"He's not just another European player - he's popular, well-spoken, marketable, and performs well," explained Freytag. "The only other player in Europe like him with this combination of skills is... Grubby."
Alongside the addition of Benjamin, Evil Geniuses' Greg 'IdrA' Fields recently confirmed that the organisation are working on a base in South Korea where their Starcraft 2 players will be able to prepare for and compete in competitions such as the Global Starcraft 2 League and the Global Starcraft 2 Team League. Freytag echoed Fields and told us that there was nothing new to make public with regards to their Korean base but revealed that the organisation plan to send Baker to South Korea. When asked he simply told us, "Yes, absolutely!"
Evil Geniuses now field a very impressive Starcraft 2 roster and with their plans for a Korean base, it is very possible that we may see them trying to qualify for the GSTL. However, as content as management may be with their roster, Freytag warns that it's possible we may see more additions in the future.
5 days ago they signed him and I think we all guessed why. Now here's confirmation.
Other than DeMuslim going to Korea, it's really cool to hear EG talking about big plans beyond that. Plans for a house and new acquisitions in the foreseeable future? If this means another foreign team with a significant presence in Korea, I'm pretty excited.
Of course, the question of 'can they seriously compete?' comes up but they just teased us about a volatile roster. Long term, assuming some significant skilled additions might be in order, but also using the core they've got now - yeah. Fuck yeah. God damn I hope so.
Nice to hear more foreigners going to Korea, but even nicer to hear that actually more teams try to prevail in Korea aswell, its makes the GSL a real hub of top gaming then, i love that!
massively good luck. although without wanting to be a killjoy he's missed the boat imo unless he can get one of the foreigner code a wildcards at some point.
On January 10 2011 22:39 vdale wrote: I wonder when he plans to move to Korea. He moved to a new flat in cologne with Rotterdam and he planed to play in the next EPS.
might take a while maybe after the next EPS finishes
can't wait to see an eg house set up in korea, they have all these great players that just need that little extra to hit the very top, and i think that being on ground zero of the esports scene will do just that for them
wondering if inc will go to sk, seeing as how he seems to be doing well for himself with his coaching business, and his girl being in the usa, would be a shame if he didn't
Sweet ! Hell yes ! DeMuslim fighting ! The foreign SC2 players in korea will rise ! Especially now that EG is also getting established, very very nice for the future !
On January 10 2011 22:26 shannn wrote: Somehow I have this feelign they need to get Genius since he's teamless at the moment. Although language barrier might be a problem.
But still DeMuslim !!! EG might be able to qualify for GSTL if they get 3 or 4 more into code A.
I hate all korean terrans, will be nice to have another euro alongside Jinro to show them how the class CAN be played.
It's good to see EG adding serious gamers to the roster, I worried 2 months ago that they have brilliant ambitions and forward progress but not really the roster to establish themselves as a competitive team - only Idra of korean-levels and machine/incontrol with the ability to perhaps compete - but the addition of DeMus and Grubby should really give them a solid core to move on with.
"He's not just another European player - he's popular, well-spoken, marketable, and performs well," explained Freytag. "The only other player in Europe like him with this combination of skills is... Grubby."
Alongside the addition of Benjamin, Evil Geniuses' Greg 'IdrA' Fields recently confirmed that the organisation are working on a base in South Korea where their Starcraft 2 players will be able to prepare for and compete in competitions such as the Global Starcraft 2 League and the Global Starcraft 2 Team League. Freytag echoed Fields and told us that there was nothing new to make public with regards to their Korean base but revealed that the organisation plan to send Baker to South Korea. When asked he simply told us, "Yes, absolutely!"
Evil Geniuses now field a very impressive Starcraft 2 roster and with their plans for a Korean base, it is very possible that we may see them trying to qualify for the GSTL. However, as content as management may be with their roster, Freytag warns that it's possible we may see more additions in the future.
5 days ago they signed him and I think we all guessed why. Now here's confirmation.
