Choi Jong Hwan AKA SlayersCoCa will be back in Slayers lineup starting March 10th, when the Code A qualifiers for the GSL 2012 Season 2 will take place.
The reason he was out of the lineup in the first place can be found here.
Slayers' team manager Kim Gayeon AKA SlayersJessica issued an official apology for what happened and gave her thoughts about why it is now due time for a comeback.
I'm not going to translate it word by word (I can't, even if I wanted), but the main points:
1. CoCa has refused several invites from major SC2 tournaments for the last few months as a self-imposed punishment for his unprofessional behavior. He has been sorely focused on practicing.
2. Jessica decided that denying further involvement with the team and oportunities as a progamer was too harsh of a punishment, and after all these months in self probation, she hopes the viewers and event organizers that were offended by CoCa's behavior understand and forgive him.
3. Byun has returned to Prime's lineup on February 18th, in a GSTL match between Prime and NSHoseo. Although he did not get to play, he made his first public appearance after the incident at the Prime team bench. He received a lot of flak from the viewers for returning without an official apology or statement.
It was an incredibly stupid decision by both, but they paid their dues...Koreans really take this whole honorable competition thing as far as they can take it :-/
So glad to see him coming back, this guys ZvP is off the hook and his other matchups are magnificient as well. He made a mistake, but it looks like he's made a serious effort to recognize the errors of his ways and I think he definitely deserves forgiveness.
CoCa is back to RIP SHIT UP!!!! , omg if they had him in GSTL today they woulda won easily, they won the game with protoss, and guess who counters protoss?! :D
Coca who seemed to be a role and hitting his stride when he got caught up in the Esports drama. I'm glad to see him back in the line-up and hopefully soon to be back in code S. His play was spectacular back then, lets just hope he practiced hard to maintain or exceed his previous skills.
On February 24 2012 23:19 Jinsho wrote: And just as IdrA moves out of the house.
Idra is leaving SlayerS House? Or am i being trolled super early?
He's back in US for MLG and will not return to Korea I thought. But CoCa was already back in the SlayerS house for some time though.
Welcome back CoCa :D
Is there a source? 'One of' the best foreigners' leaving Korea for good would have been talked about, especially it being Idra. I can't find it in recent interview on myeg. Myey.net is down right now though so I can't double check.
Great news for the Slayers Team, they where lacking in the Zerg department, and good news for CoCa, while I look down upon win trades and such, I hope he has learned his lesson and can now work on becoming a real champion.
If only he made his return 1 day earlier. Still, 3 months of pure practise without the distraction of competitions, i sure hope he has refined his mechanics and strategy to a new level.
On February 24 2012 22:46 Ruscour wrote: It was an incredibly stupid decision by both, but they paid their dues...Koreans really take this whole honorable competition thing as far as they can take it :-/
This is probably because of the whole savior fiasco in bw. It isn't particularly a bad thing though, it raises our opinion of them as well knowing that they're taking it seriously.
good to hear that. coca was probably top 3 zerg/top ten overall at that time. he received a lot of criticism (deserved) and the way it was executed alone deserved to be punished (live cast). however i always felt some sort of sympathy for him as he did it to help out his ex-teammate and friend. that doesn't justify the action, i know that. but still i give him props for that. also i think he never recieved anything for it as the live chat had no money mentioned whatsoever. now we get back a top zerg. i think he had to move out the slayers team house so hopefully his game has not suffered too much.
cocas going to be looking for glory now. his zvp and being in slayers I think hes going to be a okayer to watch no matter where he is.
I was unhappy with byun coming back in ipltac without any notice. just seems wrong but really cool that he kept himself out of the game and understood why what he did was bad.
Coca! Yes, finally! It's going to be so much fun rooting for him to get back into Code S, I hope he does really well. I've watched Coca vs Taeja like a dozen times, and I keep going back to his MLG runs too. Wonderful player from whom to draw inspiration, such sexy styles.
Funny how CoCa's return is later than Byuns... Hopefully CoCa will now be the beast he was on the verge of becoming in GSL = practicing at least a bit in ZvT and ZvZ
Slayers will be so much stronger when Coca is back. Glad this little hiccup is finally coming to a close for Byun and Coca and we can see them play again.
