The hype around Maru is hype around Maru, because Maru has always been Maru, which basically means he can just turn it on at any given time, regardless of his "form." Heck, his individual league performances have be abysmal to say the least in LotV, yet he was virtually untouchable in PL. Maybe it's just due to the fact that he struggles in long best of formats which require lots of prep work for specific matches, but honestly Maru is one of the most talented Terran's SC2 has ever seen, and the only thing holding him back is likely motivation/his body breaking down. Since it's a weekend tournament and not something like GSL or Starleague where the opponent has a lot of time to prep, this could actually work out to his advantage since he seems to shine when it's just raw skill vs raw skill without all the prep time leading up to individual opponents. There is a reason Maru's coaches over at JAGW would rate his "Skill Meter" at max, next to only the likes of sOs on his team. It's like the kid is half asleep in the booth half of the time, but when he really plays up to his potential and turns it on, it honestly seems like he's virtually untouchable. So yes, he might completely flop at this tourney, like he is regularly known to do, but he has the potential to just roll through every single opponent along the way and make a miracle run that no one's expecting, since he's currently in a "slump".
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