Other than DeMuslim going to Korea, it's really cool to hear EG talking about big plans beyond that. Plans for a house and new acquisitions in the foreseeable future? If this means another foreign team with a significant presence in Korea, I'm pretty excited.
Of course, the question of 'can they seriously compete?' comes up but they just teased us about a volatile roster. Long term, assuming some significant skilled additions might be in order, but also using the core they've got now - yeah. Fuck yeah. God damn I hope so.
Thanks for the update! I cannot wait to see EG all working together in the same house with power houses like IdrA, Demuslim, and Incontrol. It is going to an exciting year for Foreign fans as we will have even more presence in korea! GL to Demuslim and GL to all our foreign brothers across the sea! <3
I would have been more happier if they sent out Machine to Korea, but I guess DeMuslim ain't that bad of a choice either. I can't wait for the day we see an EG vs TL finals in the GTSL
On January 10 2011 22:26 shannn wrote: Somehow I have this feelign they need to get Genius since he's teamless at the moment. Although language barrier might be a problem.
But still DeMuslim !!! EG might be able to qualify for GSTL if they get 3 or 4 more into code A.
Why do you think that ? his GSL name is NsPGenius. NsP might not be a very well known team, but it's still a team.
I wonder if EG is gonna hang on to their current lineup. I really don't think that more than 2 or 3 players on their team will go to Korea to live and play there... Idra is already there, Grubby will probably go, DeMuslim now and InControl might...
I don't think he's the best european terran (Brat_Ok, Nas, Jinro, Naama and Sjow are at least as good as him) but he's certainly the most marketable of all of them. He's quite good looking, pretty smart (he's casting is top-notch) and articulate. Hope he does well in Korea, but at least, he's going to give a way better image of foreigners than Idra.
Awesome! I think everyone kind of expected this but am so glad it was confirmed.. I think this is a great move by EG. Anything announced where he will be living?
On January 10 2011 22:26 shannn wrote: Somehow I have this feelign they need to get Genius since he's teamless at the moment. Although language barrier might be a problem.
But still DeMuslim !!! EG might be able to qualify for GSTL if they get 3 or 4 more into code A.
I'm pretty sure Idra and Genius hate eachother
Yea I know unfortunately Genius said so himself in an interview somewhere.
On January 10 2011 23:27 Nizaris wrote: <3 DeMuslim. GL !!
On January 10 2011 22:26 shannn wrote: Somehow I have this feelign they need to get Genius since he's teamless at the moment. Although language barrier might be a problem.
But still DeMuslim !!! EG might be able to qualify for GSTL if they get 3 or 4 more into code A.
Why do you think that ? his GSL name is NsPGenius. NsP might not be a very well known team, but it's still a team.
NsP is a clan and not a team. I believe Tastosis even mentioned he was looking for the right team. A clan and team is not the same.
Great news!, It feels like DeMusliM has so much potential. If he just has a very strict training schedule he would become such a dangerous player (he allready is but even more so)
I love DeMusliM, he's shown so much promise during beta and even early release, I think if he honed his skills by moving to Korea, he could be a very dominant terran in the future. He is arguably one of the smartest terrans i've seen, also he makes very little mistakes in his play. I wish him the best of luck in Korea .
I expected something like this when the transfer was announced, he already told me back in early december that given the chance he would definitely go to Korea. I'd assume he will go after the next EPS season considering he just moved to Cologne and stuff (living with Rotterdam would be a strong plus^^).
On January 11 2011 00:16 r3clay wrote: they might just steal ret from team liquid. then they have another player willingly in korea.. and i believe ret is friends with grubby so
Ret is friends with all of the EG guys, has been since BW.
[16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: i can tell you [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: thats bullshit [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: atleast for now [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: in the future sure perhaps [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: but for now thats bs
On January 11 2011 01:05 Awesomeness wrote: [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: i can tell you [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: thats bullshit [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: atleast for now [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: in the future sure perhaps [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: but for now thats bs
it doesnt say anywhere in the article that he's leaving tomorrow... just that he IS going eventually.
