As region-locking came into effect, one Code S-level Zerg went against the grain and decided to risk it all to come compete in the foreign scene. He left behind his home, his family, his friends, all his established connections in Korea. He joined a North American team, and hoped to make it big outside of Korea, just like the legendary globe-trotting Koreans of the Wings of Liberty days.

He succeeded, bursting onto the scene with impressive mechanics and stage experience. It wasn't long before he won a championship, achieving more in a few months of North American play than he had in years in Korea.

Sound familiar? That's because that's Hydra's story, not TRUE's. But there are quite a few parallels.

When Hydra first made the leap across the Pacific in 2015, he was going against the tide of Korean players returning to Korea from Europe and North America after region-locking first came into effect. In his first tournament, he looked unstoppable, before Polt pulled off a remarkable comeback win. Still, he netted himself a title in Season 2 of that year, earning himself more in 2015 than in the entire 2012-2014 period.

Hydra flourished in the foreign environment, not only defeating foreigner after foreigner, but drastically upping his win rate against Koreans as well. Just a few months later he was in the finals of the combined WCS Season 1. A few months after that, he stormed his way to a championship in Season 2.

TRUE had more success in Korea than Hydra did. He was a regular Round of 32 performer in the GSL, and made the semifinals in 2014. In DreamHack: Moscow and DreamHack: Tours, he also made the semis, before losing to Curious in the finals at DreamHack: Valencia in 2015.

TRUE joined Psistorm Gaming near the end of last year, and from there worked to obtain a visa to compete in the now even more strictly region-locked WCS Circuit. Throughout the process he struggled in Korea, only reaching Code A in Season 1. He once again made Code S in Season 2, but somewhat astonishingly forfeited his seed to move to North America once the visa came through.

Unlike Hydra, however, TRUE didn't have the same instant impact in the foreign scene. He reached the quarterfinals of HomeStory Cup XIII, but fell there to a somewhat-resurgent Scarlett, 3-2. He didn't compete in either DreamHack: Valencia or IEM Shanghai.

TRUE's defeat at HomeStory Cup sparked a great deal of discussion in the foreign community. Was it true that Korean Zergs were actually just bad (they have been struggling greatly this year)? Had foreigners closed the skill gap so dramatically? The foreign scene had gotten used to a beatable Polt, Hydra and viOLet, but TRUE was fresh from Code S.

Then along came the WCS Circuit Summer Championship, and we get at least of few answers.

First of all, TRUE is good at StarCraft. His micro intensive Zergling usage and strong tactical sense makes up for some occasionally sloppy macro — or perhaps it causes it. His heavy counter-attack style is reminiscent of Life and, as we saw in Valencia, the young Italian Reynor. Most of his games ended not with a decisive fight, army against army, but with an economy-gutting Zergling run-by or Baneling drop. And in a TvZ meta that is still dominated by Roach/Ravager compositions, TRUE routinely used Zerling/Baneling compositions against HeRoMaRinE and Polt, even using the seldom-seen Mutalisks in some games.

TRUE was in form this event, tearing through Snute 3-0, Harstem 3-0, and a surprisingly strong Welmu 3-0. His first lost was to the similarly in form HeRoMarinE, but he took that series 3-1. With only a single dropped map to Polt in the final, he finished the tournament with a 16-2 record.

That dominance from TRUE distracted from a host of side stories that played out through the three days of competition. The strength of the Korean contingent was one such storyline. While TRUE and Polt took over the tournament, TRUE's spiritual precursor, Hydra, had a disappointing first round loss to Welmu. viOLet, meanwhile, lost to MajOr, who showed some of his old talent. A mixed bag, at least.

TRUE's run also underscored a disappointing first round loss for Snute, fresh off a title in China and still one of the most dangerous foreigners in 2016. Similarly, TRUE overshadowed an exceptionally strong performance from HeRoMaRinE, who fought his way through three tough matches against ShoWTiMe, MarineLorD and MajOr.

Finally, a great showing by the hometown hero Scarlett made up for MaSa's unexpected defeat, but it was Neeb who had the strength to move on to the semifinals to face Polt, as he beat the Canadian Zerg 3-0. Neeb would lose that now classic matchup, giving Polt the edge in their career head-to-head, 4-3.

Overall, this is TRUE's first real tournament in the foreign scene, and he nailed it. He won, and he won in his own style, tearing apart his opponents with counterattacks and being almost irresponsibly reliant on a Zergling/Baneling composition.

He looked just about as strong as Hydra did when he first came to America in Season 1 of last year. But this time when the Korean Zerg met Polt in the final, the Zerg won. If that is anything more than an interesting coincidence, WCS players should be very, very scared of TRUE.

TRUE has broken into the scene, now all remains is to see how far he can go. Like Hydra, Polt and viOLet, TRUE is here to stay, and that opens up a lot of opportunities for more showings like this. After losing to Polt in Season 1, Hydra barely skipped a beat before winning it all in Season 2. It was only later that the ROOT Gaming Zerg slowed down — or the rest of the competition sped up.

TRUE has already won his championship, what's next?

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto, who shed a tear when he typed out l-i-f-e in this article. You can follow him on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On Saturday, ByuN "ByuN" Hyun Woo slammed his way back onto the Korean StarCraft 2 scene, with a devastating 4-1 over 2015 WCS world champion Kim "sOs" Yoo Jin. It's a long way to come from where ByuN was a year and a half ago — i.e., nowhere at all.

During his prime in the late Wings of Liberty period, ByuN earned the nickname "GhostKing" for his pioneering use of mass Ghosts and Vikings in late-game TvP. The handle fit his playstyle, but it also came to represent his character as a player. ByuN has been elusive for much of StarCraft's adult life, and it's only recently that he has once again made his presence felt. But now that he's back, he's making it clear the King was never really dead.

First playing for ZeNEX and then for Prime, ByuN performed well in his first three years on the scene, but he struggled in 2013 to adapt to the new meta of Heart of the Swarm. He failed to reach Premier League in all three seasons of WCS Korea. In December that year, he disappeared from the competitive scene altogether.

He had been playing in team leagues, and he was supposed to play in the qualifiers for 2014 leagues — but he never actually did, and no one, at least in the foreign scene, knew where he'd gone.