I'm looking forward to see him playing again. I hope his play is still on the same level as it was before. And hey... Protoss is getting out of control. It's time for CoCa to put them in their place :D
I thought the whole CoCa/Byun situation got blown way out of proportion in the first place. I know it's a sensitive topic in Korea, but for something that was obviously a spur-of-the-moment joke between two friends...
Anyways, they're both great players that I've missed watching for a while now.
On February 25 2012 00:29 Xcobidoo wrote: Funny how CoCa's return is later than Byuns... Hopefully CoCa will now be the beast he was on the verge of becoming in GSL = practicing at least a bit in ZvT and ZvZ
He already was a beast in ZvZ, he owned DRG at MLG
Can't say I was too upset over what he did back then even if it wasn't the right thing to do. Anyway nice that Slayers is going to have a good Zerg in GSTL from now on, assuming he's still in shape.
I think it was right to punish him for alittle while and that he can learn from his mistakes, good to have him back and he will have alot of good games to put in to redeem himself.
and on a side note Byun should really stop being a pussy, man up and admit what he did was wrong and appolgise, takes more of a man to do that than not to. Although to be honest i wouldnt mind if he just dropped out i have never really been a fan of his play.
Going to be interesting to see how he plays for his grand return. It was a shame that he sat out of tournaments for so long after what he did, although I would say the punishment was justifiable.
Abaut fricking time, talk abaut overreaction. Then again they do take this more seriously so I guess i respect them for that. But jeesh...he is kind of young, I think people should get a slap on the wrist the first time, no?
"Edit: that savior thing was way bader, and he ain´t such a cutie"
You can't say that it was worse, no one even knows the facts surrounding what Savior's role was in that whole incident, it's all hearsay. Plus who cares about looks, Savior was the best player to ever touch BW until Flash came around.
On February 24 2012 23:19 Jinsho wrote: And just as IdrA moves out of the house.
Idra is leaving SlayerS House? Or am i being trolled super early?
He's back in US for MLG and will not return to Korea I thought. But CoCa was already back in the SlayerS house for some time though.
Welcome back CoCa :D
Is there a source? 'One of' the best foreigners' leaving Korea for good would have been talked about, especially it being Idra. I can't find it in recent interview on myeg. Myey.net is down right now though so I can't double check.
For those who pointed out that Byun did not play in GSTL against NSHoseo:
Yes you are absolutely correct, he indeed did not play against NSHoseo, but he made his first public appearance after the incident at the Prime bench that very day, and the Korean viewers who noticed it weren't pleased with what they saw.
Good to see two solid players back on the viewable competitive scene. Welcome back CoCa and Byun, I hope you have both learned your lesson and can bring some wicked games to make up for it ^_^!
On February 25 2012 02:20 Juvant wrote: I always felt like Byun got a lot of flack for what was probably a joke comment.
Coca was the sole person in the wrong here I think.
That being said, he was probably my second favorite Korean Zerg, so I am thrilled to have him back.
Hope he can revolutionize the current zvp metagame.
Byun may not have actually fixed the match by losing on purpose but he did make the request. He is equally responsible for this situation regardless of whether the comment was a joke or not.
CoCa to win the next GSL :D Seriously, the only reason Jjakji got to win GSL November was because CoCa had to drop out in the Ro16 due to the scandal. CoCa was on a tear back then T_T
Yessssssssssss, I can't wait to watch him play again. He was such an amazing zerg that I think was often overlooked. Hopefully he'll come back with a bang and just dominate Code A to get back into Code S.
On February 24 2012 22:44 nokz88 wrote: 2. Jessica decided that denying further involvement with the team and oportunities as a progamer was too harsh of a punishment, and after all these months in self probation, she hopes the viewers and event organizers that were offended by CoCa's behavior understand and forgive him.
I was more offended by Jessica's ridiculous punishment than what CoCa did, glad he's back though.
So good he's back, I always felt the punishment was way to harsh, such a young and talented player gotta let him play. But koreans reaction to byun returning without an apology shows how necessary coca's punishment was, even if it's only for the sake of korean fans.
He's definitely my favorite zerg player. I don't even know why, but I've always rooted for him over anyone else xD. I thought that he was punished way too much, but really it's a cultural thing. I hope he blows through code A and into code S...
On February 24 2012 22:44 nokz88 wrote: 2. Jessica decided that denying further involvement with the team and oportunities as a progamer was too harsh of a punishment, and after all these months in self probation, she hopes the viewers and event organizers that were offended by CoCa's behavior understand and forgive him.
