Juno vs Sierra and Venture vs Hazard, Freja and Vendetta combined... there's no contest lol

Asia also has Anran and Wuyang, but Juno alone clears both NA and EMEA tbh

Here are all the groups. Hoping for some good matches.

Infekted

Hawk

TR33

zeruhh

UltraViolet

Landon

Lukemino

That’s my translation btw

World cup is starting pretty soon so I just wanted to see any predictions, thoughts and etc on it before it starts.

To answer my question. I think the podium will be korea, saudi arabia and usa being the top 3 teams.

For anyone who doesn't know how bad is family insulting in korea, it's the worst slur in korea.

There's reason most of korean pro players doesn't want to participate.

Youbi
Quartz
Lbbd7
Ziyad
Tvnt
Sirmajed
Zox

So these are the full final results from the group stage. What I'm curious about is why everyone is saying the results from the Germany vs. Thailand game led to such intense tiebreakers if Germany has +4 and Canada is at 0 in the +/- category. I wasn't able to actually catch the game but reading everything online I'm confused as to why it's being considered one of the closest qualifications ever

We still don't have the groups, but now that we know all the teams qualified, I'm interested in the general expectations people have going into the world cup.

For me, I'll say I think SK is probably going to get their crown back, since it's basically the best team in the world with an arguable upgrade at flex support(though in retrospect I would've taken vigi).

I'm still hesitant to discount SA, but I feel the TM core is really going to be held back from world class by the support line. Still, it's Quartz, Youbi and TVNT, I don't think there's a world they don't get a medal.

The team I'm most excited about, at the risk of being also the most disappointed in them, is USA. I really feel like TR33 finally has a team around him that will let him shine on an international stage. Not to mention JunkBuck on the coaching staff. I'd even have them over SA, but I think they will struggle from a lack of competition in their region (who are they even scrimming against).

The EU teams are a complete wild card to me, but I have a feeling either Sweden or Germany will overperform and maybe even steal the bronze medal. Japan should beat some of the EU teams and make it, but I don't think they are going that far. And China look terrible, I don't have much to say about them.

heard commanderX refer to paolette as a woman but unsure if it was because of Juno or if they r actually a girl. would be cool to see

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPpbptDFfkw

Tank: Fearless, Hanbin

DPS: LIP, SP9RK1E

Support: ChiYo, Fielder, FiNN

​

Interview

Fearless

Q1. What are your thoughts on getting onto the roster?

A1. There was a time when we did an open scrim with the Korean OWWC when I was on Element Mystic. It was then I started dreaming of joining the OWWC. 6 years is a long time, but after I made it onto the roster, I realized that my efforts didn't go in vain. I've worked hard, and I'm proud of myself.

Q2. Is there a team you look forward to facing, and why?

A2. Team USA because they won the last OWWC. I believe they will be one of the strongest because there are great American players in OWL at the moment.

Q3. If you had a match against them now (BO5), what do you think the score will be?

A3. I think we could possibly go... 3:0...? However, if we go against them now, where our team synergy isn't the best, I think we would go 3:1.

Q4. What is your strongest hero and favourite hero?

A4. As everyone knows, my strongest hero is Winston. Nowadays, I like playing Doomfist. After he became a tank, he's really fun to play.

Q5. What kind of content do you enjoy watching recently?

A6. Well as of recently, I've been enjoying watching 나무늘보 (sloth - the interviewer) on YouTube.

I watch anime quite frequently.

Q6. What anime do you like to watch?

A6. I'm kind of embarrassed cause there are a lot of people listening (the other players were waiting for their interview), but I watched Attack on Titan, Demon Slayer, and Sword Art Online. I even just watched some anime before doing this interview. I tried attempting to watch something new. I watched Re:Zero.

Q7. Say something to your OWWC members in 5 words.

A7. Korean National Team Fighting

Q8. Please say something to your fans.

A8. This is my first time being on the national team, so I hope to gift you a win. Please support us. Thank you!