One of the better WoL Terrans (a two-time GSL semifinalist) became an enigmatic figure. Rumors of "KeSPA jail" began circulating. Fans would catch wind that he was signed up for a qualifier, only to be disappointed when he didn't show. When ByuN's Prime teammate MarineKing returned to play SC2, the team's coach indicated that ByuN would also make an appearance, but nothing came of it. ByuN was well and truly gone.

Then, almost a year and a half later — an eon in esports terms — ByuN played in the April 2015 Olimoleague. He won.

Over the following months, he tore his way through online cups, winning consistently online, but never appearing at a LAN. In October, Prime collapsed under the weight of a match-fixing scandal, and we learned ByuN was now playing for a Chinese squad called X-Team.

Back on the scene, ByuN quickly rose to prominence as one of the strongest players in the Legacy of the Void beta. He continued to dominate online after release, qualifying for his first LAN tournaments since his disappearance. He eventually made a deep run into the Top 4 at SSL Season 1, though in GSL he lost to Curious in Code A.

He struggled in the offline environment, visibly anxious during several matches. But little by little, fans got a better look at ByuN — the man who had gone from meta pioneer, to meme, and now was back to being one of the most feared forces in StarCraft.

What people saw, they liked. Legacy of the Void fit ByuN's strengths perfectly, and his masterful micro and multitasking were on full display. His Medivac/Tank micro was awe-inspiring, and his focus-fire on Banelings soon became a trademark move.

In May 2016, ByuN left X-Team and struck out on his own, qualifying this time for both Korean premier leagues. Soon those incredible tactical skills were on display on the biggest stages. ByuN was eliminated in the Ro16 of SSL by a combination of Solar and Classic, but in GSL he seemed untouchable. ByuN beat Losira, Seed, sOs and Dark in the group stages, before overcoming Ryung in a tight TvT series and then smashing Dear in the semis to reach the finals.

In his winner's interview after the series against Dear, ByuN revealed how he had prepared for the match. Without the structure of a team house — the readily available practice partners or the infrastructure — ByuN had gone further afield. He had reached out to a variety of players: Super, the Korean Protoss, but also the Chinese players Cyan and Jim, and the American prodigy Neeb (currently practicing in Korea). For guidance, he said he had relied on "coach ByuN."

ByuN's win over sOs in the GSL finals is the latest chapter in the developing story of Korea's progaming infrastructure. Though KeSPA teams have proven that they can successfully produce superstars like Maru, Innovation, Stats, Dark and sOs, a handful of Koreans have flourished in the more lax environment of foreign teams or personal sponsorships.

Globe-trotting Koreans like Taeja, MC and HyuN are excellent examples of this. Players like FanTaSy have excelled only after joining a foreign team. Polt spent most of his career abroad as the only player under the CM Storm brand. Last year, Rain became the first player on a foreign team (mYinsanity) to win a GSL title.

But rarely has a player been so successful without any team to speak of. ByuN can't even rely on friends in Korea to practice with him in custom games, like Polt, for example, is able to do. ByuN has emerged from his mysterious disappearance as a lone wolf.

That makes his win all the more terrifying. ByuN not only defeated the two-time world champion, he did so with a fraction of the resources. sOs had teammates like Maru and Cure to help him with regular practice in TvP, but that didn't help.

And make no mistake — ByuN stomped him. After a wacky first game where both players attempted to proxy each other, ByuN maintained firm control of the series. Game 2 highlighted his incredible micro, from individual marine drop control to some of the best kiting we've ever seen (fittingly, with a Ghost/Viking composition).

Game 3 on Dusk Towers was almost painful to watch, as ByuN slowly picked sOs apart. Game 4 was much the same. sOs looked shaky from Game 3 on, making a series of questionable tactical decisions. ByuN brought it home with an absolutely dominant Game 5 on Frost, showing near-perfect execution.

With that, ByuN made history by being the first teamless player to win a GSL title. He did so nearly alone, shortly after returning from an almost 18-month break without a professional match of StarCraft 2. Emerging from his disappearance, he has returned to become perhaps the best Terran in the world.

ByuN also seems like he's mastered his own demons. He's become more and more comfortable in an offline setting, and this season he's shown some of the best control we have ever seen in StarCraft 2. If ByuN can maintain his ridiculous micro and multitasking, while surviving alone in a world full of KeSPA team members, then Legacy of the Void will continue to reward the Ghost King with the best results of his interesting career.

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto who is hailing the new Terran church of ByuN, successor to Taeja. You can follow him on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Just after her victory at the third season of Kings of the North in Toronto, Sasha "Scarlett" Hostyn sat down with theScore esports to talk about her play in the tournament, the Korean scene and the new Team Expert.

First of all, congrats on winning the tournament, how did you feel about your level of play?

Pretty good. I’ve been playing well for a while, but [I've] been having some issues in tournaments with playing as well as I do in practice. But I feel like most of the games today until the finals I played my best, so I’m happy.

How is your training in Korea going? What’s life like there with the small group of foreign players?

Right now I’m back in Canada for a bit, but being there is really fun. Me, Jake [NoRegret] and Alex [Neeb] — Alex unfortunately is leaving soon — but it was fun when he was there, having him experience Korea.

What was your favorite thing you did there together as a group?

We actually didn’t do a lot together because I wasn’t there for long when Alex was there. So it was mostly just practice.

How has the training affected your playstyle?

Partly because I have been practicing in Korea, my playstyle is a lot more similar to the Korean playstyle of Zerg, in some ways, especially in ZvT. The training has mostly made my early game a lot better, because there’s more focus on aggression early game in Korea so it helps with that.

There’s been a lot of talk this tournament about you having confidence in the Korean meta, even when players like Snute and Nerchio have been a bit critical of it. What do you think about that?

A lot of the European games I watch, I feel like there’s some flaws in the play that they’re overlooking. And because the Koreans don’t play the same way, they think the Koreans play worse. I feel like especially in the past they [Koreans] thought there were problems with TvZ, which the Europeans never thought there was, because the playstyle was completely different. But we’ll see, especially at BlizzCon, how people really match up. Because this year, compared to last year, there’s a lot less competition between foreigners and Koreans, so the Europeans have gotten a lot more confident with their play even though there’s no real proof that they actually are better this year.

Scarlett with her crown post winning King Queen of the North.

Two quick points about ZvT meta right now. First, MaSa and Kelazhur seemed to be loving the mass Reaper early game. Are you seeing this a lot in Korea as well?

