Add osu! World Cup 2024: Qualifiers Recap news post

news/2024/2024-10-28-performance-points-star-rating-updates.md

@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ date: 2024-10-28 11:16:34 +0000
 
 The time for change is finally here!
 
-![](/wiki/shared/news/banners/pp-sr-pippi.jpg)
+![](/wiki/shared/news/banners/pp-sr-pippi.jpg?2)
 
 There are changes to all game modes this time around in an effort to improve the difficulty and performance calculations. This news post will discuss what has changed in a format that should be understandable to you, the player!
 

news/2024/2024-10-30-osu-world-cup-2024-qualifiers-recap.md

@@ -0,0 +1,148 @@
+---
+layout: post
+title: "osu! World Cup 2024: Qualifiers Recap"
+date: 2024-10-30 12:00:00 +0000
+---
+
+The greatest osu! tournament of the year has begun, and so have the recaps!
+
+![](/wiki/Tournaments/OWC/2024/img/owc2024-banner.jpg)
+
+With just over 1,200 registrations representing 77 countries, the osu! World Cup 2024 (OWC) stands as the largest in history. 65 of these countries were able to put together a roster eligible to compete in the qualifying stage this past weekend. This significant increase in participation was enabled by the first increase in rank range that OWC has ever seen, lifting the minimum global rank required from #5,000 to #10,000.
+
+This OWC has come with another major update as the mappooling team opted to lift the double-banning restriction from previous years. This decision aligns more closely with modern tournament standards and was influenced by a shift away from traditional "slot pooling" towards a newly restructured, more varied mappool format.
+
+Let's dive deeper into the mappools and see what the team released for Qualifiers! Later, we'll chat with two of our head mappooling staff members, [chiv](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/6701656) and [Dada](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/9119507) to get the inside scoop on building a mappoool fit for top-tier competition.
+
+## Mappool recap
+
+[**Download the pool here! (132 MB)**](https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmaps/packs/P263)
+
+<div align="center" class="osu-md__paragraph">
+    <iframe width="95%" style="aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;" src="https://player.twitch.tv/?video=2281065609&parent=osu.ppy.sh&autoplay=false" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no"></iframe>
+</div>
+
+![Qualifier mappool table](/wiki/shared/news/2024-10-30-osu-world-cup-2024-qualifiers-recap/mappool.jpg)
+
+The osu! World Cup 2024 Qualifier pool featured an 11-map lineup, all tailor-made to accurately gauge the skill levels of the participating teams. While it marked a notable step up in difficulty from last year, some teams still managed to secure full combos with all four players  a testament to the significant improvements across the competitive field.
+
+Highlights from the pool include [Crystal Illusion](https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/2267934#osu/4829693) by [milr_](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/4485933) (HR2), a Hard Rock precision map packed with challenging flow aim and cut stream patterns. This map set the stage for one of the round's most impressive scores: an SS by ::{ flag=US }:: [decaten](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/5645231), which was the first SS on any Hard Rock map in OWC since the Round of 32 in 2022! Another standout was [We Are One (Original Vocal Mix)](https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/2267993#osu/4829833) by ::{ flag=GB }:: [Aistre](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/4879380) (DT1), a blazing-fast Double Time aim map with high AR and throwback patterning that tested players with its nostalgic, old-school flair.
+
+Rounding out the highlights is the return of the osu!mania 4K World Cup 2023 original [Deorbit](https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/2268007#osu/4829864), skilfully reimagined by [Wispy](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/11106929) for the Hidden pool. With its intricate rhythms and complex structure, this map brought a unique challenge to the osu! World Cup as well, standing out as one of the toughest in the pool by week's end, as the stats show.
+
+## Qualifier highlights
+
+<div align="center" class="osu-md__paragraph">
+    <iframe width="95%" style="aspect-ratio: 16 / 9;" src="https://player.twitch.tv/?video=2287184079&parent=osu.ppy.sh&autoplay=false" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no"></iframe>
+</div>
+