Demuslim is casting right now at esl.tv (Go4SC2 monthly final) and is talking about his future: The EG house is running very soon. He will go to Korea but don't tell the exact time. It seems that he will not play EPS season 2 because he's talking about not liking the new system.
On January 11 2011 01:05 Awesomeness wrote: [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: i can tell you [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: thats bullshit [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: atleast for now [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: in the future sure perhaps [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: but for now thats bs
I think this is a fantastic sign for eSports (:. More foreign players are getting involved in the korean scene, tearing down their dominance. TSL 3 is being held outside of Korea with the largest TSL prize pool yet. So many new players are getting involved. Maybe soon different games will find this kind of success in eSports. (:
I always cringe when people refer to other people as being "marketable." Anyways, best of luck to Mr. Benjamin. With his sick win rate, I'd say it's safe to assume he can compete on par with the koreans.
EG needs to grab 1-2 more players to finish their korea roster. I think they should seriously consider picking up someone like kiwikaki, qxc, or drewbie if they have a desire to be in korea and root can't support them.
Nice to see more foreigners in korea. I'm sure demuslim will improve like crazy when he gets into the korean ladder.
On January 11 2011 02:15 donut boi wrote: I always cringe when people refer to other people as being "marketable."
I understand being averse to terms like that, but every sport (or esport) needs stars to grow, and one aspect of being a star is being marketable. Tournaments and teams need sponsors to run, and sponsors need people who make the sport look fun and that make their products look good to draw in viewers/customers. If we want players sponsored and sent to Korea, we have to acknowledge and accept that the companies doing it can't just send them out of the goodness of their hearts or for the love of the game; they need a return on investment.
If the word "marketable" bothers you, just replace it in your head with the other words he used. "Popular, well-spoken... and performs well" are basically synonymous with "marketable" as far as sponsors are concerned but they sound nicer, and in the end all it means is that we get to see a great player like DeMuslim get some exposure and have the shot at the big leagues that he deserves.
Despite all the talk about SC2 dying out in Korea it really does seem like it is quickly growing for us foreigners. Really enjoying how it's all playing out.
This isn't happening for a while right? I heard he'll be staying in germany for another season of EPS. Well good news is good i guess whether or not it's a tad early. Go Ben!
On January 11 2011 03:21 Telcontar wrote: This isn't happening for a while right? I heard he'll be staying in germany for another season of EPS. Well good news is good i guess whether or not it's a tad early. Go Ben!
TLO pulled out just right before the first season of the EPS started and went to Korea too... so... yeah... he could go earlier...
On January 11 2011 03:58 orgolove wrote: So how is this when viewed in relation to the fail attendance of Koreans in the recent Code S tournies?
I don't think he will care at all how many koreans watch him live to be honest. Dood is a professional and has had plenty of fans in the past. Anyone going to GSL is aiming for the 100 million won most probably.
In any case i thought it was said that the slip in attendance is because its like -16 degrees in Korea nowadays and that the GSL studio is out of town. Thus the low attendance just like the MBC matches even in BW. Only OGN matches are filled out because they are inside a mall in the centre of a town.
I think thats what Artosis said. Granted he is probably not an unbiased source but i think his explanation makes sense.
With a few more players from EG, they could possibly compete in the GSTL, provided that they reach Code A/S. DeMusliM should be able to reach Code A, and that EG is trying to find new talent to go to Korea could prove beneficial in bridging the gap between Korea and the rest of the world.
On January 11 2011 03:43 tadL wrote: mhhh, a player payed to just win the EPS and didnt make it goes to korea. mhhh..gl but i think still: solid but overrated.
What you said just sounds dumb. He placed first at the round-robin part of the EPS, with an impressive record. But because he lost one game at the playoffs, he placed third.
A GSTL with EG competing would be pretty awesome. A team league is pretty much the only thing that's going to make me care about watching SC2 regularly and if there's a team league with EG in it? Fuck. Yeah.