Yeah I think this became popular again thanks to ByuN, so in Korea first. I practice a lot against him and I feel like my early game defense is almost perfect, but I still end up behind, so… Game 1 in the finals I got really frustrated because of that and I played worse because of that. I feel like I got a little lucky with the defenses in Game 2 and 4. Game 2 I saw what he was doing really early so it was like a free win. And in Game 4, he messed up his micro. Sometimes it feel like a free win against 3 Rax Reaper, but sometimes I feel like I play perfect early game, like much better than the Terran does, and I still end up behind, so I’m not sure what’s up with that.

Second, you preferred Broodlord transitions to the more standard Ultralisks, something I’ve seen Snute do a bunch. Why that choice?

The way it works is that a lot of Terrans try to all-in before Ultras, to try to kill the Zerg before Ultras get out. But I feel if they don’t do that, and its an even game, Ultras are almost useless against a good Terran, so I never really make Ultras, except for in very specific situations.

You mention you were playing a lot with ByuN when you were in Korea, how was that?

It was really good, I usually don’t play custom games, but he asked me to before SSL and I feel like I learned a lot because of that, especially because a lot of Terrans started copying ByuN after that. So I feel like I had an advantage against all the builds that they do, because I played against the person who made the builds. They’re just copying it and playing a little worse with it.

How do you feel about the general state of the game right now? The map pool and balance should be coming under increasing scrutiny before Blizzcon, now that there aren’t that many tournaments left.

I feel like right now the balance is pretty good right now in all matchups. I think people are still figuring these maps out so it doesn’t feel too favored for anyone. The only issue is with Dasan [Station]. I think that map is really stupid, but other than that I don’t think there are many issues. Maybe Reapers are a bit too strong, but that’s the only thing right now.

When we last spoke at Kings of the North, you told us that Neeb was a “literal god". You’ve been proven mostly right -- what do you think are the chances of the foreigners (Neeb, Nerchio, MarineLorD) in the upcoming KeSPA Cup?

I feel like if Neeb plays as well as he does in practice he can do really well. Honestly in practice he plays better than like, Solar, who just won SSL and everything, so I feel like if he plays well he definitely has a shot, if he gets over his nerve issues -- not nerve issues, but whatever’s keeping him back in tournaments. Nerchio, I’m excited to see him play because he plays very different than the Koreans, so he could either do really well or really badly, I have no idea which. MarineLorD, I don’t really watch his play so I don’t exactly know.

A lot of foreigners have been saying that they may be closer in skill to Koreans than ever before. Do you feel the same way?

As I said earlier, we can’t really tell because we haven’t played enough against Koreans, but we’ll see a BlizzCon.

How about for yourself?

I feel like this year I’m worse compared to Koreans than I used to be. Like in 2014, 2013, I was a lot better, comparatively than I am now. I would get like top 4 in tournaments where there was lots of Koreans and now I’m losing to like, lower tier Koreans I guess. So I feel like personally for me, its gotten farther, but that's because generally I’m worse. I used to not lose to foreigners either but now its generally close games.

A big piece of news recently has been the reformation of Acer into Team Expert, which you and Bly have signed on to. How is that going, and can you say anything about whether Expert will be looking for any other SC2 players in the off-season?

Its really nice. Its the same management as Acer was before, so its pretty much what it was like back then, and I really enjoy being on that team, especially with Bly. So its fun being back on Expert. We might pick up a player in the coming months, its not confirmed yet, but its a possibility, for sure.

Have you had a chance to play the balance test map that is live right now? If so, what do you think of the changes?

I haven’t really played it much, I focus on… until I have no more tournaments on the current game I won’t really play it much, so I can’t really say.

What are you planning for the next few months? Are you looking to get revenge at HomeStory Cup, are you planning on going to BlizzCon?

I probably won’t be going to BlizzCon since I’m not playing, but I most likely will be at HomeStory Cup, so I look forward to that. There’s a lot of Koreans going to it should be a lot of fun, HomeStory Cup is always great.

Any final words to your fans?

Thanks everyone for watching. It was nice to win a tournament in Toronto. This is the first time since 2012 I’ve done well in Toronto, every other event here I’ve done poorly, so hopefully I can continue playing well. Its definitely fun and relaxing to play in a place near home.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto waiting for the "DIE, DIE, DIE" voicepack for SC2 Reapers.You can follow him on Twitter.

Navneet Randhawa does stuff and things at theScore esports. The #QOTN crown somehow ended up in her car. You can follow her on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After 16 years, a foreigner has finally won a Premier tournament on Korean soil. The last time a foreigner won a Premier tournament was Guillaume "Grrrr..." Patry's 2000 Hanaro OSL win. At the time that the Canadian player made history, his successor was only two years old.

After his victory, theScore esports caught up with 18 year-old Alex "Neeb" Sunderhaft to talk about his win, upcoming tournaments, his time in Korea and his thoughts on the current state of the game.

Firstly, congratulations on your win! This is the first foreigner Premier victory on Korean soil in 16 years and your first Premier title. How do you feel about this win? What does it mean to you?

This win means so much to me I can’t even put it into words. I always thought I’d be mediocre at best and after two years of playing Terran as a low-tier foreigner, I never thought I’d ever do anything significant. But here I am now with people saying that I made esports history so I’m still kind of coming to terms with it — that I’m not just a low-tier foreigner.

What did you think of your opponent’s gameplay during the finals? Do you think Trap was prepared?

I think Trap played very well strategically, always making an effort to abuse the fact that I’d go Stalker/Disruptor every game. However, like the other Koreans he didn’t have as much experience as me just playing a solid mid/late game rather than winning early on, so I’d do well in the mid/late game despite [Trap's] small early game advantage. In the past, I would have lost every game since there was very little comeback potential in old PvP but now with Disruptors the games stabilizes every time because the Koreans currently don’t seem to play with this in mind.

Has it sunk in that this win is already part of SC2 history? You’ve generally been very humble about your accomplishments, but this win will completely change how many pros and fans see the competitive scene.

Probably not yet. I’m still getting situated since I came back to America the day after KeSPA cup. I still feel exactly the same as before I won in terms of my personality, so the win hasn’t changed me much, but yeah it will probably change the way I’m viewed.

