. You have a reputation as an aggressive player, do you think the state of PvT works in your favor?
My playstyle involves reacting to my opponents and playing aggressively when needed and that fits PvT quite well at the moment. I also think that all the practice I put in when Protoss wasn’t doing as well is paying off. It’s like I was training with a weighted vest and I’m finally able to take it off.
Focusing on your match against Cure. Were you expecting him to rely on SCV pulls like he did?
Terrans have been resorting to all-ins a lot recently since they don’t think the matchup is in their favor. Because of that I went for a more unit heavy no-gas build that ended up working well.
The Round of 4 is only one day away, which means less opportunity to plan for a specific player than you usually would in GSL. Do you think the sped up timetable benefits or hurts you?
I think the format has really played into my hand. I’ve been practicing a ton and my reads during the game are spot on. Once I figure out what my opponents are doing I know what I need to do to counter it.
Looking ahead, is there anyone from Group B that you want to play against?
I want to play against a Terran in the semifinals. If I had to pick between Maru and GuMiho I’d go with GuMiho. He beat me in the qualifiers and I want revenge.
How about someone you don’t want to face?
I’d have to go with Classic. Maru may have the best resume of the remaining players, but I’d prefer to avoid PvP at all costs.
You’ve always been a fan favorite and you have a lot of followers overseas. Is there anything you’d like to say to them?
I just want to say that I’m so grateful for their continued support. Their passion for StarCraft II is a big part of why GSL and EWC are being held this year. I’m going to keep practicing as hard as possible to give performances worthy of your love of StarCraft.
Cure: "GSL is too hard of a tournament to get by on luck alone, but I think a fortunate bracket or favorable meta can go a long way towards winning a single title. If you win multiple times, however, that’s a display of talent and class that deserves respect."
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/GSL/2025/codes1/curero8.jpg)
First off, congratulations on advancing to the Round of 4. You reached this stage three times last year and you find yourself there once more. Do you think you can break the trend and reach the finals?
When I look back at last year, I can’t help but think I didn’t play desperately enough. I obviously wanted to win, but lifting a trophy felt more like a dream than a distinct possibility. The off season was really long this year and it gave me a lot of time to think and practice. I realized just how much I want to defeat the truly elite players and break through into the finals. I’m determined to end this year without regrets. The only way I’ll be able to do that is to win.
Your games against Rogue went down to the wire—especially game one. What allowed you to squeeze out the win?
When I was practicing on Persephone I realized that it’s a great map for an eight barracks parade push. As long as I was able to get into a good position north of his main base I knew I could win. Rogue made it hard with by killing a lot of my workers the ling runbys, but I kept my focus and came out on top.
With Rogue out of the way, Reynor is the only Zerg remaining. He’s historically struggled in GSL—do you think he’s a legitimate threat?
Reynor is the type of player who plays his best in big events so you can never count him out. I think he has the potential to win the whole thing if he starts to build momentum.
Your second game against ByuN was a nail biter from start to finish. How do you keep your cool in such tense situations?
When it comes to StarCraft, my approach is to practice as hard as possible so I can relax once the tournament begins. It’s paid off for me in the past and it did again today.
Your TvT looked strong tonight, but you said during the post game interview that you want to avoid the mirror going forward. If you had to play GuMiho or Maru, who would you prefer?
TvT is in a spot where the opening build you chose matters more than usual—almost like a game of rock/paper/scissors. GuMiho has a real sense for what builds to lead with, but I’d rather play against him than Maru because Maru is the best at playing from behind. Even if he falls behind he can always turtle and turn things around in the late game.
You have a night off before the Round of 4 begins. How do you plan to spend it?
(Laughs) I’ve been practicing as hard as I can recently so I haven’t gotten as much sleep as I should have. The games today were exhausting so I’m going to make sure I get some rest and start preparing for the semifinals tomorrow.
You’ve built one of the best careers in StarCraft II history by consistently placing highly in big events, but you still only have one Code S title. What would a second mean to you?
It would make a big difference to me. GSL is too hard of a tournament to get by on luck alone, but I think a fortunate bracket or favorable meta can go a long way towards winning a single title. If you win multiple times, however, that’s a display of talent and class that deserves respect. If I were to win for the second time, it would change my legacy in a big way.
You’ve been a part of some great teams during your career. Team Liquid has never had a GSL champion. How proud would you be to be the first?
Before I answer, I want to say how great it’s been to be on Team Liquid. They’ve helped me in so many ways and I’m extremely grateful to represent them.
Team Liquid is such a big organization with so much history. Winning GSL while playing them would make so many people happy—I hope I can make that happen.
It’s getting late so we should let you go. Before we do, however, do you have anything to say to your foreign fans?
It feels like I always get knocked out of big events in the Round of 4 or even the finals. I'm putting my all into GSL this season and I hope you’ll support me along the way.
