Interview with Lambo (Shopify Rebellion): “There’s definitely room for improvement.”

Last weekend, the HomeStory Cup 23 took place in Krefeld, Germany, where the world’s StarCraft 2 elite gathered. The event, hosted by TakeTV, had exactly the action to offer that StarCraft fans worldwide have been asking for. We took the opportunity to have an interview with German player Julian “Lambo” Brosig, who plays for Shopify Rebellion.

Lambo is one of the most famous German players and is one of the best players in Europe. Currently, he is ranked 6th in the rankings. The interview is about Lambo’s experiences at the HomeStory Cup, his assessment of the current ranking, his career as a StarCraft player and more.

A Special Event

Fragster: You are currently in Krefeld at the HomeStory Cup. Is the event something special for you as a German player?
Lambo: The HomeStory Cup is definitely special to me because it’s also the first international event I’ve been to. That was the HSC 10, where I met my (now) friends. Also, the crowd supports me a lot: every time I win a game, I come out and hear the crowd go wild. That’s a pretty special feeling. I’m really happy to come to Krefeld every time.

The first, groovy festival day is over! 🤘#HSC23 is already an absolute blast thanks to you guys and it’s only going to get better! 🔥

Now enjoy the evening! Tomorrow at 1pm CEST the action continues! pic.twitter.com/031Quo34Td

— TaKeTV (@TaKeTV) June 30, 2023

Ambitions

Fragster: At the moment you are 6th in Europe and I guess there is still some room for improvement. But further up there are giants like Serral and Reynor. How realistic do you think your chances are to rise in the ranking?
Lambo: I think I could definitely move up a few places. But 1st place could be difficult because of Serral. I also have problems against Clem, but anything below that should be possible in any case. It depends a lot on the next European tournament. Until then, there won’t be that many tournaments where you can make up points and I will do my best there. But there is definitely still room for improvement and I will try to improve steadily.

Top 12 it is.
I tried my hardest, but Dark was a bit too good for me today.
Overall I felt very comfortable in the lan environment and played okay in most games.
Will continue to practice and improve for the tournaments to come!
Thx for cheering me on throughout 🙂

— LamboSC2 (@LamboSC2) June 17, 2023

Fragster: What is your opinion on the latest patch? Is the Zerg nerf having an impact?
Lambo: I think the patch was generally very good; gameplay-wise it didn’t change too much and I think the maps make more of a difference in the balance than the patch. However, the patch itself has brought some fresh air into the gameplay and has changed a few things that were annoying. In general, it’s gotten a little more difficult against Terrans. Against Protoss, most of the gameplay has remained unchanged. I’m always happy when we get patches though, because fresh gameplay is always welcome.

Lambo’s Beginnings

Fragster: When did you start playing StarCraft and how did you get into the game in times of Couter-Strike and Dota?
Lambo: I started playing StarCraft with Wings of Liberty. I had read a magazine at my buddy’s place where StarCraft got a very high rating and that’s why I bought it. I had just bought a new PC and at the beginning I didn’t like the game at all, because it was my first RTS and I couldn’t use hotkeys yet.

But in the end I really got into it, because I’m an ambitious guy and it was the first competitive game with a 1v1 ladder for me and I wanted to get higher and higher in the rankings. I stuck with it because it’s a game where you can always improve, you can always see your mistakes and you feel accomplished after every win,.

Fragster: How did you decide to become a Zerg player? Is there a special story to it?
Lambo: Unfortunately I don’t have a story. In the beginning I just played random and at some point I decided to only play Zerg. I think it was because I actually won my very first macro game with Zerg. It may well be that that’s why I decided to play Zerg, but I’m not sure if there was a particular moment where I thought to myself “this is why I’m going to be a Zerg player now”. It just kind of happened.

He’s not only a great player, but also a great support and rolemodel to many of the stars on the StarCraft scene.

We’re proudly presenting: @Shopify x Signature Series: @LamboSC2 pic.twitter.com/qFXIRssvZM

— ESL StarCraft 2 (@ESLSC2) February 27, 2022

Fragster: Thinking back to before you became an Esports player, is there a particular tournament or event that stands out in your memory?
Lambo: The only thing I can remember is when I realized Pro Gaming even existed. I had a YouTube suggestion called “MC vs Idra” and I don’t even know exactly what it was, maybe some MLG. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that two people were playing a video game against each other and that there was a crowd that was completely going crazy. I didn’t know anything like that existed until then. That’s why that was probably the most special thing, although I don’t even remember which tournament it was.

The First Title

Fragster: What was the best or most special tournament you played in yourself?
Lambo: The most special tournament for me was the first one I won. That was the first ESL Championship back in Cologne after it was renamed. That tournament was the first thing I won and it triggered a whole new set of feelings that I didn’t know before. Winning something offline for the first time, in front of a crowd; that just felt insane.

Fragster: You’re currently playing for Shopify Rebellion and your CEO Tobias Lütke used to play StarCraft himself. Have you ever talked to him about the game and do you know if he watches your matches?
Lambo: I haven’t met Tobi personally, but I know that he follows StarCraft and is a fan of the HomeStory Cup and sponsors it. I am very grateful for that. I would love to talk to him about that. I have watched him in his stream and I think he is also a Zerg player. Unfortunately I couldn’t give him any tips yet.

It’s the final day of Summer Over Mar Sara at the Homstory Cup 2023 🌴@LamboSC2 looks very excited he got his wish and avoided Clem in the quarter-finals, but Elazer is no pushover 👀

ZvZ action coming right up at #HSC23 🤩

Lambo 🆚 Elazer
📺https://t.co/lbWuaUGmGn pic.twitter.com/hIxhLWwXAj

— Shopify Rebellion (@ShopifyRebels) July 2, 2023

Fragster: If you could change one thing about StarCraft 2, what would it be?
Lambo: My favorite thing would be if we could change small things more often, so that small balancing patches come more frequently when you notice that some things are annoying in the game. Unfortunately, that’s impossible to implement on Blizzard’s side, but that’s how I would prefer it, so that the game always stays fresh and action-packed.