Stephano, NaNiwa and Jinro are considered some of the best foreigners of all time playing in Korea, but none of them ever got past a Korean semifinal. With your win, some will argue that you have already surpassed them in accomplishment. How do you feel about that? Do you agree?

I don’t agree, both Stephano and NaNiwa at least played in times where all the Koreans were experienced and trying their best. Jinro, like me, hasn’t shown enough consistency or long term results, but Stephano and NaNiwa were competitive with top Koreans for a few years so they are above me I’d say.

From the group stage onwards, you beat Rogue, Zest, Pet, Stats and Trap, who together hold a handful of titles and some of the best Proleague records in Korea. Does it feel particularly good to be beating these types of players, or are you used to it by now?

Now I think I’m used to it, but when I went into my first match against Rogue I was so nervous that my hands were completely numb after the first game. The referee in the booth actually asked if I was in pain and needed a break because I’m sure it looked really bad. After I beat Rogue I was completely fine and played confidently against all my other opponents.

When we last talked at Kings of the North you said PvP was your strongest matchup, and it clearly showed in this tournament. How do you feel about your matchups overall?

It’s just a recent thing where I’ve been doing well in PvP. My best matchup is probably still PvZ because I’ve been doing consistently well there, but it’s hard to say. With the metagame changing so much my confidence in each matchup changes a lot as well.

Do you think training here in Korea has helped you significantly? ByuN mentioned you practiced with him before the GSL finals. Did you get a chance to practice with him or any other top tier players before or during KeSPA Cup?

Yes, my training in Korea was a huge help since playing custom games allows me to direct my practice how I want it to, rather than play ladder games where some of my games could be useless when I’m preparing because I’m playing versus the wrong race or wrong playstyle. Over the 2 months I was in Korea I played custom games with ByuN, Ryung, GuMiho, Patience, Solar, Pet, TRUE and viOLet.

How intense has your practice been coming into the tournament? Did you change your routine? This win will also be talked about in the debate over KeSPA training/infrastructure techniques vs. non-KeSPA pros.

I didn’t play that much honestly. I prepared a lot for the first group stage but after I made it out 4-0 I barely played at all before my Ro8 and semis/finals games.

Did you feel you had any special advantage going into the tournament by being relatively new to Korea? If not, is there something else in particular you think gave you the edge to win?

I don’t think so. I feel like all the Koreans knew somewhat how I played so I don’t think I had any significant edge going into the tournament other than the fact that I play Protoss.

I know it's very soon afterwards, but what kind of response have you been getting from Koreans pros, as well as fans? I’ve seen people like Golden saying things like “give him Korean citizenship” and Stats was complimenting you in the recorded interview before your match. Is there any difference between how they’ve looked at you before and after the tournament?

I don’t think there was that much of a difference. The SC2 community is pretty small so most people of the Korean pros/fans probably knew of me before the tournament and they are all really respectful to everyone so it feels about the same to me. I’m sure there are some people though that hadn’t heard of me before KeSPA Cup but know who I am now.

With this win behind you, what are your realistic goals for BlizzCon?

I’d like to just make it out of groups. I still feel like the same player I was before KeSPA Cup even though everyone expects me to win every tournament these days.

In terms of balance and maps, could you briefly tell us what you think of the state of the game right now?

It’s very tough to talk about balance because there is definitely some imbalance in the game but it’s hard to tell where it comes from or how exactly that imbalance affects the outcome of the game. For example, I think PvT is imbalanced but it’s not like Protoss units just deal 20 percent more damage than Terran units or something like that. It’s much more subtle and either race can create situations where it’s much easier for them to play well than for the other race to play well. So basically I like to avoid talking about imbalance. PvZ seems very balanced right now though and PvT is imbalanced for both races in certain situations but probably favors Protoss overall.

Going forward, what are you planning? Are you going to take a break? Scarlett mentioned that you guys are going to Brazil this month for WESG, and HomeStory Cup is also approaching.

I'm probably not going to take a break with so many tournaments in the next few months but I might play less after BlizzCon/WESG and skip a few tournaments next year depending on how I feel.

Congratulations again, do you have anything to say in closing to your fans?

Thank you for making what I do worthwhile and giving me a reason to work hard, I love you all.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto waiting for the "DIE, DIE, DIE" voicepack for SC2 Reapers. You can follow him on Twitter.

Navneet Randhawa does stuff and things at theScore esports and is not... a literal god. You can follow her on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

After his narrow defeat to Sasha "Scarlett" Hostyn​ at Kings of the North Season 3 in Toronto, Diego "Kelazhur" Schwimer sat down with theScore esports to talk about his results this year and his thoughts on where the game is at.

First of all, consolation about your loss in the finals. How did you feel about your level of play during the tournament?

I was pretty satisfied. I was disappointed about my loss to MaSa [Maru "MaSa" Kim], because I think I could have won that series, but beating viOLet [Kim "viOLet" Dong Hwan] very close and then beating MaSa [in the Loser's Finals] gave me back my confidence.

Last year was sort of a breakout year for you, but this year it seems like you’ve struggled in the premier tournaments. How do you feel about how you’ve been playing?

I’m confident online but I don’t know... When I go to offline tournaments, I feel like I kind of under-perform, so that sucks. But at least in these smaller tournaments I don’t have that kind of mental block, I guess, so I perform better.

In this tournament, both you and MaSa used a lot of early Reaper attacks. Did you chose that strategy based on your opponents, or are you generally finding a lot of success with it?

That’s just my general playstyle, and we’re both very alike in that sense. We both like to play very aggressive.

How has the Latin American scene been this year? You’ve been doing consistently well in Copa América.

The Latin American scene is pretty small, but at least we have tournaments like Copa América and the recent WCS Intercontinental. That helped a lot to boost the viewers, give them something to watch, and its nice to be able to represent them and play in the local scene.

How do you feel about the general state of the game right now, specifically balance and the map pool?

I think the current balance is pretty good. Maybe Protoss is still a bit too strong because of the map pool. So I hope they change that.

What’s next for you, are you looking to participate in Homestory cup?

I hope so — but I’m not even sure when it is.

Any final words from your fans, last comments?

Thanks very much for cheering for me. Follow me on Twitter so you can see what I’m doing.

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto who is confused which Terran god to worship. You can follow him on Twitter.

