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Active: 1901 users

remembering Startale VIrus, a retirement too early

Blogs > Karis Vas Ryaar
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Karis Vas Ryaar
Profile Blog Joined July 2011
United States4396 Posts
Last Edited: 2013-12-10 06:40:02
December 10 2013 06:16 GMT
#1
Virus a career that ended when it should have been beginning.
No idea why I wrote this but I realized it's been a year and 4 months about since VIrus played his last GSL match against shine. that being said here it is

Startale Virus first played in the GSL in May 2011 and quickly established himself as a Code S regular. although her never made it past the RO16. He played a standard terran style with some mistakes but it always was enough to keep him in Code S under the format change. in GSL November he fell into code A where he was unable to secure a return to Code S through either Code A or the up and down matches. most people most likely thought he'd disappear. He managed to survive in code A for a few seasons then found himself playing ForGG in the 2012 GSL up and down matches where he would get into Code S with a win. Then something weird happened, Virus played better than he ever did and somehow pulled off a ridiculous comeback to get back into Code S. Still though it was seen as a fluke especially since ForGG was already through to the gsl at the time.

In Code S something weirder happened, stuck in a group with MC, Nestea and Genius Virus played ridiculous and used a solid macro oriented style to 2-1 Mc and 2-1 Nestea to get first in the group. After over a year of being known as that guy who was somehow in Code S Virus seemed to finally have figured it out and was playing at a level unlike anything he'd ever done before. He found himself in a winnable Code S group but was unable to make it to the round of 8.
Virus got a matched up against DRG in the Code A Round of 24 a match that he had little chance of winning. Still though Virus played well although he showed that he couldn't quite stand up to DRG's late game. A bad Keyboard in game 2 didn't help either.


He failed to advance through his up and down matches and then found himself against TSL Shine in the first round of the Code A. Virus lost 2-0 in 2 macro games that weren't exactly close.
Still though Virus still seemed to have fixed many of the mistakes that had plagued him for so long and turned himself into a good all around Terran player. His matchups in Code A were about as bad as he could have gotten as he played 2 zerg's who were very comfortable late game TvZ at a time when Terrans were having an incredibly hard time against zergs in general.
When Virus dropped out of the GSL I was sad but I was still hopeful that once he figured out he current meta and adjusted he'd be fine and continue what seemed to be his rise as a terran player.


Instead Virus dropped off the face of the earth and quietly retired despite finally looking like he had figured out SC2 after over a year of being in the GSL. I'm not saying he shouldn't have retired as I don't know what was going on either inside his head or in his life at the time but from a gameplay perspective it didn't make a lot of sense.
Virus's career feels like a book that was cut off in the middle. Even now almost a year and a half later It still feels like its waiting for a new chapter. and all we have left are memories of a man who never got past the Round of 16 in the GSL. Thank you Park Joon Yong for the memories and wherever you are I hope things are going well and your happy. It's the least you deserve.

so that's it and sorry if this is badly written, grammatically incorrect etc. I wrote this at 10 at night in a down mood.

just out of boredome I plan on doing a full career retrospective of Virus once GOM ever gets around to putting up all the vods on youtube. had already started it when they killed all the players on site


****
"I'm not agreeing with a lot of Virus's decisions but they are working" Tasteless. Ipl4 Losers Bracket Virus 2-1 Maru
ETisME
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
12686 Posts
December 10 2013 10:55 GMT
#2
Even his name brings back a lot of memories already.
I wonder how he is doing now.
It's a shame that when a pro retire, there is very little way to know how they are doing.

I always wonder how check is doing nowadays
其疾如风,其徐如林,侵掠如火,不动如山,难知如阴,动如雷震。
MavivaM
Profile Joined November 2011
1535 Posts
December 10 2013 13:02 GMT
#3
I like your idea, I'll be reading when you'll post it.
Food for thought: we can only see what players disply during matches, we don't know how do they do while training. Maybe Virus had already "figured it out" since months and became disappointed since results weren't showing.
Progaming life must be terribly hard... for a group of people that struggle, sometimes a good player gets the chance to shine.
Between those, sometimes a Virus advances, to then fall into nothingness once again.
And then, among the Viruses, the Checks, the Incas and so on a MANZENITH arises, to get what he deserved after basically three years of unrewarded struggle.
San is the chance in a million of Virus, but I believe that both deserve more love or at least respect for giving their efforts.
Your Opinion has been counted. Only 3 more Opinions needed for a reddit thread.
glzElectromaster
Profile Blog Joined March 2012
Japan2474 Posts
December 11 2013 09:37 GMT
#4
I was thinking about writing a blog on Virus, you beat me to it You probably did a better job than what I would have done.

I miss Virus.
RIP Kt. Violet | In solitude, where we are least alone
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