I was more offended by Jessica's ridiculous punishment than what CoCa did, glad he's back though.
Yeah Coca's back during his Code/MLG time a few months ago, he was really the beast zerg, almost as good as nestea and Drg, I can only imagine that he got better with practice only in the meantime. As a protoss I fear for my pro-Brothers now, because they have to be afraid of zerg again haha.
Finalllyyyyy COCAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D I missed him. I think the punishment was too severe for him and Byun. Now this bad incident can be forgotten.
What they did was wrong but I'm glad both are back... love CoCa and Byun, will be interesting to see how good they have became (or not became) in their tournament absences.
I don't think the punishment was too severe. The Koreans sent a clear cut message across, win trading will never be tolerated. I hope the lesson has been learned and now he can focus on becoming a better player.
Glad to see he's back. Gotta root for the swarm! He's a young player that made a mistake. Hopefully this won't stick with him as he's done more than pay his dues.
YES!!!! COCA was always one of the most intriguing Zergs.
Drg honestly just doesn't get me as excited. For instance yesterday i though he played like crap the first 2 games vs Guhmiho. and i thought that Gumiho didn't play his best in games 4 and 5.
Just think that Coca is more interesting to watch.
On February 24 2012 22:46 Ruscour wrote: It was an incredibly stupid decision by both, but they paid their dues...Koreans really take this whole honorable competition thing as far as they can take it :-/
They need to take match fixing seriously, not just for the "honorable competition thing" as you call it. If match fixing isn't dealt with seriously, the game isn't taken seriously. Just like any other sport with match fixing wouldn't be taken seriously if it wasn't dealt with in a serious manner. And if your sport isn't taken seriously, it wont be attractive to sponsors.
It's no exaggeration when stating that dealing with match fixing in a serious manner is important for the SC2 competitive scene.
He did his time and did not make excuses for the original issue, so I respect him for how he handled this and owned up to his mistake. Welcome back CoCa, good luck in the qualifers for Code A!
On February 25 2012 01:35 INTOtheVOID wrote: Everyone is willing to fogive Coca so easy yet no will do the same for Savior.
Cause wat savior did was a million times worse... I don't even think Coca deserved any punishment other than being banned from the korean weeklies lol
Yeah, he ain't no bonjwa and he wasn't part of a betting ring/getting other players to do it too. Savior is Savior so it matters alot more...would be the equivalent of a player 2x Nestea's calibur and accomplishments being found to throw matches..someone at the top of the league, not just a top-class player and not for a minor tournament.
Yeah let him back in. He's probably sorry enough, after getting his GSL Championship shot denied. On plus note, finally another zerg in the gsl... and i'm terran!
Good that Coca's back. I'm glad his self probation thing really put him into practice mode. I hope he dominates GSL and makes it to a championship some day.
So happy to have Coca back! Great to hear he's been practicing his ass off too, I was worried he might have fallen off a bit since he's been punished for so damn long.
Slayers team handled that very professionaly. They could have out right got rid of the players to save face, but they admitted mistake, appologized and just put the players on temp ban. Says a lot about the make-up of the Slayers coaches. They are very dedicated to their team. At least thats what I took from it.
yea he should have played today... maybe slayers wouldnt have lost -_-
User was warned for this post
anyone know why this post received a warn?
Posting about match results in a thread outside the dedicated thread for the match/tournament in question i think. Or possibly because there was no indication in the normal post what was in the spoiler tag, but i'm not 100% sure
Slayers look really scary with Coca back in, it really covers up their weakness of all those T being weak against P, but too bad he can't play this season's GSTL.
I know this is probably going to peev a few guys off but if saviOr didnt get a pass, neither should CoCa or Byun. You cheat/fix a match before the game or right near the end, match fixing is match fixing. For some actions in life, you just don't get a pass.
ANyways, good for SlayerS to get their scary zerg back. Byun i never thought he was that great to begin with so.. meh.
On February 25 2012 18:03 hyperknight wrote: I know this is probably going to peev a few guys off but if saviOr didnt get a pass, neither should CoCa or Byun. You cheat/fix a match before the game or right near the end, match fixing is match fixing. For some actions in life, you just don't get a pass.
Please don't start this nonsense here. If you researched the details of the story you would know that was just a practice session for Coca in a first round which he could have just not shown up for - like it happened in 10 out of the other 15 matches.