Navneet Randhawa does stuff and things at theScore esports. You can follow her on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

The world’s longest running esports league is ending. Today, KeSPA announced that it was “discontinuing” the league, and ceasing support for five teams. A report in FOMOS named the teams it would no longer operate: KT Rolster, SK Telecom T1, CJ Entus, Samsung Galaxy and MVP.

It’s unclear at this point what the fate of the players on these teams will be, given that Proleague play was the main impetus behind the large infrastructure set up to support them. So far, mainly SKT players have spoken out: MyuNgSiK and Sorry have retired, while soO tweeted what appears to be a goodbye to SKT.

Meanwhile, Jin Air, one of the teams not mentioned in the KeSPA announcement, has committed to maintaining its support for its currently signed players. Jin Air houses some of the world’s best players, including two-time world champion sOs, Maru and Rogue. The other unmentioned team is the league's newest, the Afreeca Freecs.

But the shakeup of the team environment is likely to leave dozens of players in the lurch, many of them world class stars like Zest, Stats and TY from KT Rolster; INnoVation, Dark and Classic from SKT; Dear and Solar on Samsung; and herO, MC, GuMiho and Ryung from CJ and MVP.

Worse, its departure could leave some players who could otherwise have excelled without a venue to display their skills and find domestic success in Korea. With GSL and SSL moving to two seasons rather than three this year, the loss of one of the only other top-tier venues for StarCraft's best to display their skills will certainly be felt.

All in all, it’s the end of an era for Korean StarCraft in particular and StarCraft esports in general. Proleague, as one of the few constants in a rapidly changing competitive StarCraft system, has provided the backdrop for some of the most significant moments in SC2’s history. From the meta innovations pioneered to snipe the Bo1 format, to the drama and sheer unpredictability of the all-kill.

The memorable moments are too many to mention, and each of us will have our own personal highlight reel from the league. Those who saw it will always remember sOs’ reverse all-kill of KT Rolster in 2015’s playoffs. One of my favourite plays of all-time is Rogue’s Baneling drops against herO just a week later. Looking back earlier, the final fight between FanTaSy and TY on Newkirk Precint, or Bisu’s ridiculous basetrade against Shine in 2013 were among the many standout moments.

Proleague was also the nexus for some of the biggest transfers, power-shifts and storylines we’ve ever seen. From PartinG’s antagonistic departure from SKT, Maru’s transfer from Prime to Jin Air, Life’s signing to KT Rolster and the Prime match-fixing scandal. We have seen SKT dominate in unprecedented fashion in 2015, and seen many teams collapse under the pressure. Each of these moments has helped enrich the narratives and memories that have shaped StarCraft esports.

Proleague was a place where sheer StarCraft genius was often on display, as the high level of competition encouraged innovation (INnoVation also did well, with a 61-33 record) and dynamism. It has also been home to some of the most controversial moments in SC2 history, like MarineKing’s embarrassing loss to ByuL on Expedition Lost.

Proleague was even a major attraction for the foreign scene, though it has always been aimed primarily at a Korean audience. Wings of Liberty veterans should look fondly back on the EG-Team Liquid alliance in the 2012-2013 Proleague which, though largely filled out by Koreans, helped solidify Stephano as the greatest foreigner of all time, not to mention his unforgettable “glhf” incident in his very first match. Beyond this, all of us have come to appreciate seeing StarCraft played at its highest level, in one of the world’s most unique formats.

We have seen all that in Proleague, and that’s just in the past few years.

Proleague has been one of the most important parts of StarCraft 2, but its history extends far beyond that. Before KeSPA had fully transitioned to StarCraft 2, it helped organized the 2011-2012 hybrid Proleague. The league was meant to help Brood War pros transition to the game’s sequel, and so fans were treated to a wacky format in which regular matches were composed on two best of threes — one in Brood War, one in Wings of Liberty.

And even before that, Proleague was a staple of Brood War. Led by the greats like Bisu, Stork and Flash, teams fought it out in much the same style as we have seen in StarCraft 2. In this way, Proleague has acted as one of the great threads that have run between different StarCraft iterations. Teams like SKT, Samsung and KT have provided continuity, and fostered some of the greatest players in every version of the game. Where other teams leagues — GSTL, Acer TeamStory Cup, among others — have come and gone, Proleague has always been a pillar of the scene.

To say that the end of Proleague will be an enormous loss, then, is an understatement. Beyond providing a brilliant mechanism for the creation of rivalries, narratives, and fostering new talent, Proleague has been an integral part of the health of the Korean scene. Players who either miss out on the individual leagues, or are not suited for that kind of tournament, were able to rely on Proleague for exposure and practice. And there were lots of players like that. Flash (though he didn't need the exposure) never reached a GSL quarterfinals, but was one of the best Proleague players in SC2.

With Proleague gone, only GSL and SSL, the two Korean Premier leagues, remain open for the best of the best in StarCraft. Since the leagues are only offering two seasons each this year (down from three each in 2015), players had to do well in the qualifiers and early rounds, or face half a year with little competitive play. The only opportunity for them was Proleague. Maru was just one of many to face this challenge in 2016: his best result was a GSL Ro16 appearance.

Anxiety about the health of the Korean scene and its teams, which has increased markedly this year due to the two-season format, the lack of global events and the popularity of Overwatch in Korea, will no doubt continue to grow in the near future.

KeSPA’s statement allows for some hope that the KeSPA Cup tournament will step in to fill the gap. Yet we’ve heard similar language from the organizers in the past few years, and yet have only four tournaments in three years to show for it. Whether KeSPA and Blizzard will commit to filling the gap left by Proleague, therefore, remains to be seen.

In the foreign scene, where teams have far less interaction, it’s sometimes hard to understand how seriously teams are taken in Korea, and by extension how important Proleague was. But like any other sport, teams have been the focus of some of the most important narratives, the highest drama, and the fantastic lows of StarCraft 2. Proleague was where all that drama and hype, all the elation of victory and the despondence of defeat, all the anticipation of a new season and the tension of the final matches played out. It was where the world’s greats proved themselves capable, or not.

It will be sorely missed.

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto mourning the loss of one of SC2's great institutions. You can follow him on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

It’s StarCraft fans' favorite time of year: the WCS Global Playoffs. Sixteen of the game's best and brightest have traveled to California to battle it out in hopes of becoming this year's world champion. Only eight of them will make it through this week.

