With the arrival of the ESL Guild Wars 2 Pro League Finals, ArenaNet has interviewed the various finalists. Find in this post the different interviews of the teams!
Team PZ
What was the highlight of season one?
When we defeated “Ez Pz Lemon Squeezy” which propelled us to the final, Zoose exclaimed, “We're going to the final guys! On Teamspeak and we all started screaming with joy. It was really great.
What aspects do you think you need to improve to win the final?
The most important thing for us is to fine-tune the collaborative aspect so that everyone knows exactly what to do at all times. This will prevent us from wasting time in order to be able to play optimally. Of course, if we change the composition of the team, new players will have to train as much as possible to get to this level.
Looking back, is there anything you wished you could have done differently during the season?
No. We were just happy to have won the last of the five games after starting 0-2.
What is the greatest strength of your team?
Our passion for memes and Java.
What would you like to know when you started out in PvP, and what advice would you give to players looking to reach your proficiency level?
It would have been helpful to know how to find good players and play against them until you were able to beat them. You have to move on to a stronger opponent and so on, then integrate everything you've learned into a team.
Which team will give you the most difficulty?
We face "Rank Fifty Five Dragons" to start. So far, this is our biggest threat.
Have you had any strong moments with the community and the fans during this season?
Every time one of us would log into Skype, Teamspeak, or Guild Wars 2, there was always a fan named WinkyP who would say something like, "Is that really him?" "Hey man I love what you do!" Or "Is this the real Kaypud / Zoose?" It ended up becoming a habit, and Kaypud and Zoose started repeating what he said and made memes out of them. He has become one of our close friends and on February 6th we invited several friends and pro players to come and watch “Ratatouille” with him on his birthday. He loves to cook! WinkyP, we love you.
What lessons have you learned from season one?
We learned not to be too sure of ourselves, which made us lose our first game. We also understood that it was necessary to train again and again, and to concentrate thoroughly.
Was there a season one game that surprised you?
The “Never Lucky” team has improved tremendously over the season. That was a real surprise.
What are you counting on to win the final?
The training, the same and the friendship. God bless America.
Rank 55 Dragons
What was the highlight of season one?
Our match against “The Civilized Gentlemen” was a pivotal event. This team was our best opponent, and winning against them really put us in a good position.
What was the deciding factor in your victory against "The Civilized Gentlemen"?
In our last round against them, we were lagging behind but we managed to eliminate all four of their players at one point. Then we did a triple catch and they couldn't make it back up.
What aspects do you think you need to improve to win the final?
The update has completely changed the game and some of us are forced to learn new classes that we have never played or have not played as a team before. Our goal is to master these new professions and learn how to play them as a team in a limited time.
Looking back, is there anything you wished you could have done differently during the season?
In the first round of the Battle of Kyhlo, we got off to a bad start. We had two 2v2 clashes and one of them didn't work for us. Where we missed the boat was when we had a gate to the steeple, where the 2 against 2 was taking place that we were going to lose. We should have exchanged the losing 2 for 2 players against a mesmer who was in 1 on 1 to balance the fight. It wouldn't have allowed us to win, but it would have narrowed the gap with the “Vermillion” team.
What is the greatest strength of your team?
We really know the rotation of the cards. Our team has always included a Mesmer and a Thief when these classes were OP, and they require a good understanding of the game. Knowing how to rotate with this combo is vital, and that's why we're really good at it - above.
What would you like to know when you started out in PvP, and what advice would you give to players looking to reach your proficiency level?
Watching matches on Twitch is especially helpful. Watching the best PvP players in action will teach you a lot. Then you need to find players that you like to play with. You don't have to form a team right away. It forces you to learn how to play as a team and you develop synergy with others. When you start to participate in tournaments, you get better and better. This is how some of us started.
Which team will give you the most difficulty?
All teams are a threat, but if you really had to pick one, it would probably be “The Abjured”. They have been playing together longer than us, have been to the previous series of world tournaments and managed to finish at the top of the leaderboard.
Have you had any strong moments with the community and the fans during this season?
No, but we thank all those who support us.
What lessons have you learned from season one?
In this season, we had to completely change our style of play, for the first time. We were really used to playing a sorcerer and a thief together, and nothing else. But with the balancing update, we had to adapt. We still have to adapt for the final, and that will make us stronger for season two.
Was there a season one game that surprised you?
Not really. On the other hand, some matches with other teams surprised us, like "Orange Logo" against "Car Crashed" or "Vermillion" against "The Civilized Gentlemen".
