The following has been transcribed from a brief audio interview that I was able to conduct with Splyce Stats following his Round of 8 victory over Special in the 2018 WCS Global Finals.

(edited for brevity)

Cyan: Congratulations on your win! Its a great achievement to reach the semifinals of BlizzCon, how are you feeling after your win?

Stats: Last year I dropped out in the group phase and I really regretted it because BlizzCon is all about the Round of 8. You only get to play on this huge stage when you go to the Round of 8. So I really tried my best to come here and I’m happy to be able to play here.

Cyan: Like you mentioned, you did drop in the group stage last year, competing in the same group as Special at the time. What’s it like to not only reach the Round of 8 like you said, but also to defeat Special in that Round of 8?

Stats: Yeah I mean, Special was one of the reasons why I dropped out last year, and I really wish to get on stage and be able to play him again and prove to everyone else that I can actually beat him. Everything went according to plan!

Cyan: The rest of the bracket has gone up on its end now because sOs has done the unthinkable by defeating Maru. Is there anyone who could be harder to prepare for than sOs and his erratic playstyle? How difficult will it be for you to prepare for this match?

Stats: Its definitely going to be a very tough match since sOs is so strategic. I saw him play against Maru and I was thinking ‘He’s a genius’ because he comes up with those build orders. I will try my best to find a way to counter him but its going to be a tough match.

Cyan: Do you think that you can win it all this year? Who do you think is your biggest threat to your victory in the Global Finals?

Stats: I think the one guy who could stop me from lifting the trophy would be Serral. But me personally, I’ve trained really heavily and prepared really well during the past month, so I will definitely be able to win the trophy.