+Qualifiers kicked off with a bang, sparking endless community chatter. With 65 different countries competing for only 32 spots, the competition was packed with heartbreaks, surprises, and exciting first-time achievements.
+
+![Qualifier results table](/wiki/shared/news/2024-10-30-osu-world-cup-2024-qualifiers-recap/results.jpg)
+
+Kicking off with the top three seeds, among the usual suspects lies a rising star  Australia! Known for their consistent top finishes between 5th and 12th place, ::{ flag=AU }:: Australia has come out stronger than ever, achieving an impressive #2 seed this year. They join familiar titans, ::{ flag=KR }:: South Korea and ::{ flag=US }:: the United States, who snagged the #1 and #3 seeds, respectively. These two teams have been fierce rivals for two years running, and while the U.S. has held the advantage so far, whispers around the community suggest this year could mark a shift in the balance.
+
+Among the osu! World Cup staples, teams like ::{ flag=DE }:: Germany, the ::{ flag=GB }:: United Kingdom, and ::{ flag=HK }:: Hong Kong continue to show up in force, though one notable shock was ::{ flag=PL }:: Poland. The former osu! World Cup 2017 winning country missed out on a top 10 qualifying placement, despite finishing as #2 seed just last year. This year saw several veteran players step down, including #1 Qualifiers performer ::{ flag=PL }:: [maliszewski](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/12408961). Now, Poland's new generation, led by the experienced ::{ flag=PL }:: [Rafis](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/2558286), is stepping up to the challenge of maintaining the team's legacy.
+
+The biggest buzz came from the battle for the coveted 32nd seed, with ::{ flag=BY }:: Belarus seizing the final spot and edging out fierce underdogs like ::{ flag=UY }:: Uruguay, ::{ flag=MX }:: Mexico, ::{ flag=IT }:: Italy, and ::{ flag=VN }:: Vietnam. Each team showed incredible drive and left it all in the lobby, proudly representing their countries.
+
+Several teams made history by participating in the osu! World Cup Qualifiers for the very first time! A round of applause to ::{ flag=BA }:: Bosnia and Herzegovina, ::{ flag=DO }:: the Dominican Republic, ::{ flag=GE }:: Georgia, ::{ flag=MO }:: Macau, and ::{ flag=RS }:: Serbia. While they may not have qualified this year, their performances showcased their immense desire for a spot and promise for the future!
+
+## A view behind the mappools
+
+<style>
+    .news-chat-quote__avatar {
+        float: left;
+        width: 40px;
+        height: 40px;
+        border-radius: 50%;
+        margin-left: -50px;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__text-container {
+        margin-left: 50px;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__username {
+        font-weight: 600;
+        margin-bottom: 2px;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__colour-lvd {
+        color: #FFD1DC;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__colour-gmt {
+        color: #99EB47;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__colour-nat {
+        color: #fa3703;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__colour-bn {
+        color: #A347EB;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__colour-no-group {
+        color: #FFFFFF;
+    }
+
+    .news-chat-quote__colour-fa {
+        color: #00FFFF;
+    }
+</style>
+
+::{#dada-and-chiv}::
+
+![](/wiki/shared/news/2024-10-30-osu-world-cup-2024-qualifiers-recap/chiv-and-dada-banner.png)
+
+Mappooling for the biggest tournament of the year is not an easy feat, especially for a stage as crucial as the Qualifiers. Below you will find an interview with [chiv](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/6701656) and [Dada](https://osu.ppy.sh/users/9119507), members of the osu! World Cup mappooling selector team. They are in charge of mappooling the entire tournament, but we will delve into the specifics of pooling for the Qualifiers.
+
+<div class="news-chat-quote__text-container">
+
+<a class="avatar news-chat-quote__avatar" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/7944724" style="background-image: url('/wiki/shared/news/2024-07-12-osu-catch-world-cup-2024-concludes/avatar-0x84f.jpg')"></a>
+
+<p class="news-chat-quote__username"><a class="news-chat-quote__colour-gmt" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/7944724">0x84f</a></p>
+
+What are the challenges of map pooling for Qualifiers, considering that these pools set the bar for the minimum difficulty threshold that will be present across the tournament?
+
+<a class="avatar news-chat-quote__avatar" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/9119507" style="background-image: url('/wiki/shared/news/2024-10-30-osu-world-cup-2024-qualifiers-recap/avatar-dada.jpg')"></a>