Cool. Gl to team EG I would love to see them more present in the korean scene.
Although...
"He's not just another European player - he's popular, well-spoken, marketable, and performs well," explained Freytag. "The only other player in Europe like him with this combination of skills is... Grubby."
On January 11 2011 04:48 Go0g3n wrote: So, it's Idra, Grubby, Demuslim, Incontol (probably LZ + Machine). They need another heavy hitter, maybe they should get Fenix.
Inka, Axslav, Strifecro as well. Fenix is contracted by fnatic so I don't think that is exactly an option lol.
On January 10 2011 23:22 pred470r wrote: I would have been more happier if they sent out Machine to Korea, but I guess DeMuslim ain't that bad of a choice either. I can't wait for the day we see an EG vs TL finals in the GTSL
Well they are talking about getting a house there to practice and live in, so I would imagine that incontrol machine inka etc. would be joining them, since they do play full time. If they were to set up a team there they'd need more than 2 guys and odds are they'll want to be well represented with maybe 6-8 guys.
On January 11 2011 02:46 darmousseh wrote: EG needs to grab 1-2 more players to finish their korea roster. I think they should seriously consider picking up someone like kiwikaki, qxc, or drewbie if they have a desire to be in korea and root can't support them.
Nice to see more foreigners in korea. I'm sure demuslim will improve like crazy when he gets into the korean ladder.
Pretty sure Kiwikaki isn't short on money, qxc is still a student and looks like he's dedicated to that, and drewbie is the leader of root, good luck on that haha
On January 11 2011 02:15 donut boi wrote: I always cringe when people refer to other people as being "marketable." Anyways, best of luck to Mr. Benjamin. With his sick win rate, I'd say it's safe to assume he can compete on par with the koreans.
Doesn't seem like a big deal to me, I mean, theres a reason you see Justin Wong, n0thing, Grubby and even incontrol on EG's posters and going to events like CES to do promotions for their sponsors.
Lastly to all the people who say certain players aren't good enough to compete, quite frankly I think thats ridiculous. If a top 10 foreign team or player has the resources to send players over to play in Korea, its been shown time and time again that living and practicing in Korea has vastly improved each players play. Look at incontrol who only spent a week or two there, even players like haypro TLO jinro etc. with such a small foreigner count in Korea there is no point arguing if Demuslim or incontrol or Spades or Torch should be in korea. If they can be there, then by all means they should be.
In the end, if a player is worthy, he will be able to compete and if for some reason a top level foreigner completely flames out, then so be it, he will have spent the time and learned in a great situation in Korea, the worst that will happen is he decides to go back home.
On January 11 2011 01:05 Awesomeness wrote: [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: i can tell you [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: thats bullshit [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: atleast for now [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: in the future sure perhaps [16:49] ESLTV|RotterdaM: but for now thats bs
god it's annoying that he'd say it's bullshit when it's clearly not
edit: It'd be nice to see what happens with other big name teams in terms of Korea. I wonder how much thought a team like fnatic has put in, with their lineup, in terms of setting up a house or something in Korea.
Has EG commented on whether or not they plan to send Grubby to train in Korea? Demuslim going to Korea is very good news. They already have a Zerg there, they are confirmed sending a Terran there, so how about their Protoss?
So happy about this! DeMuslim is one of my favourite players.
Entering the GSL Code A should be difficult, though (foreigner invitation spots or laddering to get to the preliminary Code A tournament).
On January 11 2011 03:58 orgolove wrote: So how is this when viewed in relation to the fail attendance of Koreans in the recent Code S tournies?
I know what you mean - going to Korea, then GSL shutting down. Would not be a pretty situation. The players can always go back, though. This really "only" would be a major problem for EG. But this is very pessimistic thinking, GSL should do fine, Blizzard cannot want that to fail, either.
On January 11 2011 06:17 Mohdoo wrote: Has EG commented on whether or not they plan to send Grubby to train in Korea? Demuslim going to Korea is very good news. They already have a Zerg there, they are confirmed sending a Terran there, so how about their Protoss?