I believe there was a thread somewhere about the top korean GMS, the number 1 player being someone translated to coca cola or something along those lines, a zerg, with around 80 percent win rate. I can't seem to find the thread, but I think this may be coca, practicing in solitude, waiting to show us even better zvp?
On February 25 2012 18:03 hyperknight wrote: I know this is probably going to peev a few guys off but if saviOr didnt get a pass, neither should CoCa or Byun. You cheat/fix a match before the game or right near the end, match fixing is match fixing. For some actions in life, you just don't get a pass.
ANyways, good for SlayerS to get their scary zerg back. Byun i never thought he was that great to begin with so.. meh.
You might want to compare the scale of the crime before talking nonsense.
About time! If he's been practicing for 3 months straight I'm looking forward to some beastly play.
On February 25 2012 18:03 hyperknight wrote: I know this is probably going to peev a few guys off but if saviOr didnt get a pass, neither should CoCa or Byun. You cheat/fix a match before the game or right near the end, match fixing is match fixing. For some actions in life, you just don't get a pass.
ANyways, good for SlayerS to get their scary zerg back. Byun i never thought he was that great to begin with so.. meh.
This is a troll right? The situations are not comparable....
On February 25 2012 18:03 hyperknight wrote: I know this is probably going to peev a few guys off but if saviOr didnt get a pass, neither should CoCa or Byun. You cheat/fix a match before the game or right near the end, match fixing is match fixing. For some actions in life, you just don't get a pass.
ANyways, good for SlayerS to get their scary zerg back. Byun i never thought he was that great to begin with so.. meh.
IMO, this was a totally different scenario with saviOr. So believe what you want, but leave that out. The past is the Past.
On February 25 2012 18:03 hyperknight wrote: I know this is probably going to peev a few guys off but if saviOr didnt get a pass, neither should CoCa or Byun. You cheat/fix a match before the game or right near the end, match fixing is match fixing. For some actions in life, you just don't get a pass.
ANyways, good for SlayerS to get their scary zerg back. Byun i never thought he was that great to begin with so.. meh.
IMO, this was a totally different scenario with saviOr. So believe what you want, but leave that out. The past is the Past.
Savior not only accepted money for throwing games, but encouraged others to do so aswell. So he knowingly, over a long period of time not only broke korean LAW (as in CRIMINAL LAW) but encouraged others to do so aswell.
Saying that a teenager making an on the fly decision to want to play a third game for more practice in a minor league is the same as long term Fraud, bribery, illegal gambling and trying to convince other people do so too is just...
On February 25 2012 18:03 hyperknight wrote: I know this is probably going to peev a few guys off but if saviOr didnt get a pass, neither should CoCa or Byun. You cheat/fix a match before the game or right near the end, match fixing is match fixing. For some actions in life, you just don't get a pass.
ANyways, good for SlayerS to get their scary zerg back. Byun i never thought he was that great to begin with so.. meh.
IMO, this was a totally different scenario with saviOr. So believe what you want, but leave that out. The past is the Past.
Saviour not only accepted money for throwing games, but encouraged others to do so aswell. So he knowingly, over a long period of time not only broke korean LAW (as in CRIMINAL LAW) but encouraged others to do so aswell.
Saying that a teenager making an on the fly decision to want to play a third game for more practice in a minor league is the same as long term Fraud, bribery, illegal gambling and trying to convince other people do so too is just...
obviously stealing candy is the same as robbing a bank.
oh yeah.. its a shame coca got cast out right as leenock/drg were jocking for the best zerg position and he was one of the only 3 zerg in the november ro16... leenock/drg dont have flawless records vs protoss though!
I wonder which tournaments sent him invites. I'm pretty sure MLG would have sent him a spot in the Arena online qualifiers, and ESV gave him a spot in the Grand Prix. Takes a lot of character to turn invites like that down.
Glad to see him back, not sure he warranted such a benching but I'm glad to see his team and the community takes things like that seriously. Good luck to him and hope to see more of his sick play!
CoCa with his 80%+ win rate on KR is going to be a force once again. Can't wait, although he did deserve to be punished his lack of malicious intent i think merits a second chance and it has come!
Slayers'Coca is the third best zerg in the world, according to a list I did in 2010. I had Nestea as #1 and Losira as #2. I was pretty right-on with those two. Here's to hoping I was correct regarding Coca.
EPT
