2013 WCS Global Finals

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2013 WCS Global Finals Aftermath

by Waxangel

It's easy to put a lot of stock into hype, titles, and whatever you're being sold by the loudest promotional mouthpieces in the industry. But the truth is that the WCS Global Finals alone were never going to crown the best player in the world.

Yes, players like Dear, Maru, and Soulkey had chances to clinch that fickle title of best in the world at Blizzcon. However, that was because Blizzcon would be the capstone on an impressive body of previous work, not because Blizzcon had some magical quality. Of course, there was a greatly heightened degree of prestige due to the year-long build up and the sheer amount of money on the line. But in a game with so many match-ups, styles, and possibilities, a sixteen-man, single-elimination tournament can only mean so much, even if that tournament is the WCS Global Finals.

So, where does that leave our champion Woongjin_sOs, who snatched the grand final trophy after a long drought of notable tournament finishes? The words of Season 3 champion Dear are appropriate here:


sOs completely deserves to be the WCS 2013 champion. He was the best player in the world on November 10th. But like 2012 champion PartinG, it does not make him the #1 player on the planet. sOs was invisible for WCS Seasons 2 and 3, and failed to produce more than average results (by Korean standards) at IEM New York and DreamHack Bucharest. What his Blizzcon win has done is thrust him into an increasingly chaotic picture for the title best player in the world.

We might be in the most chaotic period of non-dominance since StarCraft 2 was released. Fans of StarCraft 2 are too used to there being a player who stands out above the rest, widely agreed upon to be a step above his peers. Mvp ruled 2011, DRG and MKP claimed early 2012, Life was unstoppable as he swept through the second half of 2012, and INnoVation dominated the early HotS era.

For the last four months, there hasn't been a single player who has reached that level. There have been players who have were red-hot for brief periods of time, but none of them were able solidify their position. INnoVation's reign was stopped by the ascendant Maru, who proceeded to be twice thwarted by Dear in his back-to-back championship runs. In turn, Dear had his momentum stopped by an even more rampant Jaedong at Blizzcon, who was in turn blind-sided by the tricky sOs.

The ever consistent Soulkey and Jaedong have ended up being consistent in the most frustrating possible way, always in the championship picture but failing to make the final leap. Then there's Bomber, whose inconsistency continues to infuriate and baffle even the most devoted fans of StarCraft 2.

Even players who were not at Blizzcon like PartinG, Life, and Rain must be given consideration, as they have shown a quality of play that suggests they could have fought evenly with the rest of their countrymen at Anaheim. Altogether, there are more than a dozen players who are tied at the top, with none able to conclusively prove his superiority over the others.

For better or for worse, that's the state of StarCraft in the aftermath of WCS 2013. Some might find the situation disorienting, preferring the stability of what has been StarCraft 2's natural state for years: The one king, and all those who seek to take his throne. There's no doubting that is the most convenient story to follow, and the existence of such titans in the past has surely benefited StarCraft as a spectator sport.

Meanwhile, other fans will revel in the chaos, excited at a period of rare unpredictability. There's the feeling that anything could happen before chaos finally becomes order. It may be difficult to delve into so many stories and threads, but surely there is a rich reward for those who put in the effort.

With the most prestigious tournament of WCS Korea-Code S on break until next year (or will it be just Code S by then?), it seems like the title of best-in-the-world will be vacated for several months to come.

Or will it? DreamHack Winter, HomeStory Cup, ASUS ROG Northcon, WCG, Red Bull Battle Grounds, IEM Singapore and the GSL Hot6ix Cup still remain in 2013, cramming themselves into the limited space between WCS years. Jaedong has at least DreamHack Winter and Northcon left on his schedule, sOs heads to both Jönköping and New York, and MC appears to be going everywhere. All while the four WCS point spots at IEM Singapore remain mysteriously veiled.

So for now, enjoy this strange state of affairs. WCS is over, but there are sure to be many great battles before the year is out. The throne may not be vacant for long.

Writers: Waxangel
Photos: silverfire.
Editor: Antoine, Waxangel.