What did you learn from these matches? What exactly surprised you?
For "Orange Logo" against "Car Crashed", it was not the game itself that surprised us, but rather the result. We really thought that “Orange Logo” could not lose against “Car Crashed”, which for us was among the worst European teams. As for "Vermillion" against "The Civilized Gentlemen," "Vermillion" clearly had an advantage with the Mesmer's portals, which their opponents had not taken into account.
What are you counting on to win the final?
We manage to stay calm and focused in a stressful environment, and that's why we're going to win the final.
The Abjured
What was the highlight of season one?
We are not sure that we have lived through a particularly decisive moment. We were consistently ahead of the competition and made the necessary changes to maintain our lead.
What aspects do you think you need to improve to win the final?
We have to adapt to the new balancing update.
Which aspect of the new meta game presents the most difficulty?
With the latest update, the pace of the game has picked up and the revival speed has been slowed down. It's more difficult to adapt to it compared to the previous meta game.
Looking back, is there anything you wished you could have done differently during the season?
No, we have no regrets.
What is the greatest strength of your team?
We have been playing as a team for over a year and our composition is particularly stable.
What would you like to know when you started out in PvP, and what advice would you give to players looking to reach your proficiency level?
We would have liked to know how to teleport around the map using skills such as Flesh Wurm or Blink. In terms of advice, we think the best way to improve is to play as a team with like-minded players and compete in duels. Playing multiple matches with the same person can be a lot more fun and help you learn a thing or two.
Which team will give you the most difficulty?
“Rank 55 Dragons”. We've played most of them before and we know how good they are. They know particularly well how rotations work and how to get out of a difficult situation.
Have you had any strong moments with the community and the fans during this season?
Some of us stream a lot and it was really cool interacting with our fans in the queue.
What lessons have you learned from season one?
We are more versatile than ever. Season one and the new meta game forced us to choose other professions. Toker had to give up his thief to use a ghost.
Was there a season one game that surprised you?
No one had imagined that "Apex Prime" would lose to "Never Lucky".
What are you counting on to win the final?
As a team, we have a lot more LAN experience than the others. It can be hard to get used to the presence of cameras and spectators, or even hearing the screams of the other team.
Vermillion
What was the highlight of season one?
We were really happy to have beaten "The Civilized Gentlemen" in week five. We all did our best and it was worth it. It also brought us closer together.
What aspects do you think you need to improve to win the final?
We can always improve, but as a team, we especially need to get used to our new roles.
Looking back, is there anything you wished you could have done differently during the season?
We made a lot of mistakes in the match against "Rank 55 Dragons". Since we lost against them, we have understood a lot of things. It wasn't that bad after all.
What mistakes did you make in the match against "Rank 55 Dragons"? What lessons have you learned from it?
Placing the wrong profession and the wrong archetype against another player is sometimes critical, but it cannot always be avoided. It is important that the right player performs the right spins and uses the right build.
What is the greatest strength of your team?
We know how to work together. We try to develop synergy within the team, and that works for us.
How do you develop teamwork to create good synergy?
No particular method is used. We experiment during matches and we compete against each other to improve and create a good synergy.
What would you like to know when you started out in PvP, and what advice would you give to players looking to reach your proficiency level?
To begin with, I would say you have to learn the basics of each class and everything there is to know about each ability to better counter them. You learn a lot more things when you play a profession different from your own; it allows you to discover the weakness of each of them.
Then I would say you have to be consistent. There is always something new to learn, and with regular effort you just might become the next player in the Pro League.
Which team will give you the most difficulty?
We respect all the teams that made it to the final; we take them all equally seriously.
Have you had any strong moments with the community and the fans during this season?
Not especially, no, but our fans are very supportive of us in the community, and we are really grateful for that.
What lessons have you learned from season one?
You have to learn the good sides and the faults of your team members and work on them. You also have to put each player in the position they prefer, which is always an advantage.
Was there a season one game that surprised you?
Our match against "The Civilized Gentlemen" was a nice surprise. We really thought they would be our biggest threat.
Why did you think "The Civilized Gentlemen" was your biggest threat, and how do you explain your victory against this team?
This was the decisive game, which was going to determine whether we would go to LAN or not, and that's why we thought it would be a crucial moment. We took better advantage of our lineup than they did and won most of the fights together.
What are you counting on to win the final?
If we play as usual, we have our chances in the final.
