Sky's extraordinary gentleness is always impressive to witness and the same goes for the fans eagerness for autographs and pictures with the stars. There seems to be a very general appreciation of both the art of Warcraft 3 that these guys display and their celebrity status. If there was anybody who hedged a dislike against any of the four players I couldn't tell.

Tournaments in China are always something special. Not only because of the fans but also due to a certain largesse that is just a natural part of Chinese events. And even more so this time. The decision to hold these PGL and WC3L finals at the Happy Valley Park in Beijing under the brightly burning sun creates an atmosphere unlike any I have seen at an eSports event before.

The stage is built on a square surrounded on three sides by a Western village built into rock walls. The construction is sprinkled with Greek walls and columns. Like you would imagine an Eastern Asian amusement park. On the top end above the stage is the main path of a water rollercoaster that leads to a steep drop on the sides of the stage. So constantly we have people screaming their lungs out before plunging into a deep pool of water, getting soaked completely.

Having to pay a hefty fee to enter the park doesn't seem to hinder fans. The rows were mostly filled yesterday although I couldn't help feel that we were part of the attraction. There were quite a few people that stopped by just to see what it was about. Those not interested in Warcraft 3 quickly caught on a new activity: Watching and photographing us Europeans. I thought foreigners were common place enough in Beijing but obviously I was wrong. This became increasingly apparent when we strolled through the park handing out lottery tickets for the main raffle. We ended up having more pictures taken with random park visitors than successfully handed out tickets. We felt like the main attraction only equalled by the Cosplay girls that provided part of our stage show.

Full of impressions we let the day fade out on a light note. Together with Shy, Focus and a few colleagues we went to a Korean restaurant close to the park in the hopes that the South Korean pros would guide us in terms of food. We have gotten used to the fact that the majority of Chinese doesn't speak any European language but that didn't prepare us for a Korean restaurant where not one person could speak a word of Korean. At least the menu had Korean translations, so we were able to order us some fine Bulgogi - freshly grilled, thin beef stripes that you either roll into lettuce or dip into a variety of sauces. Focus and Shy were satisfied with the delicious meal and we had a relaxed chat about Korean military service, their current team WICKED, Sam Matthews and their nights out with fnatic's CS team that they are close friends with. That's how a long day or actually two long days ended since we left Germany early on Saturday. China never ceases to amaze.

Lots of photos from Beijing (Fans, winners, stage etc.)

First Blog entry - ESL's first open air event

WC3L Finals XV page