Before they can worry about winning it all, the world’s top players from both Korea and the foreign scene will have to get through some of the most brutal groups we could possibly imagine. Played in the GSL-style double-elimination format with best-of-threes, this year's group stage marks a radical departure from the straight single-elimination bracket of the past four years at StarCraft's biggest international tournament.

This time, players will have two chances to beat some of their most dangerous competitors, and most will need them. The level of talent assembled in Anaheim is incredibly high, and the group draw will have an enormous impact on how likely each player is to make it to the more prestigious — and lucrative — playoff bracket. Each group includes two players that have qualified from Korea and two from the WCS Circuit, ensuring plenty of Korean versus foreigner action.

Here's one more look at who'll be facing off on BlizzCon Opening Week, starting Oct. 27:

Group A

Preparing for these groups would have been difficult to begin with, but some last-minute changes in seeding have made it even harder. Hydra was the first to announce he would not be able to make it to the Global Finals, due to a conflict in schedule with his wedding; just over a week later, Polt announced that he had to return to Korea to complete his military service, and would miss out on what would have been his fourth consecutive BlizzCon appearance.

Polt's replacement, PtitDrogo, was initially put in to replace him in Group C, but the fact that he was ranked much lower than Polt on the global leaderboards forced a substantial reseeding. The French Zerg ended up alongside two of Korea's heaviest hitters, Dark and Stats, plus Snute, who is perhaps the most consistent foreigner of 2016.

Dark has been arguably the best Zerg in Korea this year, after nearing that mark in 2015. His SSL Season 1 victory, SSL Season 2 finals appearance and a pair of GSL Ro16 finishes were enough to secure the top seed coming out of Korea. He will be PtitDrogo's first opponent, and though PvZ has traditionally been the French player's best matchup with a win rate at almost 66 percent, that falls well below 50 percent in games against Koreans. It's hard not to give Dark the edge here — though PvZ has historically been Dark's worst matchup, this year it has been his best, with a 65 percent game win record playing almost exclusively in Korea.

Snute's biggest strength this year has been his consistency. He's reached at least the semifinals in six out of ten premier tournaments he's attended, reaching the finals in three of those and winning one championship in Mexico. Clearly, Snute is one of the foreign scene's best hopes for a playoff contender.

The Norwegian Zerg has made a habit out of beating strong Korean Protoss players, with 53 percent all-time win rate in the matchup. Though Snute and Stats have not played one another, Snute has beaten Protosses like herO and Zest, and notoriously defeated both Classic and Rain in quick succession. This was particularly impressive since at the time they were the reigning SSL and GSL champions, respectively.

All in all it makes for a tough group, not just in the initial matchups, but in the Winner's and Loser's matches as well. The SSL finalists (Stats lost to Dark in Season 1) should be favored to make it out, but Snute and PtitDrogo could look to upset the balance with the strength they have in the matchups they face.

Group B

Here lies the great foreign hope: Neeb. After he tore through Zest, Stats and Trap on the way to his KeSPA Cup title, Neeb is faced with a fortunate group draw of three Protoss players. If he can bring the same crisp play he showed in Korea, he has a strong chance of making it out of this group. Patience, his first opponent, has been quietly brilliant this year, and will be looking to foil the hometown hero.

In the second match, Zest will go up against TRUE. The Season 1 GSL champion has been slumping lately, winning only three of his last ten matches, not including Proleague games. His only PvZ in that period was a 1-2 loss to Dark. Still, this is how Zest looked prior to his IEM Katowice win, and it will be interesting to see how his fairly traditional style will match up against TRUE's unconventional (read: lots of Zerglings) strategies.

This is probably the only group where two Koreans are expected to be eliminated, though it's not clear which two. Patience has been surprisingly good this year, Zest's recent form is unimpressive, and TRUE is simply unpredictable, beating herO one day and losing to Harstem just a few days later. Neeb has already shown he can beat Zest, and if he advances to a Winner's Match against TRUE, the American should again rest easy: he holds a 5-2 match advantage in their head-to-head.

Group C

Front and center in Group C is our first Terran competitor, the newly minted fan-favorite ByuN. ByuN made history by being the first teamless player to win a GSL in Season 2, finally capping off a dominant year online with real tournament success. He'll be facing off against his fellow veteran viOLet in the second match, but should be considered a favorite for the group, boasting an 88 percent match win rate in 2016.

That likely leaves Dear, ShoWTimE and viOLet battling it out for the second seed to the playoffs. ShoWTimE has had a career year, winning WCS Spring and reaching the semis or finals in three other premier tournaments. viOLet, barely squeaked into the Global Finals, but he brings years of experience to the table.

Dear, on the other hand, has made consistency his watchword this year, reaching both GSL semifinals and an SSL Ro8. He should be considered the favorite to follow up on ByuN's success, but not with the same comfortable margin as in other groups.

Group D

Where Zest has faded in recent months, his ex-KT teammate TY has been on fire. The tournament's only other Terran has won nine out of ten of his last matches, and has even shown a strong mech style against some Zergs.

That should lead to an interesting match against one of the foreign scene's strongest contenders. Nerchio, the DH: Valencia champion, has absolutely dominated the foreign scene with his ZvT style this year, and though he did not escape the group stages at KeSPA Cup, the Polish Zerg showed some good games and even swept Classic 2-0. He and his compatriot Elazer should at least pose a threat to both TY and Solar.

Much like Group A, the last group of the Ro16 looks to come down to a battle between two exceptionally strong Korean players. TY did not win a championship this year (in fact, he never has) but he is always dangerous, and only barely lost out to a seemingly unbeatable Zest in GSL Season 1. Solar has had glories galore, and will be looking to solidify his claim to the title of best in Legacy of the Void with a win at BlizzCon.

The group stage is a new feature at the Global Finals, and combined with the historically unprecedented number of non-Koreans in contention, the Round of 16 is looking to be an exciting, unpredictable affair. The group stage may be played out a week before BlizzCon itself, but it will determine the success and failure of Korean superstars like Dark, ByuN and Zest, and foreign hopes like Snute, Nerchio and Neeb. With any luck, these matches will be some of the most carefully planned and passionately fought of the year. And they should, because everything is on the line.

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto preparing for the inevitable Neeb/ByuN matchup and its attendant crisis of fandom. You can follow him on Twitter.

