Liquid at DreamHack: Austin 2017

April 27 2017


Liquid at DreamHack: Austin 2017



Once in a while, we have occasions where multiple Team Liquid squads can come together and compete, hang out, and bond at the same event. Esports has been moving in the direction of stable weekly leagues over the past couple of years, yet big LANs possess a certain wow factor that remains unmatched. DreamHack: Austin 2017 is one such event, and it is bound to be a big one for Liquid.

We'll be competing in every single game in Austin, and fans of our different divisions will have the opportunity to see our other squads in action. If you're stuck at home like many of us, we're throwing a Discord Viewing Party during the entire event, complete with a giveaway!

Click to go to Discord


Just hop onto Discord this coming weekend to enjoy the show with your fellow fans. However, if you're not quite up to speed on our other games, here's a quick rundown of the 5 different games on showcase at DreamHack.


CS:GO



On April 28, our CS:GO team will make its bow at the event against Immortals. We're in a group containing the Brazilians, North American rivals Cloud 9, and French powerhouse G2 Esports. On paper, it's a very difficult group as all three opponents have experienced greater success over the past few months than our relatively young squad. However, we have been rediscovering our form since adding Twistzz to our core of stanislaw, EliGE, jdm and nitr0 just two weeks ago.



Most recently, we competed in cs_summit where we beat NiP before falling to Gambit and OpTiC Gaming. Twistzz and stanislaw, our newest recruits, stood out during our best game of the tournament: game 3 of our series against NiP on Cobblestone. Twistzz looked comfortable defending drop and playing patiently, while stan's smart reads saved us rounds on more than one occasion. The map looks like one of our strongest, and hopefully we'll be able to see more of Cobble in Austin.


Smash



All three of our Smash players—Hungrybox, Chillin and Ken—will be present in Austin. Last year, Hungrybox climbed to the finals stage from the winner's bracket, but a reversal against rival Mango meant that the world's best Puff would be relegated to 2nd place. However, the defending EVO champion is in good form heading into DreamHack after his unfortunate finger injury earlier in the year. Juan is back to full health, so expect him to go deep once more.



He'll be flanked by fellow former EVO champion Ken and Smash's resident rap guru Chillin, two players that will aim to break up Smash's podium hegemony.


Street Fighter



While the debate of "Best Player in the World" is often a contentious one regardless of the game or sport, SF's Capcom Pro Tour served as the game's ultimate test. Our very own NuckleDu offered himself as the answer to the question, and at the end of 2016's tour, he reigned supreme as the unanimous best player in Street Fighter.



Now, NuckleDu must prove to the world that he can sustain that level of performance. NuckleDu has yet to break his major championship duck in 2017, with silvers at NorCal Regionals and Fighters Underground, and bronze at Final Round 20 so far this year. Nevertheless, momentum is growing behind Du, and Austin could be where his championship reign starts in earnest. He's already locked into the year-end Capcom Cup, but NuckleDu would prefer to be on an imperial cavalcade heading into the Grand Finals.


StarCraft 2



While Snute is the only one of our players that directly qualified for DreamHack: Austin—and hence the only player seeded into the third group stage—he will be joined by TLO, uThermal and MaNa. The three later players will have to start at the bottom, however, and survive two different group stages in order to catch up to their teammate.



As the first WCS Circuit tournament this year, an impressive showing from any of our players will go a long way towards cementing their place in the Circuit standings. Only the winner will receive a direct seed into BlizzCon, but every point earned will be crucial. Only the top 16 players at Austin will earn WCS points, so surviving the third group stage will be the true test of our players' mettle.


Hearthstone



As the first big tournament that will crown a champion with Journey to Un'Goro, DreamHack: Austin could have a big impact on the decks you'll be facing over the next few weeks. Dog will be in attendance, and he recently shared his thoughts on the expansion.

Will we see him roll with Miracle/Arcane Giant Rogue for most of the tournament? Or will we see something else entirely? The inimitable Dog surely has a few tricks up his sleeves, so make sure to tune in and find out. And if we see anything interesting, we'll make sure to poke him about it after the event.



Share this rare event with other Liquid fans. Talk about your favorite game and your favorite players, and maybe even learn about a new game along the way. We'll be waiting for you on our Discord, so drop by and say Hi!


Keep checking TeamLiquid.com for the latest in TL news, events, and features!







Graphics // Shiroiusagi