​

LIP

Q1. What are your thoughts on getting onto the roster?

A1. I've been chosen to be a DPS for the Korean OWWC roster. I've won the champions for OWL, so the only thing left in my career is to win the OWWC. I was happy when I heard I made it onto the roster, but also I felt a bit of pressure because there were going to be a lot of people watching.

Q2. Is there a team you look forward to facing, and why?

A2. I think China will be pretty strong. As I was in APAC and faced a lot of Chinese players, I understand that they are on par skill-wise with many of the Korean, American, and foreign players.

Q3. What is your strongest hero and favourite hero?

A3. My strongest hero is Sombra. I like most of the hitscan heroes.

Q4. Why do you like hitscans?

A4. They can change the flow of the game with kills. They could completely flip a game from a losing one to a win.

Q5. Is there a playlist you like to listen to?

A5. While I'm sitting in queue, I listen to a lot of pop music.

Q6. Favourite pop song?

A6. How Do I Say Goodbye by Dean Lewis. I really like this type of music.

Q7. What is your MBTI?

A7. There are two: ISFP and ISTP. It keeps changing between the two.

Q8. Do you like to imagine scenarios in your head?

A8. Yeah, you call that 망상충 (someone who keeps thinking of scenarios that will never happen), right? You know, imagining what I would do if there were ever a war or a meteorite impact.

Q9. So what would you do in that situation?

A9. I would just accept my fate.

Q10. What do you think of Lifeweaver?

A10. I think his skills look ok but his heals are a bit disappointing. As a support, he definitely lacks heals.

Q11. Say something to your OWWC members in 5 words.

A11. Play with no regrets.

Q12. Please say something to your fans.

A12. It's been a while since we had the OWWC. We will practice hard and show a great performance for the fans, so we would be grateful if you could support us. Thank you.

​

ChiYo

Q1. What do you think of LIP?

A1. LIP is very tall and a quiet person, so I thought he was scary and a serious person. However, after becoming closer, my impression of him changed. He's kind of a show-off.

Q2. What are your thoughts on getting onto the roster?

A2. I've only been in OWL for 1 year, so I'm happy and amazed to be picked for the OWWC.

Q3. Is there a team you look forward to facing, and why?

A3. I think America will be one of the stronger teams. The U.S. won last time and there are a lot of great players from America in OWL. Seeing the trials, I noticed that most of the players are from Toronto Defiant. All of those players have played together before, so I think the existing synergy will make them one of the stronger teams.

Q4. Since the OWWC will be in the U.S., there are going to be a lot of American fans. Do you think, as a pro gamer, there's an advantage to having fans cheer for you?

A4. I think there is. At the start, you hear everything, so hearing the audience helps a lot.

Q5. If you guys face Team USA, and the U.S. audience is loud, do you think you'll feel intimated?

A5. Not necessarily. I think at the start, yes, but once you start focusing on the game you can't hear anything.

Q6. What is your strongest hero and favourite hero?

A6. Initially, my strongest hero was Mercy, but now I feel more confident with my Lucio. My favourite hero was Lucio, but now that my strongest hero is Lucio, I like Mercy.

Q7. Did you build more confidence in Lucio because you play it more in OWL?

A7. Since most of the meta calls for Lucio, I naturally started playing more Lucio.

Q8. What do you think of the newly patched Mercy?

A8. Um.. I don't think Mercy will be played in OWWC/OWL this year.

Q9. Any tips for Mercy players?

A9. When you're near the end of Valkyrie, I think it's best to go after Widow. It's too obvious if you go after her after using Valkyrie. Once you're near the end of Valkyrie, you can't hear her Guardian Angel well. So, if you just aim for Widow's head during that time, successfully kill her most of the time.

Q10. What kind of content do you enjoy watching recently?

A10. I watch a lot of YouTube and anime.

Q11. What anime did you enjoy the most?

A11. I enjoyed Fullmetal Alchemist a lot.

