Liquid'Heroes Win WCA Pro Qualifer at Gamescom
August 09 2015
After placing 1st in the open qualifier in late July, Team Liquid Heroes convened at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany this weekend to play in the WCA Pro qualifier. There, they continued off their previous success and placed 1st yet again, qualifying for the main event in China. The road was filled with ups and downs, one met with some slumps and even a position change. But it'd all be worth it in the end.
The weekend’s round robin group stage proved to be a rough start for the squad. The team was met with two out-of-character defeats, going 0-2 against Fnatic and Navi. Simply put, their opponents out-sustained them in team fights, coming out with a man advantage the majority of the time.
At this high level of play, the punishment for losing engagements is brutal. Liquid was left to respawn with the sole task of alleviating map pressure before they could even think about regaining control of the games. The team needed to think of a solution to their problems, and fast.
After taking some time for a full reset and reflection, the team did some hypothetical drafting with one another. Ultimately, an important decision was made: it was time to move Victor "FalcoN" Lopez to the position of primary drafter. And it worked. Mid-tournament, this would seem like a risky move but Liquid identified their issue in the draft and moved to correct it.
Straying away from what would seem to be a comfort pick in Illidan, the new draft shifted towards favoring a heavier double tank composition with more value placed on a hero new to the nexus, Leoric the Skeleton King.
Coming through the lower bracket, the team won out in stark contrast to their prior results at the event, going 2-0 against both Na'vi and Fnatic in the Grand Finals. Congratulations to the team on their win!
Going home now with € 10,000, the next step in the WCA tournament will bring the team to the main event in China, where they would be joining North American team, Tempo Storm, and Chinese teams, eStar and Brave Heart, along with eight other squads that will qualify through their respective regional events.
Cheer the team on December 17th of this year!