Stats courtesy of Aligulac.com.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

On Nov. 10, 2015, shortly after sOs was crowned world champion for the second time, StarCraft 2 dropped one last expansion. Legacy of the Void fundamentally altered the game’s economy, quickened its pace and upended the metagame. The Heart of the Swarm era, bookended by sOs’ two BlizzCon wins, was over.

Seventeen premier tournaments later, with 16 champions (only Solar has won two titles since last November), we’ve finally arrived at Legacy's first World Championship Series Global Finals. This Thursday we will see the ultimate results of the major changes brought about by the new expansion and the reworked WCS system. sOs failed to reach the Global Finals this year, so the first chapter of StarCraft’s new era will end with a brand new world champion.

BlizzCon has always been the culmination of a year’s worth of storylines, the setting of both epic success and failure. There is no more important event. Players will be bringing everything they have to the booth — as hard as they’ve worked to get here, they’ll have to work harder still.

Korea vs. the World, region-locking edition

In 2014, Blizzard introduced "soft" region-locking to the WCS by restricting residency requirements, but players from all regions still attended international events like DreamHack and IEM. This year brought the "hard" version. The WCS league was replaced with the new international Circuit, and Korean pros were effectively locked into the GSL, SSL and now-defunct Proleague.

It was an incredibly controversial decision, and to this day the debate rages on in fan circles. One thing is clear, however: foreigners are succeeding more than ever in this competitive climate. Nerchio returned from semi-retirement and dominated the Circuit. Snute’s consistent results have been upgraded from regular Ro16 and quarterfinal placements to four finishes in the semis or better. There have been seven different foreign champions on the Circuit this year. The international scene’s resident Koreans (Hydra, viOLet, TRUE and up until earlier this month, Polt) remain strong, but no longer seem invincible.

The Korean vs. Foreigner dynamic — the narrative conflict that gave so much meaning to past victories won by Stephano, NaNiwa, Snute, Scarlett and Lilbow — has faded from the foreign scene. In its place, we have seen more traditional national rivalries, personal grudges, classic stories of failure and redemption.

But beyond the non-Korean Circuit, the Korean vs. Foreigner narrative has only intensified. That's in no small part thanks to how few matches have been played between Koreans and foreigners this season. Most of them have been at small online cups, though there have been a few major tournaments like IEM Taipei, ShoutCraft Kings, and Kung Fu Cup. The only premier-level tournament to feature both Koreans and foreigners was the KeSPA Cup — which, you'll no doubt recall, was won by a foreigner.

KeSPA Cup was no outlier. The results of inter-regional clashes in 2016 have been far more mixed than in previous years; Koreans have won a lot, but they are no longer the supreme force they once were. Top non-Korean players have said they feel the skill gap is closer than it has ever been in StarCraft 2. If that turns out the be true, we could be in for one of the most explosive Global Finals yet.

The fate of one of the foundational narratives of StarCraft 2 is uncertain. Foreign fans will be watching the group stage with high hopes for players like Nerchio, Snute, and most of all the American phenom Neeb, whose KeSPA Cup victory rocked the SC2 scene to its core. Others will be hoping only that the foreign scene avoids the fate that befell Lilbow, 2015’s only foreign Global Finals attendee.

Terrans on the backfoot

With Polt’s sudden retirement from StarCraft to serve his compulsory military service, the tournament’s racial balance has tilted to an extreme. Only two Terrans now stand against seven Protoss and seven Zergs.

Those two Terrans, however, are among the very best performers this year. TY was an unstoppable force in GSL Season 1, right up until he met the immovable object of Zest in the Grand Finals. He has continued to play well throughout the year, reaching the quarterfinals of both GSL and SSL in Season 2, and recently he seems to be reaching peak form, playing both mech and bio against Zerg and winning with both. Though TY has never played at BlizzCon before, he should be considered among its most dangerous competitors.

The same goes for ByuN, the GSL Season 2 champion. ByuN has been arguably the world’s best player in Legacy of the Void, emerging from an enigmatic disappearance to boast an incredible win rate and his first premier win. Last month he became part of SC2 history, as the only teamless player to win a Korean premier SC2 league. He has excelled in every matchup, succeeded where others have failed, and forged a path for Terrans everywhere.

Personal stakes in the Global Finals

Along with the larger dynamics, the Global Playoffs will play host to a multitude of personal ambitions and rivalries. Each player would like nothing more to win, but many of them have very different motivations based on their unique histories.

BlizzCon is Stats' chance to finally prove that he has what it takes to win on the biggest stage possible. For years, Stats has found himself in the shadow of his ex-KT Rolster teammate Zest. At times, he has seemed the better player, but the results don't lie. Stats has been good this year, but so far a championship has eluded him.

For Nerchio, a BlizzCon win would firmly place him among the best foreigners of all time. He has had incredible success in the Circuit this year, returning after two years of infrequent activity. But he has yet to break through the barrier that Neeb overcame a month ago at the KeSPA Cup. Since his return, he has yet to win a tournament with a significant Korean contingent. Nerchio has already left his mark, but BlizzCon gives him a chance for so much more.

Players like ByuN, Dark and Solar have already proven, at various times, to be the strongest players in the world. Each of them has a convincing argument backing their bid for the title of Best Player in Legacy of the Void. The Global Finals will prove decisive in that argument, and so these three are fighting for the highest honor there is.

For some, like last-minute additions PtitDrogo and Elazer, simply advancing past the group stage will be considered a success. But that is no easy task, and a single best-of-three can mean the difference between a successful tournament and a disappointing trip home.

There are so many strong players in contention to become the next SC2 world champion — Zest, who is looking to come back to form; Snute, who can solidify his legacy once and for all; Patience, who can complete his quiet record of success this year; TY, who can finally win a championship. Each player brings their own unique story to the booth, and each will walk back out with something new. It's up to them whether that will be the uplifting spirit of triumph, or the heavy weight of defeat.

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto praying that the TY/Nerchio series lasts less than 4 hours. You can follow him on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.

Before the WCS Global Finals get started at BlizzCon, theScore esports reached out to some of the WCS Circuit's most well-known names to get their take on the upcoming matches and their predictions for the final.

Here's what Aleksandr "Bly" Svusuyk, Maru "MaSa" Kim, Grzegorz "MaNa" Komincz, Marc "uThermal" Schlappi, Dario "TLO" Wünsch and Kevin "Harstem" de Koning had to say.