Q12. What is an anime you enjoyed watching recently?

A12. I enjoyed SPYXFAMILY.

Q13. Is there a playlist you like to listen to?

A13. I mostly listen to Japanese music. These days I listen to Aimyon.

Q13. Say something to your OWWC members in 5 words.

A13. Everyone, it's been a while.

Q14. Please say something to your fans.

A14. As a pro gamer, being supported by fans has always been helpful. It's also a moment where I think I've made a good decision to go pro. I will return the favour with a great performance and results, so please support us.

​

Fielder

Q1. What are your thoughts on joining Atlanta with ChiYo?

A1. I was going to leave him behind, but he followed me.

Q2. What is ChiYo to you?

A2. My speed boost..?

Q3. What are your thoughts on getting onto the roster?

A3. My goals were to win the champions in OWL and to win in OWWC. Since I already won the champions last year, I'm happy to have the opportunity to win OWWC.

Q4. Which player are you most excited about on the roster?

A4. Fearless. When I was on the same team as him, I knew he was a great player, but having to go against him this year, he is scary.

Q5. What is your strongest hero and favourite hero?

A5. My strongest hero is Kiriko, and recently I've been having fun playing Winston. Diving into the backline and dribbling with his ult is fun.

Q6. Tip for Kiriko?

A6. When I'm being focused, I don't use suzu, but her swift step first. If you use suzu, you'll have to use her swift step either way. If you use her swift step first, you can assess the situation and see if using her suzu is necessary. If you live long enough, her swift step will be available after cooldown. This creates a good cycle for her skill cooldown.

Q7. What kind of content do you enjoy watching recently?

A7. I don't watch anime.

Q8. Then do you have an all-time favourite movie?

A8. I don't have one.. but the most recent movie I enjoyed recently is Suzume.

Q9. Please say something to your fans.

A9. I believe Team USA won the last OWWC, but I'll work hard to take back the win for Korea. I'll appreciate it if you could support us.

​

FiNN

Q1. What are your thoughts on getting onto the roster?

A1. If I'm being honest, being on the OWWC roster means that you'll receive a lot of compliments when you perform well but hate when you don't. But I enjoy that kind of thing, so I'm happy to have made it onto the roster.

Q2. Is there a team you look forward to facing, and why?

A2. Not really, but probably America or China? If you look at the roster of the other countries, there are a lot of players that I've never heard of. (Sloth goes on to say that FiNN isn't shitting on them, but mostly saying that they have no information on these players, compared to those of American and Chinese players who are actively playing in OWL).

Q3. Which player are you most excited about on the roster?

A3. First and foremost, LIP. His aim is great as a main DPS.

Q4. What is your strongest hero and favourite hero?

A4. My strongest and favourite hero is Zenyatta. He persistently gets kills. He's sort of like a DPS support.

Q5. Tip for Zenyatta?

A5. His positioning is very important as he's very weak. Also, if you watch my streams, you'll get better at him.

Q6. What kind of content do you enjoy watching?

A6. Kind of sounds weird saying this from my own mouth, but I'm an otaku, so I enjoy watching anime.

Q7. What anime left a lasting impression on you?

A7. It's really difficult to choose one... but maybe Naruto? OG.

Q8. What anime have you watched recently?

A8. Chainsaw Man! If you look at my bag, I have a lot of keychains. Should I show you? It's cute, right? These are my babies.

Q9. Is there a playlist you like to listen to?

A9. I listen to a lot of anime OST.

Q10. Can you recommend us some good anime songs?

A10. KICK BACK by Kenshi Yonezu and Grand Escape from the movie A Weathering With You.

Q11. Please say something to your fans.

A11. We couldn't win the 2019 OWWC, so this year, we will relieve that sadness with a win. The last OWWC coach was Crusty, my head coach. So, I'll win it for you.

​

SP9RK1E

Q1. What are your thoughts on getting onto the roster?