+
+<p class="news-chat-quote__username"><a class="news-chat-quote__colour-bn" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/9119507">Dada</a></p>
+
+The biggest challenges are twofold:
+
+1: Trying to make a pool that is at the same time accessible for the lower and middle tier teams, as well as not completely free for the top teams, which is definitely a lot tougher now that the rank range has been expanded. This also has to be taken into account when choosing how to present certain skill sets, trying to make sure that no skill set is completely gated behind another one in such a way as to limit the player base that can reasonably play that map too much.
+
+The same thing doesn't have to happen in later stages, not only due to the increase in the skill level of the lower end, but also because you have more map slots to work with, and split those skill sets up. Which brings us to:
+
+2: Balancing skill set distribution over a smaller pool format — the pools over the course of the tournament have free mod slots, and generally have more maps per mod pool (or at least will, eventually). With less total maps comes less possibilities to distribute the map niches we want to test, which means sometimes we have to clump skill sets together on some maps, like [Deorbit](https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/2268007#osu/4829864) or [Crystal Illusion](https://osu.ppy.sh/beatmapsets/2267934#osu/4829693) this year.
+
+Furthermore, some skill sets are basically incompatible with either the other niches or with mod pools in general, which limits our options even further. It's a delicate balance of trying to do as much as possible while not throwing everything off-kilter.
+
+Doing all of that while managing a full-custom qualifier pool, which means we have limited control of how difficult maps are in relation to each other, and how much the niche we want them to fill is actually expressed to begin with, means that it's all a pretty difficult endeavor. I think we ended up doing a decent job of it, though.
+
+<a class="avatar news-chat-quote__avatar" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/7944724" style="background-image: url('/wiki/shared/news/2024-07-12-osu-catch-world-cup-2024-concludes/avatar-0x84f.jpg')"></a>
+
+<p class="news-chat-quote__username"><a class="news-chat-quote__colour-gmt" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/7944724">0x84f</a></p>
+
+How does the map pooling team determine difficulty of Qualifiers map pools, and has there been an exponential increase in difficulty over the past few years?
+
+<a class="avatar news-chat-quote__avatar" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/6701656" style="background-image: url('/wiki/shared/news/2024-10-30-osu-world-cup-2024-qualifiers-recap/avatar-chiv.jpg')"></a>
+
+<p class="news-chat-quote__username"><a class="news-chat-quote__colour-lvd" href="https://osu.ppy.sh/users/6701656">chiv</a></p>
+
+It's common practice in most tournaments to base the qualifier difficulty off of the mid-range stages, and OWC is no exception. The Qualifiers this year are around 7.3*, which is parallel to our current Quarterfinals difficulty. The mid-range scope allows for a general assessment of a team's skill cap and consistency capabilities. It's important to recognize that while seeing your favourite players battle it out on extremely difficult maps may be incredible, we can't forget about consistency being the most vital skill set in tournament gameplay.
+
+As you've probably recognized, OWC has seen a drastic upward shift in difficulty over the last few years. Due to multiple factors like technological development, skill set refinement and overall player growth, the tournament as a whole has gotten much harder (OWC'24 RO32 being comparable to OWC'20 QF). Qualifiers has followed suit alongside the rest of the mappools. As players continue to grow and hone their craft, we'll do our best to continue to match the expectations.
+
+</div>
+
+---
+
+For the next month and a half, get ready to immerse yourself in top-tier osu! tournament action! Check out the [osu! World Cup wiki page](/wiki/Tournaments/OWC/2024) to download and try the mappools yourself, see the schedules for when your favourite teams are playing, and all of the other essential details. Join us on stream live this weekend for the Round of 32 at [osulive](https://www.twitch.tv/osulive) or [osulive_2](https://www.twitch.tv/osulive_2) to support your favorite players and teams.
+
+Join us next week for more exciting updates and news!
+
+0x84f, ChillierPear, Dada