RELATED: Top 8 locked in for WCS Global Finals; Elazer, ByuN, Neeblet, Stats through to bracket

Who are your picks to win the quarterfinals?

Bly

1. Elazer: He won the last few times vs. ShoWTimE.

2. Neeb: I doubt there is anybody except me that can stop him #proxhatch.

3. ByuN: He’s the best and will win it all.

4. Zest. He beat Neeb in PvP, so OFC YES.

MaSa

1. ShoWTimE. He'll just stop the dark horse with no passion.

2. Dark: Neeb is really solid in PvZ, however Dark will use different strategies to beat him I think.

3. ByuN: TY is really solid in TvT but I don’t know if that applies to ByuN's micro.

4. Stats: PvP-wise, Stats is better than Zest, I’ve heard.

MaNa

1. ShoWTimE: Elazer is a great player, very unpredictable in his builds, but he's been playing vs. ShoWTimE a lot and I think the experience between these two will come out ahead.

2. Dark: He has played some impressive ZvP and we are yet to see Neeb's PvZ in a big tournament since KeSPA Cup. He has lost vs. Scarlett recently, and I think Dark knows his weaknesses too. Dark wins.

3. This one I have no idea about. I am sure we are going to see some incredible TvT.

4. Stats: Teammate-on-teammate PvP is unpredictable. I want to say Stats is a slight favorite, but since it's a teamkill anything may happen.

uThermal

In the upper bracket ShoWTimE and Dark should win, just picks based on skill. Then TY would win against ByuN, because I think he's stronger in TvT. The PvP could go either way, but I'll go with Zest.

TLO

1. ShoWTimE: While Elazer recently beat ShoWTimE, I believe ShoWTimE's experience and consistency will be decisive.

2. Dark: Neeb impressed us all, but I'm afraid Dark will make better use of preparation and exploit weakness to aggression.

3. TY: Very hard to call, think it'll be very close but my intuition says TY.

4. Zest: Zest's series vs. Neeb convinced me he'll also take out Stats.

Harstem

1. Elazer: Elazer beat showtime 3-0 at WESG. I would be surprised if that would change.

2. Dark: I really want Neeb to win, but I'm afraid Dark might be too good.

3. TY: TY might be the best player at preparing, and ByuN is probably the most predictable.

4. Stats: I believe Stats to be the best 'toss in the world. I would be really surprised if he lost.

Which player is most likely to exceed expectations?

Bly: Elazer.

MaSa: If Zest does beat Stats (opposite to my prediction) he'll exceed expectations because he's really been lacking in results lately.

MaNa: I think the only one who can exceed expectations and have a chance on doing so is Elazer. I think any one of the other players advancing to the next round wouldn't be a surprise.

uThermal: I think Zest might be. Most of the other players already have high expectations, but I feel like most people aren't expecting too much from Zest, even though he's one of those players that could win a tournament out of nowhere — just like IEM last year.

TLO: Elazer is a massive underdog but definitely underrated. He could make the Finals if the stars line up.

Harstem: I think Elazer already exceeded expectations, and I think he is capable of a Top 2 finish.

Which player is likely to fall short of expectations?

Bly: Stats.

MaSa: TY. A lot of people are picking him as possible champion but falling off at Ro8 RIP.

MaNa: Neeb. He said Dark is not that good, but the chances of Neeb beating him are like 30-70 in my opinion.

uThermal: ByuN and Neeb. Both players have lots of hype behind them, but they both drew really rough opponents. Dark is the best Zerg by pretty far, and TY has always been a master in TvT, so even though people have high expectations of ByuN and Neeb it’s not that unlikely they both lose in the first round.

TLO: Byun and Neeb have everyone's eyes on them, but looking at the bracket, I can see both losing in Ro8.

Harstem: I'm afraid Stats might fail in the quarters or the semis.

How likely is a foreign finalist? What about champion?

Bly: Neeb will be in the finals for sure, no doubt about it, but ByuN will win it all.

MaSa: I have no clue on this, because due to my prediction it's ShoWTimE vs. Dark, and I have no information on either.

MaNa: It's very likely actually. It will all depend on the day that Dark has. Of course he's a clear favorite at that side of the bracket, but foreigners have already shown that they can fight with the best. I think if a foreigner in the Finals meets a Terran there, then we're not going to have a foreign champion. Korean Terrans are just that much better at the game, it feels like playing different matchup.

uThermal: The chance for a foreign finalist is decent, a foreigner to win is not very likely though. Neeb has a chance to beat Dark, it'd be much harder for ShoWTimE or Elazer though, so the best chance is probably Neeb winning against Dark, then Neeb losing to ShoWTimE and ShoWTimE winning against a Terran in the finals. I'll give it a solid 15 percent.

TLO: I'd give a foreign finalist a 60 percent, considering there's two chances to beat Dark. Champion is hard to predict, depends too much on the individual players.

Harstem: The chances of a foreign finalist are about 50-50. The chances of a foreign champion about 15 percent.

Who do you think we are going to see in the Final (head/heart)?

Bly: Neeb/ByuN, ByuN wins 4-2.

MaSa: Head: Dark vs. Stats, Stats will beat ByuN with imbatoss. Heart: Dark vs. ByuN. Terrans unite then ByuN beats Dark with amazing TvZ.

MaNa: Head says Dark vs. TY, heart says Dark vs. ByuN and ByuN taking it. I like ByuN’s attitude, very open to the community and what a story it would be if he would win both GSL and BlizzCon as a teamless player and now with a new Team Expert.

uThermal: My favorite Final would definitely be ByuN against Dark, but I think it will probably be either Zest or TY against Dark, with a slight edge to Zest.

TLO: Heart: ShoWTimE vs ByuN. Head: Dark vs TY. Prediction: TY will take the title, he's on an insane streak right now.

Harstem: Head: Dark vs. TY. Heart: Elazer vs. Stats. I think Dark will win. But I hope it's Elazer.

Thanks to all the players who took the time to make their predictions, and good luck to all those competing at BlizzCon!

Christian Paas-Lang is an esports journalist from Toronto waiting for the 4-0 Elazer cheeseout of ByuN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Navneet Randhawa does stuff and things at theScore esports. You can follow her on Twitter.

Copyright © 2016 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.