I’ve also been enjoying watching Team Vision (as they’ll be called for TI) but since they’ve moved away from the DPC haven’t really been keeping up. There just seems to be too much on all the time. Maybe I am just losing my free time too compared to my student days.

I can’t comment on the turbo, but I have had little issue with queuing around 6-10 GMT or weekends in EUW. Queue time averages around 1-3mins. I am normally playing with a 3-5 stack though if that effects anything.

How are your predictions going? Mine are going ok with only two wrong, but I’m not as confident in putting XG to win currently.

I wasn’t all that confident in the brood pick, but Satanic made it look very strong late game. XG really needed to hit an earlier timing. Looking forward to seeing PV in the semis!

I also like the trend toward offlane save hero with centaur, phoenix or undying being picked up. I might have to try that sort of play style myself.

So far today it looks like there have been some of the fastest games of the tournament. I was expecting the games to be more closer and more competitive than the groups. Maybe nerves and pressure are having more of an impact than I thought.

Nigma games feel much more tense, because you are waiting for them to throw at some point. Nice to see they are breaking this pattern on their first game. Mainstage Nigma does always seem to perform better!

In theory, winning would mean you have an easier elimination match as you will be placed up against a 1-3 team or someone else that has lost. Looking at the matchups though I don’t think there are any easy matchups, apart from maybe Wildcard. But I think that is down to how competitive it is rather than the tourney structure.

Only watched on and off, but ya gotta trust in the late game void + enigma. PV do have the experience advantage in this kinda situation at the high level too.

What a smooth performance on the game 3 Nigma v Aurora. Perfect strategy and executed very well. Almost refreshing not to have a nail biting 60 minute game for once!

I do love Ghost’s story of first playing in SEA, then China and now EU/MENA. Shows just how international the pro scene has become. And how much players can benefit from being multilingual.

Sumail was a joy to watch back on his storm spirit again. He may have been around for a while, but you have to remember he is still fairly young. Winning TI at 16 was bonkers.

I was assuming that the best games would be at the end of the group stage and the first few rounds would be stomps, but I was very wrong. Super hyped for the rest of the tourney if this is how things start!

Ghost is looking pretty strong at the moment. Maybe it is just the 4 protect 1 kinda thing they often do, but the rest of the team just doesn’t quite look as hot.

I would’ve preferred to see GG play, but I’m sure Yakutou can put on a performance too.

Hopefully having more Chinese teams gives the scene over there a. it of a boost after it has dropped off for a while.

Looks really smooth and very impressive you managed to create it being a non-developer!

DM brewmaster also seemed make so many funny plays. It just shows how strong they are when teamfighting and overall cohesion for those mistakes not to matter in the end.

Defo rooting for them when I watch the finals back!

There are two pits, but just one rosh. He commutes between each pit on the day/night cycle and tosses anyone in his way, getting angrier the more heroes he tosses.

Ended up queuing oblivious to the patch yesterday, and the whole squad got quite confused that the dire side felt slightly different. Seems they are trying to compensate for the win rate diff.

I loved it. I think it is a great progression from the battle passes which personally felt far more grindy and exploitative.

I really like the detail the put in to all of the little art works and sprites, and the minigames. You can tell it has taken more time with likely less profit than the battle pass system.

My only qualm is that because I wanted to follow the story, I wanted to complete an act in one go cos otherwise I will just forget. That meant I was just hording tokens for ages and not really participated until the last week.

Even their first game C9’s team fight looked fairly decent - just completely outmanoeuvred on the map in terms of farm. Maybe the team fights might’ve gone the other way if they had a vessel or something to counter the insane spell lifesteal on 33.

Liquid looking amazing, but so has other teams in the past and cracked in the grand finals. Insania definitely deserves the title tho.

I unfortunately haven’t been able to catch as much of the dotes as I usually do, but I absolutely agree that C9 squad is great to watch. Ever since the original Creepwave stack with Crystalis carry they’ve been pretty exciting.

I heard one of the analysts mentioning that these funky picks are not necessarily that good, but just the fact they push the opposition to deviate from their practised and revised strategy causes them to make mistakes. Can’t see Liquid faring too badly however.