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IEM season IX in Katowice, RO16 Predictions

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I am very excited that Intel Extreme Masters season IX – World Championship will start in one week in Katowice, Poland. IEM is one of the biggest Global tournaments sponsored by Intel, HyperX, Benq, GIGABYTE and Roccat, where professional gamers compete against each other to win more than 110.000$ in Starcraft 2, and over 180.000$ in League of Legends. While the played games are changed each year, we’ve seen in past seasons games like Warcraft 3, Counter-Strike, DOTA, but for the last 3 seasons only Starcraft 2 and League of Legends were the games featured. Well, I’m here to tell you my predictions about Starcraft 2, the game we all love and hate at the same time.

The tournament format is based on choosing 16 different players, 8 from previous past IEM events like IEM Shenzhen, Toronto, San Jose and Taipei from where the winners and the runners-up had qualified. The remaining 8 spots were decided through 3 single-elimination qualifiers: Asian, American and European qualifier, each region having 2 spots, but Asia got a bonus spot for being the world champion and Europe received one for being the home region.

IEM_SEASON_IX_TEAMS

As I mentioned before, players compete to win the huge prize-pool but also up to 1.500 World Championship Series (WCS) points. The 16 players, 5 Protosses, 7 Terrans and 4 Zergs will face each other on maps like: Catallena, Deadwing, Expedition Lost, Overgrowth, Inferno Pools, Secret Spring and Vaani Research Station in a single-elimination tournament. All the matches will be played as best of 5 except the Grand Finals which will be played in a best of 7 game.

Predictions.

herO vs Cure

herO_vs_Cure

*herO needs to find a Cure*. As long as herO keeps his PvT at a high level, I’ll just say that this will be a 3-1 for herO having his 3 previous Gold Medals back up my prediction. As a Terran player myself, I root for Cure but let’s face it, Cure is some kind of a new player on the Starcraft 2 scene without Major Championship wins.

Bbyong vs Solar

Bbyong_vs _Solar

*Bbyong makes the Solar system* or in this case the other way around. Congratulations to Bbyong for reaching his first IEM World Championship Final but the odds are not in his favor, having to play against Solar makes it pretty hard for him to win. Although he reached this far I’ll say it’s gonna be a 3-2 for Solar, just to give him some credit because let’s face it Terran is OP right now, having 7 Terrans in the round of 16.

Zest vs Hydra

Zest_vs_Hydra

*Zest didn’t hail Hydra*. Hydra lost against San last IEM season, so his ZvP is not that strong and he’ll need to have a perfect ZvP to be able to beat Zest, who is currently in the top 3 Protosses in the world. So, I’ll just say it. 3-1 for Zest.

Innovation vs Life

Innovation_vs_Life

*Innovation needs a Life*. Well, everybody is waiting for this match, it’s probably the most difficult match to predict. Both players are consistent and very well known so if both of them are in good shape, it will be an epic match. With impressive achievements and years of experience I can’t wait to see this match-up but it’s too bad that these 2 guys are facing each other now instead of the Grand Finals. 3-2 for Life.. maybe, I can’t tell for sure. Sorry.

Flash vs Trap

Flash_vs_Trap

*Flash, it’s a Trap*. God is Flash, Flash is God. Flash, the “God” of Starcraft will indeed need a trap to lose this game but let’s not forget about Trap, whose latest matches were pretty awesome but of course as a Terran player and a fan of “God” this will be a 3-1 for Flash if he doesn’t have a bad day.

FanTaSy vs Rain

FanTaSy_vs_Rain

*FanTaSy singing in the Rain*. Another PvT which for me is easy to predict. 3-0 for Rain, Rain has a lot of experience with IEM and also Major Tournaments and in this match it will be a matter of experience. Don’t forget that every player in this tournament is a top player in Korea, but not everybody has an international experience like Rain does.

Maru vs Patience

Maru_vs_Patience

*Maru is not very “Patience”*. This is the match in which I expect to see a lot of cheeses, both players have some good cheeses up their sleeves and maybe Patience will take one game away from Maru just because he will make a good cheese against him and Maru will not pay attention. 3-1 for Maru, the prodigy kid.