I bet he wouldn't right away, since he plans on playing both WC3 and SC2 for a while, he's admitted he's still picking up SC2 slowly, plus he has a wife and house in the Netherlands
This is great news. I'm predicting we will hear more news about further EG members going to Korea, seems strange only DeMusliM has been confirmed. He's had an amazing few weeks.
I remember seeing an interview with Ben after Dreamhack saying that it was his dream to go to Korea and play someday if he could. Now he has this opportunity and it's great for him!
On January 10 2011 22:26 shannn wrote: Somehow I have this feelign they need to get Genius since he's teamless at the moment. Although language barrier might be a problem.
I think them not liking each other might be a bigger factor. Have you missed the recent Gisado KOTH tournament where they played against each other?
On January 10 2011 22:26 shannn wrote: Somehow I have this feelign they need to get Genius since he's teamless at the moment. Although language barrier might be a problem.
I think them not liking each other might be a bigger factor. Have you missed the recent Gisado KOTH tournament where they played against each other?
If u are bothered to read that post number then continue on reading plz I said I knew they hate eachother but I just think Genius would be a good addition as a skilled protoss for EG in Korea which benefits IdrA imo.
But not to derail the thread what's the estimation of next EPS? Is that in a month or 2? or longer?
A lot of you guys seem really chirpy and happy. Demuslim won't even make qualifications in korea, well now that there is A class and S class, maybe. If it was the old system he wouldn't have made qualifications 2 times in a row, then like Jinro, third times a charm.
With A class and S class, there is some distance between the highest diamonds and low diamonds. But I still don't see Demuslim making round of 16 in his first try let alone second try in A class.
Unfortunately I have a hard time thinking highly of EU and NA players, there skilled yes, way more then me. But have a narrow play style specific to each region. Everyone seems very confident that these top players will do very well in Korea.
Take Morrow for example, Morrow would absolutly get destroyed in korea like a lethal injection of cyanide. But everyone says how he's one of the top Terran players in the world, so he obviously has no plans to go to korea or thinks he should ever have to.
I just find some of the EU players act like there in a bubble and are ignorant towards the difference between EU play style and Korean play style, as if you don't ever have to play in korea to be considered the best. Maybe Demuslim will be different, I will watch intently.
Sorry about being all "idra" about it, just how I feel I guess. After Demuslim's second or third run, I will be very exited for him and believe he has a winning chance and he will be worth EG's efforts. I just feel Korea is a different play style with a nasty learning curve. In time Demuslim will become one of the best, it doesn't happen by default cause he one tournaments in EU.
On January 11 2011 09:10 Armada Vega wrote: A lot of you guys seem really chirpy and happy. Demuslim won't even make qualifications in korea, well now that there is A class and S class, maybe. If it was the old system he wouldn't have made qualifications 2 times in a row, then like Jinro, third times a charm.
With A class and S class, there is some distance between the highest diamonds and low diamonds. But I still don't see Demuslim making round of 16 in his first try let alone second try in A class.
Unfortunately I have a hard time thinking highly of EU and NA players, there skilled yes, way more then me. But have a narrow play style specific to each region. Everyone seems very confident that these top players will do very well in Korea.
Take Morrow for example, Morrow would absolutly get destroyed in korea like a lethal injection of cyanide. But everyone says how he's one of the top Terran players in the world, so he obviously has no plans to go to korea or thinks he should ever have to.
I just find some of the EU players act like there in a bubble and are ignorant towards the difference between EU play style and Korean play style, as if you don't ever have to play in korea to be considered the best. Maybe Demuslim will be different, I will watch intently.
Sorry about being all "idra" about it, just how I feel I guess. After Demuslim's second or third run, I will be very exited for him and believe he has a winning chance and he will be worth EG's efforts. I just feel Korea is a different play style with a nasty learning curve. In time Demuslim will become one of the best, it doesn't happen by default cause he one tournaments in EU.
