English interview - For Is Here #16 - Kelazhur

From United States to Brazil ...

[M] TinkeR : Besides the fact that you are a Brazilian Terran player, we don’t know so much about you. Could you introduce yourself to the readers, and explain how did you fall into StarCraft II and eSports in general ?

Kelazhur : Hello, my name is Diego, better known as Kelazhur. I play Terran ever since StarCraft 1 and because it was my favorite game, I got StarCraft II as soon as it came out.

I discovered eSports when I started playing small Brazilian tournaments and watching GSL.

I understood that you originally come from United States ? For how long have you been in Brazil now ?

Yes, I was born in Florida, but I moved when I was only 3 years old. I've been here for 16 years now.

So back to the beginning of your career and to StarCraft II, what was the very first league placement you had the first time you've played ranked games on ladder ? How much time did it take you to reach Grandmaster league ?

I'm a big lore fan of games, so I only played campaign and customs up until late 2011. I started in Platinum and got Master in a few weeks rushing cloak-Banshees every game XD.

I only played like 40 games a season back then, but when HotS released I decided to play a lot and got Grandmaster in the middle of 2013.

And have you always been a Terran player ?

Yes, I always play the human race in every game. Humans are awesome !

What made you pick Terran instead of another race? Just because they are humans or was there something else ?

Because they are humans of course! I like how humans are kind of the resistance, they are always overwhelmed in numbers or in technology, but make up for it in sweat and blood ! Kind of like John Connor vs Skynet or the marines vs bugs in Starship Troopers... Fighting !

Ahah ok I see :) So since the second half of 2014/ beginning of 2015, you started to emerge as one of the best players in Latin America, qualifying for WCS Premier League barely losing to TLO (against whom you won in the first match) and Polt, 1-2 for both.

What were your expectations for this season, and what are they for the year to come ?

To be honest I just wanted to get to Challenger League, but I got a good match-up for Premier League and was very satisfied with that.

I thought I would lose all maps in my group, so I surprised even myself. After my performance, I want to advance one round further every season at least. So I want to reach at least Ro16 next seasons.

... Before going back to the roots ?

You are freshly teamless now, since you left Try Again three weeks ago. Do you already have some offers here and there ? Are you actually « actively » looking for another team or do you feel good as a lonesome soldier for now ?

I am looking for another team, yes, but I already received some interesting offers that will support me and help me improve, so I think I will not be teamless for much longer.

Any hint ?

I will be moving to their team house soon. That is all you get ;)

Mmh, ok ! What does a typical Kelazhur's day look like ?

Well right now, I have a lot of free time. So I wake up, watch a lot of StarCraft, play a lot of StarCraft, go out to eat at night and end the day watching movies or anime before sleep. Not very interesting I would say, but it is what it is !

Are you still studying or playing full time ?

I was going to start college this year but decided to play full time for a bit, give it a try and see how much I can improve.

We had Petraeus from New-Zealand last week, telling us that he couldn’t have been a progamer if he had stay there. I was going to ask you if you were you considering moving to either NA, Europe or even KR in order to achieve what you want, but I guess we already have an answer?

Do you feel you could have realize the career you want to follow by staying in Brazil ?

Absolutely not. Not only I would have a ping disadvantage by staying here, it would be hard to travel to any event. I don't know how it is in New-Zealand, but I have to agree with Petraeus that to be a progamer you have to move to where your conditions are best.

And how is the StarCraft II scene is going in Brazil at the moment?

Not very well, which is why I dedicated so much to getting better at the game. If I want to keep competing, then I need to ascend to international level.

StarCraft II in general

Legacy of the Void will most probably be released by the end of the year, what are your expectations in terms of the game itself (balance, units) and the scene overall ?

It will push the limits of mechanics and increase the skill ceiling of the game, something I am very comfortable with. Hopefully it will bring more attention to the game as well, as long as the right steps are taken. I look forward to it.

You said you watch a lot of StarCraft. Are you especially looking at Korean competitions like Proleague or GSL ? Which player are you looking for the most, if there's one?

For Proleague I would say Cure, but for GSL I was really rooting for MMA. He is my favorite Korean player overall, very hardworking and charismatic, features that I look up to the most in progamers.

Charisma apart, who would you consider the best Terran player in the world right now ? And among the foreigners ?

Best Terran, I guess it's safe to say it is INnoVation. Among the foreigners, Bunny, though uThermal is almost there. That guy is truly a beast.

What do your friends and family think about your hobby ?

Most of my friends know eSports through League of Legends, so they think it's really cool that I compete and always root for me. My family supports me very much as well, and gave me great advice before WCS. I'm very thankful to all of them.

Do you have any other hobby besides StarCraft II ?

As I said before, I enjoy watching movies and anime regularly. I like to go out and visit new places whenever I get the chance, and I also play and watch many other games.

And where does your nickname come from ?

It's sort of a mix between two characters from WarCraft, Kel'Thuzad and Ner'Zhul. I made it when I used to play World of WarCraft, but I couldn't create Kel'Azhur, so it just ended up being Kelazhur.

Bonus !

Ok time for the bonus questions now ! I will give you ONE word only, and you'll have to answer whatever goes through your mind ! Ready?

Ready.

Tournament.

WCS.

Unit.

Hellbat.

Movie.

Starship Troopers.

OP.

Protoss.

Caster.

RotterdaM.

Anime.

Cowboy Bebop.

Great ! Well this is the end of the interview. I'd like to thank you a lot for your time :) If you have any last words for our readers, and shoutouts to make, please feel free !

Thank you for this interview, and a shoutout to the people who rooted for me, my friends from Try Again and the Dankmeme Crew XD.

Thanks again, bye !