Zeus Accidentally Reveals HLE’s Weakness
This afternoon (March 10), the First Stand 2025 tournament will officially kick off with some “fiery” matchups. First up is the battle between representatives from North America and Europe as TL faces off against KC. Following that is a clash between China and Korea with HLE taking on TES. These are all matchups between regions that don’t quite get along, so First Stand 2025 promises to be extremely exciting. Moreover, Zeus is a highly anticipated name as this is his first international tournament after leaving T1.
Therefore, when speaking to the media about the upcoming opponents, Zeus appeared extremely confident in HLE’s victory. He even sent a strong “battle cry” to TES, stating that HLE could easily defeat the duo of 369 and Kanavi on the opposing side. However, this interview response from Zeus inadvertently revealed a significant weakness of HLE: they have no information on the playstyle of their opponents at First Stand 2025.
“Honestly, we (HLE) have not scrimmed with other teams, so we don’t know their strength. For me, TES is still the most formidable opponent since 369 and Kanavi are both experienced players. The matchup between me and 369 will be quite intense and needs to be carefully prepared. However, I believe that my teammates and I can easily defeat TES if we don’t make mistakes,” Zeus shared with the media ahead of their debut at First Stand 2025.
Zeus and Teammates Must Adapt Quickly to Win First Stand 2025
One of the key differences between First Stand 2025 and other international tournaments like MSI or Worlds is the extremely short competition duration. While MSI lasts about 20 days, Worlds can extend even longer (around 40 days). This extended time frame allows teams to learn from each other’s strategies and gradually adapt to the tournament meta. In contrast, First Stand 2025 takes place over just one week, meaning that adaptation to opponents and the tournament meta must happen much more quickly to compete successfully.
For HLE, the fact that they haven’t done any research on their opponents is a significant disadvantage for Zeus and his teammates. They might face unusual strategies from other teams (especially from Western representatives) and encounter many challenges in executing their familiar playstyle. It is important to note that the playoffs of First Stand 2025 will follow a single-elimination format with no losers’ bracket. Therefore, HLE needs to make the most of the upcoming group stage matches to research and quickly adapt to their opponents if they want to avoid a regrettable elimination.