IEF '09 Recap – Reliving the Memories
Though the crowds are long gone, you can relive all of Pandemic's IEF coverage from start to finish.
The 2009 IEF was coined “the best LAN ever for Starcraft,” and it certainly lived up to its expectations. More than 10,000 spectators converged on Suwon to see twenty of the best non-Korean players face off against top Korean and Chinese talent. We saw legendary progamers defeated, two Koreans fail to advance from the group stage, an American (IdrA) winning third place and the world-renowned Stork taking the gold medal and $10,000.
There was also a second 'foreigners-only' tournament for those pros whose appetite for gaming were insatiable, with RushGooN defeating Pandemic’s own Gretorp in the semi-finals and eventually WCG 2007 third place finisher Strelok in the finals to win himself an additional award and some nice pocket change.
The weekend of November 1st, 2009 will be remembered as one of the biggest moments in the history of non-Korean Starcraft. Luckily, we can say that Pandemic.SC was at the forefront of the action and able to experience history first-hand. Andre “Gretorp” Hengchua and Brian “Assem” Fransioli, returning to Korea for the first time after his stint as a pro-gamer in 2005, were able to compete with the world’s finest gamers and hold their own.
Relive the IEF action by following Pandemic’s coverage of the event below:
IEF Preview + Gretorp, Assem Interviews
IEF Groups Announced, Gretorp + Assem paired
IEF Main Tournament finishes, Stork Wins!
Second IEF Tournament, Gretorp falls in Semis
Gretorp interviewed by Artosis
Watch Assem battle Stork on MBC-Game TV
Download the IEF Replay Pack!
Gretorp’s IEF Blog
Check out the pictures! IEF Gallery
Once again, congratulations to both Assem and Gretorp for their performances on the world-stage! IEF was truly an event to remember.
