"I want to win this IEM Katowice": catching up with Lee "Life" Seung Hyun before the World Championship

We chatted with reigning World Champion and most recent Intel Extreme Masters champion Life to get his thoughts on Intel Extreme Masters Katowice. Despite a surprising recent 3-4 loss late last week to Dream, this Zerg is still at the top of his game.

ESL: Congratulations on your comeback win at Taipei! What edged Maru out and gave you the win? Do you think it was aggressive play? Scouting? Your timing? Your micro? Tell us how you did it.
Life: I think it is good timing.

ESL: Short and sweet. It's you, Solar, hydra and Dark for the Zerg at Katowice. You said before you were the only Zerg good enough to influence the game right now. What happens if you face Solar? We know ZvZ is your best matchup, but he might really be hungry for a win…
Life: I have confidence in ZvZ, so I’m confident I can win against him.

ESL: What's making the magic happen for you right now? Any special training techniques or hours?
Life: I play a lot of games... I have thought for game - that’s why.

ESL: Here's a name that might (is it even possible?) strike fear into you heart: Zest. Yes, you beat him at Intel Extreme Masters New York and at BlizzCon, but what about those three dropped maps at Toronto? Is there any part of you that thinks Zest is still a threat here?
Life: I don’t like the map pool, so I wouldn’t like to come up against him. I think he is a good player.

ESL: Tell us about your schedule these days. Is it eat, breathe, sleep StarCraft? You seem to be winning a lot - where are those strategies developing?
Life: When I’m not eating or sleeping, I’m wrapped up in in practicing. I make my own strategy in gaming.

ESL: What do you expect from the other players at Katowice? Have you seen anything in their games lately that's stuck out to you?
Life: I want to play exciting games.

ESL: What's your next move? Is there a tournament you really want to cross off your list?
Life: I want to win this IEM Katowice.

To summarize:

Want to watch Life come up against the rest of the best at the Intel Extreme Masters World Championship? Tune in on the 11th of March to get started!

Also be sure to check out our Intel Extreme Masters Katowice StarCraft II survival guide for everything you need to know about the upcoming tournament.

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