I don't feel like this applies at all. Also Morrow has switched to zerg so if you're gonna talk about individual players get your facts straight. Foreigners have been able to do fairly well in Korea so far and jinro and Idra have both been beaten by foreigners at the last MLG's and other events.
Now I'm not saying all those guys qualify to be pro material but it shows that some of those guys at least have the potential to grow in Korea. That's the most important thing, just look at how Huk's been improving over there. It's always gonna benefit the player.
PS who was expecting jinro to do that good? and he nearly won the damn thing, don't underestimate players.
Allways nice to see foreignes giving it a shot! GL in Korea. Hope he somehow manages to get into code A. From what I understand, it must be incredibly hard to get into codeA now that the first 3 GSLs are over.
On January 11 2011 09:10 Armada Vega wrote: A lot of you guys seem really chirpy and happy. Demuslim won't even make qualifications in korea, well now that there is A class and S class, maybe. If it was the old system he wouldn't have made qualifications 2 times in a row, then like Jinro, third times a charm.
With A class and S class, there is some distance between the highest diamonds and low diamonds. But I still don't see Demuslim making round of 16 in his first try let alone second try in A class.
Unfortunately I have a hard time thinking highly of EU and NA players, there skilled yes, way more then me. But have a narrow play style specific to each region. Everyone seems very confident that these top players will do very well in Korea.
Take Morrow for example, Morrow would absolutly get destroyed in korea like a lethal injection of cyanide. But everyone says how he's one of the top Terran players in the world, so he obviously has no plans to go to korea or thinks he should ever have to.
I just find some of the EU players act like there in a bubble and are ignorant towards the difference between EU play style and Korean play style, as if you don't ever have to play in korea to be considered the best. Maybe Demuslim will be different, I will watch intently.
Sorry about being all "idra" about it, just how I feel I guess. After Demuslim's second or third run, I will be very exited for him and believe he has a winning chance and he will be worth EG's efforts. I just feel Korea is a different play style with a nasty learning curve. In time Demuslim will become one of the best, it doesn't happen by default cause he one tournaments in EU.
given the relative newness of the foreign sc2 presence in SK, i'd say these guys are doing exceedingly well. TL is stacked with players that are more than capable of achieving code S or code A status, and EG is 1/1 Whether it is instant success or not, all achievements so far should be viewe in light of the fact that SC2 has only been out for 6 months, and the GSL far less so. DeMuslim will probably need 1-2 months just to get acclimated to Korean life, but after that, I fully expect him to place top 32, no question. Top 16 is definitely elite territory, which nobody, SK or foreign, have been able to achieve consistently...
If Jinro and haypro can pull decent results, demuslim sure can. It will only take a short period of time for demu to pick up on the fast pace korean style.
Wow demuslim going to Korea.. EG house getting up and running and Grubby soon to be involved.. I hope EG becomes a strong force in Korea alongside TL! THis is so awesome;
awesome news, ive been a fan of demuslim pretty much since release. it will also be nice for idra to finally have a permanent practice partner in his house.
Good news. IMO the more foreigners that get out there the better represented we will be... It's just a numbers game at the moment, not a huge skill gap. The huge skill gap only exists between what I would call "S class" SC2 players (guys like MC and Nestea, not just people in Code S...) and the rest which is frankly where majority of the competitive crowd sits.
I imagine the powers that be at EG discussing their evil plans around a massive table in their war room, and after much deliberation... "DeMuslim will go to Korea!"
Nothing against Demuslim, but comparing him with Grubby is laughable imo. He is nowhere near the level in sc2 that Grubby was in wc3. But with him in Korea we will see what happens
The EG house will be a serious force to be reckoned with.
Think about how much success IdrA has had without ANY practice partners besides Ret? Once he has people this good of all races to develop strategies with..
And not to mention DeMusliM... Put this guy in Korea and give him these guys to train with and you have another code S player, easily.
EPT
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