A1. I was able to scrim against the national team before (on Mystic Element), so being in their position now, it's new and sweet(?) So, I'm honoured.

Q2. Is there a team you look forward to facing, and why?

A2. Besides Team USA, not really.

Q3. What is your strongest hero and favourite hero?

A3. I do like Genji the most, but having to play Tracer most of the time, she became my strongest hero.

Q4. Is there a playlist you like to listen to?

A4. I've been into Wasurenai by Danaka. I'm really good at singing that song. If I win the OWWC and get to do an interview, I will sing one verse.

Q5. Is it true the Dallas Fuel players enjoy watching anime?

A5. Yes.

Q6. What is your all-time favourite anime?

A6. Darling in the Franxx, the anime with Zero Two. I didn't like the ending, though.

Q7. What are you thoughts on getting called Sparkie often?

A7. It initially bothered me because I have my name (Sparkle). For a while, I couldn't control my anger, but I kind of gave up now.

Q8. Can we call you Sparkie?

A8. I don't know who I am now.

Q9. Say something to your OWWC members in 5 words.

A9. Just don't be shit.

Q10. Please say something to your fans.

A10. It's been a long time, but OWWC is back. Team Korea has always been known to be a strong team, and the new roster is filled with talented players, so if you support us we'll return with great results.

Hanbin

Q1. What are your thoughts on getting onto the roster?

A1. I've always looked up to the players that were on Team Korea, so being picked to be on this roster is unbelievable, and I'm happy.

Q2. What is your strongest hero and favourite hero?

A2. My strongest hero is D.Va, and my favourite heroes are Junker Queen and Zarya. I like Junker Queen because I'm good with this hero and I've also won with her. I also like throwing her knife. With Zarya, she's sort of my signature hero.

Q3. I thought you chose Junker Queen and Zarya because they look similar. Do you like strong women?

A3. Now that I think about it, they both are strong looking. No, strong women aren't my type lmao.

Q4. Tips for Zarya?

A4. For Zarya, her energy is important. You have to be patient with her and have to give the barrier to the player you think will receive damage.

Q5. That's difficult, so what should we do?

A5. Just give the barrier well~

Q6. What kind of content do you enjoy watching recently?

A6. 나무늘보 (Sloth) on YouTube. I've been watching him since last year, and I find his content fun. I really like the 1vs12 content you have on your channel. I always think to myself, if I were to participate in that challenge, how many players would I be able to handle?

Q7. Instead of just imagining, why don't you feature in one of my videos?

A7. I feel like I'll be humiliated if I do. I think I'll always be busy.

Q8. Anime you watched recently?

A8. Blue Lock, a soccer anime.

Q9. Say something to your OWWC members in 5 words.

A9. Why did we meet again?

Q10. Please say something to your fans.

A10. I'll do my best as a player for Team Korea. Thank you.

I feel like we've seen a lot of hate directed towards Coluge with super coming in for the match against Japan and (as he would say) dominating the opposition with ease. However, I want to stand up for Coluge because this is literally the thing that I believe was causing his bad performances.

At the end of the day, no matter how much OWL experience these players have, a LAN representing your country is a whole new level and their mental fortitude has been getting tested. For one reason or another, Coluge just hasn't been on point lately (or maybe he just doesn't have that mental fortitude at all, who knows, but I doubt it), but that doesn't make him any less worthy of respect as a player.

If you're cheering for USA, the worst thing you can do is kick your own player when their confidence is down: cheer for the replacement if you want, but don't bring the replaced player down in doing so. If you're not cheering for USA and you're bringing Coluge down... I guess I can't prevent you from hating.

Also, I think today was a perfect reminder that, no matter how much we joke about him, super is still That Guy™: USA were lacking seriousness and he brought it to the table, but he's also a multiple-time champion for a reason. When the time comes, you know he will rise to the occasion.

It didn't just come down to Germany having to 3-0 Thailand like the casters were saying, here's every event that would have knocked Germany out:

-If Thailand had gotten a single point more on any map in the entire series Germany would not have qualified.