Dark vs Taeja

Dark_vs_Taeja

*Welcome to the Dark side, Taeja*. Even though Taeja’s last year games were perfect in many ways, winning a lot of tournaments with mostly 3-0 matches, he even had the perfect tournament with a 1st place win, with the over-all score of 18-0, but ever since he went back to Korea his results were not that conclusive. He’ll have to face Dark who is in the top 3 Zergs at the moment and even if Taeja showed a great TvZ, he might just get rolled over by Dark with a 3-2 for Dark.

This is a bracket full of Koreans and Terrans, too bad we won’t see any European or American players, although Snute almost made it into the bracket this year. He will be at IEM in Katowice as a game analyzer.

Who doesn’t enjoy listening to a good story. Personally I love reading about the people who inspire me and what it took for them to achieve their success. As I am a bit of a self confessed tech geek I think there is no better way to discover these stories than by reading every day some articles or the newspaper . My bookcases are filled with good tech biographies, they remind me that anyone can be a success. So even if you come from an underprivileged part of society or you aren’t the smartest person in the room we all have a chance to reach the top. The same message shines in my beliefs. All it takes to succeed is a good idea, a little risk and a lot of hard work and any geek can become a success. VENI VIDI VICI .

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Documentary Explores the Making of the Highly Praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for PS5

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Square Enix has launched a captivating documentary series that explores the intricate process behind the creation of the highly praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. In the first episode, titled “Shaping the World,” the developer delves into the process of reimagining the expansive PS1 map of the original game into a vast sandbox for the PS5. The film includes personal stories shared by directors Naoki Hamaguchi and Tetsuya Nomura, as well as other important members of the team.

This reimagining of the all-time PlayStation classic was truly enjoyable. In our review, we praised Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth for its ability to enhance the already impressive combat system of Remake. The game truly shines in its portrayal of an iconic RPG setting. If you have a deep appreciation for the original PS1 game and found enjoyment in Remake, then Rebirth’s character-focused adventure will surely captivate you from start to finish.

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Gran Turismo 7 for the PS5 and PS4 shows continuous improvement

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While Sony may not classify Gran Turismo 7 as a live-service game, the team at Polyphony Digital certainly approaches it with a similar mindset. The game continues to impress with every new update, and although v1.44 may be smaller compared to previous versions, it still manages to enhance the already extensive content of this simulation racer.

The update, now available worldwide, introduces three new cars: the Audi R8 Coupé V10 Plus ’16, the Lamborghini Urus ’18, and the Toyota GT-One (TS020) ’99. Furthermore, it introduces three fresh events to World Circuits, an extra menu to conquer in the GT Café single-player campaign, and a collection of livery stickers inspired by the upcoming Highspeed Étoile anime, set to debut next week in Japan.

If you’re not already acquainted with Highspeed Étoile, you can watch a trailer right here. “Sony has announced that a collection of 26 stickers, consisting of 8 title logos and 18 main character stickers, will be made available for a limited time,” stated Sony on the PS Blog. In addition, Fukushima will be included as a backdrop in the title’s beloved photography mode.

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TopSpin 2K25 appears to be a standout title in the recent PS5 and PS4 gameplay showcase

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This author has consistently praised the realistic portrayal of tennis in TopSpin 4. After more than a decade, we are thrilled to witness the release of TopSpin 2K25, which expands upon the success of its renowned predecessor. This gameplay video provides a comprehensive overview of the features discussed in our recent preview while also incorporating relevant footage to enhance understanding.

The series’ swing system sets it apart from arcade-style games like Virtua Tennis, as it requires players to charge up their shots in a different way. In order to succeed, timing is crucial, and fortunately, a new meter above your player will assist you in achieving that. Surfaces have their own distinct characteristics, such as clay, where you’ll experience a noticeable amount of sliding.

The game ensures that every player has a distinct set of animations, adding a touch of individuality to each competitor. The courts, found in all Grand Slams, possess a remarkable amount of individuality and charm. It is mentioned in the video that with each in-game season, players can expect a plethora of additional content, such as animation packs. This indicates that there will be plenty to anticipate even after the game’s initial release.

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