The simplest way to write this would be to say that Huk won and everybody else lost, but here we like to get all metaphysical and talk about what it means. Because in Starcraft, there is a lot more at stake than simply some best-of-threes.



Aiur
Who cares if PvP makes for the most boring finals ever? Zeratul would be proud of Huk and MC, who made for a 1-2 Protoss finish during an era in which Protoss are rare in the top 8. Huk beat two Korean Terrans out of groups to make the finals, while MC beat 4 Terrans and 2 Zergs out of his group to make it there himself.

Did they solve Protoss' well-documented woes? No, but they did prove that when you play at a level higher than your opponents, SC2's balance issues aren't as severe. So never fret, Sad Protoss Fan Club; just play with Top 3 control, and you can beat Terran, too!


Starcraft Reddit and MKP
Reddit has got to feel great for what they did, even if MKP didn't achieve his customary second place. He showed some fantastic games, stealing IdrA's place at the top of the group in a dramatic 2-1 match on the main stage. He only lost to Huk and MC, the two finalists, and... well, Drewbie, which is counter-intuitive but still pretty awesome for Drewbie. He made a nifty heart sign for the crowd and provided plenty of image macro fodder for the passionate Redditors. A great story, and it's encouraged MKP to come back for MLG Providence.

Evil Geniuses
EG had to split their forces going into this tournament. First, Axslav and Strifecro opted to play in IEM NY instead of MLG, and then Demuslim got deported back to the UK for visa issues.

But when you look at the top 8 finishers, EG took 1st, 4th, and 7th, thanks to Huk, Idra, and Puma, respectively. If you consider that IdrA was one game away from playing theSTC for a spot in the finals, EG was pretty darn close to going 1-2. Sir Scoots has to come away from this tournament feeling really good about his top three players.

oGs.MC
This was a fantastic tournament for MC. Not only did his candidacy for President of Korea in 2040 gain traction, but he won back a Code S spot that I personally never thought he'd regain. He had to earn it through a foreign tournament, a foreign tournament on a busy weekend... a foreign tournament, on a busy weekend, through what practical circus of PvP play. The Kratoss Protoss isn't just 'back in Code S', he has ripped his Code S spot from a world that did everything to deny him it. He didn't play another Protoss until the finals (which he lost), but he had to win four close 2-1 series in a row against Puma, Marineking, Idra, and theSTC to earn his spot. Best part of all? The suicidetoss had no opportunity to pick MVP or Nestea into his GSL group this week, because they got to pick first.


SlayerS`BoxeR
Don't ever count this guy out of the scene, because every time you do, he comes to an MLG and gives some of the most dramatic, inspiring games you've ever seen. Never mind--I take that back. Continue to count this guy out, because I want to see more of his awesome games. His extended series with IdrA was the most exciting match of the entire tournament, much like his series against Rain and MMA in previous MLG's. Even when he doesn't win, he inspires us. And then he stays late at night to practice, after all the other players have left, and inspires us even more. The consummate eSports pro. I'm proud that he plays the same game that I do.






Polt
Polt played really well at MLG Orlando. He fought through the hellish open bracket, losing a single close series to Goswser, and then in the Championship Bracket he trounced five foreigners in a row before Puma bounced him out. So if he did so well, how is he a loser?

Firstly, he only got to prove himself against a single other Korean player, and that guy was Puma. Sure, he should have taken care of business with Goswser, but it's tough to emerge from the Open Bracket unscathed. More importantly, MLG didn't show a single one of Polt's matches. What did Polt even gain from this tournament without any opportunity to earn foreign fans? Something like $50 in winnings for three days of nerd-stomping? More importantly, what was Fionn up to all weekend without being able to watch Polt? Crying cold tears as he feverishly rewrote the SC2 Power Rankings?

It's hard to blame MLG for not showing his games with the tight scheduling and the large amount of premier players. But Polt definitely came out of this MLG with a loss.

North America
The North Americans seeded into group play: Drewbie, Incontrol, Sheth, Slush, Kiwikaki, Machine, Tyler, IdrA, and Huk. Two of these things are not like the others, amirite?

Non-EG-bromance North Americans went a combined 6-29 in pool play, and none of them placed in the top 16. Those six wins were against MarineKing, Kiwikaki, Incontrol, Incontrol again, Slush, and Rain. So even with two North Americans placing top 4, we thoroughly embarrassed ourselves in pool play, the only flashes of brilliance being against MarineKing and Rain, and depending on your semantics, Rain is just another North American player.

Everyone cannot wait for the pools to be reset for next year under whatever new Frankenstein format MLG is brewing, because these players are being consistently blown out. There is an enormous gap between Idra, Huk, and everyone else in NA, and it becomes more glaringly obvious every event.

The MLG format
The pool play format has obvious, fundamental flaws that were only exacerbated by the mid-year invitation of GSL Code S winners. The extended series rule has not only wrecked certain players, but entire podcasts and discussion forums. But the real thing that keeps killing MLG is their awful finals. By the time you get someone to match up with your winner's bracket champion, all the truly dramatic matches have been played, because everybody knows that whoever wins the winner's bracket wins the tournament. Throw in the extended series rule, and it's basically a clincher.

It's awesome that Huk was the first foreigner to win an MLG post-Korean-injection. But it would've been more awesome if his final games weren't a foregone conclusion because of the format. I know it's double-elimination and all, but MLG should look long and hard at why all of their Finals have been boring and predictable.

Tonight is a cool evening in October, the leaves have just finished turning golden brown and scarlet hues. A typical fall night, there is a slight bite to the air. The kind that is more refreshing than annoying, early in the season.

I'm in the Team Liquid Office, my first trip to New York and I'm doing it solely to watch video games. Rich arrived yesterday, his room is already a mess of pc cables and connectors. His video card has visible bite marks, he is not pleased with TSA's search dogs.

Currently we are looking for Huk, his plane was scheduled to land nearly 2 hours earlier. He is unreachable.

"I don't want to have to call Nazgul to tell him we lost his player"

In a rare moment of vulnerability HotBid seems worried. Rich looks unconcerned, concentrating on finding out why his second monitor isn't working. TheMango and I are leaning out the window to survey a stopped cab outside. It did not contain a gamer. A middle-aged man is standing on the sidewalk screaming at his mother 5 stories above.

Time passes as the situation becomes more perplexing. Huk has no cell phone or laptop, contact is impossible. No one knows what flight he was supposed to be on but no planes have been delayed.

"Do we order him food or a funeral service?"

We decide on Thai food. Claiming he doesn't like spicy food, Rich has never had it before. None is ordered for our absent team member, our search party takes a break to eat.

As we finish up, HotBid receives a call from an unknown number. His face relaxes instantly when he hears the other end, signaling Liquid's recruit has found a pay phone. Apparently he had to change flights, his trip now involves a taxi ride from New Jersey.

90 minutes later he finally arrives, keyboard and mouse in tow. As we circle the block searching both parties turn a corner at the same time and meet face to face.

"The girls in Paris are way hotter than this city"

A curious greeting. In time it made sense, for we learned Huk is not a normal gamer.