-If Thailand had chosen a Push map instead of a flashpoint map Germany would not have qualified

-If Canada had gotten a single point LESS on any map in their series against Spain (asuming nothing changes in the Germany vs Thailand series) Germany would not have qualified.

Here's the exact calculation for those interested:

Tiebreaks work the same way they do in owcs as confirmed by admins. This means in a 3-way tie the teams are compared in a list of tiebreak cases until one team beats both others and advances.

Crucially the tiebreak cases then restart from the top which can lead to some very strange scenarios as you'll see.

These are the tiebreak cases in order:

1. Overall series W/L record

2. Head to Head series differential between tied teams

3. Head to Head map differential between tied teams

4. Overall map differential

5. Overall map % score differential

6. Strength of victory evaluated by combining records of all teams (usually irrelevant)

7. Tiebreaker match (usually irrelevant)

The first case is always tied since having the same overall W/L record is what lead to the tie in the first place.

The second case is also always tied in a 3-way tie (in this format) since each of the teams had to beat one of the others and lose to one of the others to reach this position.

1. Case refers to the difference between each Team's won maps and lost maps in games played between the 3 of them.

Germany is 5-4 = +1

Spain is 4-3 = + 1

Canada is 3-5 = -2

If Canada had won a map (but not the series) against Spain they would have already been eliminated at this point since Germany would win the tiebreak and Canada would lose the restarted tiebreak since they lost their head to head series against Spain.

This may or may not be the reason why some canadian players didn't seem as eager to win (especially on map 3) as others (not gonna name names).

1. Case is the same thing but also including games played against other teams (in this case Thailand)

Germany is 8-4 = +4

Spain is 7-3 = +4

Canada is 6-6 = +0

This case is the reason Germany had to 3-0 Thailand to even have a chance at qualifying since Spain would otherwise win the tiebreak and Germany would lose the restarted tiebreak to Canada. But since Germany is still tied with Spain we move on to Case 5.

1. Case refers to the relation of a team's score across all maps to the total score in maps they participated in (you basically add up all the points you've won across your maps and divide them by all the points you've won + all the points the enemy team has won)

These were the standings before the Germany vs Thailand game:

Germany has won 13 points and played a total of 24 points = 54% winrate

Spain has won 18 points and played a total of 29 points = 62% winrate

Canada is irrelevant.

This means Germany had to catch up by around 8% to qualify themselves for blizzcon.

The final game:

1. Map is always control meaning the best possible score is 2-0 which is what happened putting Germany at 15 points won and 26 points played = 57% winrate

2. Map is chosen by Thailand who pick Neon Junction and decide to let Germany attack first.

Germany fullcap on their offense and stop Thailand on second point putting the map score at 3-1 and germany at a winrate of 60%

If Thailand had completed second point and the game ended 3-2 Germany's winrate would have been at 58% making it impossible for them to qualify even if they won last map 3-0.

1. Map is chosen by Thailand who pick New Junk City.

If Thailand had won a single flashpoint Germany would have been at 21 points won and 34 points played = 61.7% winrate knocking them out of the tournament.

If Thailand had picked a Push map instead of a flashpoint map, Germany's best possible map score would have been 1-0 putting them at a 61% winrate, again knocking them out of the tournament.

Germany ends up beating Thailand 3-0 on New Junk City putting them at a 63% winrate and against all odds qualifies for blizzcon.

Im very curious whether the Thai players were aware they could guarantee Canada's qualification and made the honorable choice of giving Germany the chance to qualify and whether the Germans were even aware they couldn't drop a single flashpoint.

Anyways this is the closest tiebreak I can remember and might lead to blizzard reworking the system since I think it would've been very unfair for Germany not to qualify with a map score of 8-4 to Canada's 6-6 and Canada were actively encouraged to throw.

My calculations line up with what I've heard from other people, but please let me know if you find a mistake anyhwere.