SBENU SC2 Starleague 2015 Season 2

S2SL Main Event
Group B
Dream vs HyuN
Soulkey vs Classic

Brackets andLeenock gs on Liquipedia
Starcraft II Starleague

Thursday, May 14 9:30am GMT (GMT+00:00)
by Soularion

Within every sport or esport scene, there are always some champions who simply transcend what it means to be a champion, and Starcraft II is no different. While we haven't seen as many truly dominant players as we did in Brood War, names such as Life, Mvp and TaeJa will live on for as long as SC2 remains relevant due to how fiercely they've fought for their numerous trophies. But for every Mvp or NesTea, there's a dozen Seeds, Snipers or Squirtles. Players who seized the opportunity (or, even worse—failed to seize the opportunity) but never quite took it anywhere. An underwhelming career carried solely by one final—or at best, one glorious moment—that many simply don't remember. A championship lost to time. In Group B, three of these such players try to reclaim their now-distant glory, while one fights to prove that he wasn't a one-time deal. A dream many players have had before.

The biggest name—in the context of the current scene—that joins Group B is Dream. Without a doubt, the S2SL Season 1 runner-up (and surprisingly old-school terran) made a huge splash when he took out reigning world champion Life. It was the best series of 2015 so far, and the SKT1 Terran showed a clutch factor that we simply haven't seen in a long, long time. However, his results since then have been fairly hard to place. He got stomped by a more experienced and prepared Maru in the finals, lost a couple sloppy games in Proleague, and took out SuperNova—who was clearly inferior in the matchup. This group serves as a wonderful trial for Dream, not only to see if he can recreate his miracle run but also to see if he'll be one of these long-lasting champions/runner-ups. Or, if he'll simply lose the war with time.

His first opponent, HyuN, is very familiar with this war with time. In 2006, a young HyuN was starting to bubble up in the Brood War scene (funnily enough, using the clantag Dream) but simply never quite made it. In Proleague, he was a middling player—albeit a consistent zerg—and that reputation continued through a largely mediocore individual league career. By 2012, he had grown tired of the scene, and swapped over to Starcraft 2 (joining Team SCV Life) in order to try and find success. He spent most of the year struggling in Code A, never quite breaking out, until he finally struck that miracle run. After six years, HyuN stood on top of the world, having come out victorious in his royal road season, finally confirming himself as one of the greats... Or at least, that's the story we would've told. But no, in a surprisingly back-and-forth series, HyuN lost his chance at glory forever against the overlord of evil himself, Sniper. Since leaving Korea and becoming one of the most infamous of the 'globe-trotters', HyuN's reputation has been at odds. He is loved for his personality and antics, but derided for his average results. A player who has succeeded only by crushing inferior foreigners, with no chance at competing against the best of Korea. It's no secret that HyuN doesn't have much time left. In a sport dominated by the young, HyuN stands as the oldest player in this SSL at 27 years old. So, this may very well be one of his last chances to change that image. To become the champion he got so close to being. To win the war with time.


Once upon a time, Soulkey was an up-and-coming Brood War player, hoping to be one of the best. Towards the tail end of Brood War's mainstream lifespan, Soulkey was trending towards success, much like his ex-teammate Rain. Even taking out Flash in the god's infamous last BW game, all eyes were on Soulkey as KeSPA announced its swap into Starcraft 2. In many ways, Soulkey's career until his eventual downfall was defined by his rivalry with INnoVation. A war of ace matches, sweeps and huge moments for both of them, they seemed destined to meet in match after match. Within the confines of the WCS point system, they finished top two—the twin champions of Korea. A ball of flame and a wall of water. Yet, since 2013, they've only played twice—and really, only once within the confines of a large moment. Without that rivalry, Soulkey's very definition has shifted. He's changed from a player of unstoppable consistency to someone who simply cannot muster championship-level play. From getting tricked by a 9-pooling Rogue to his recent failure in GSL against Creator, there's no doubt that Soulkey's 2015 hasn't gone as well as he'd like. Yet, a glimpse of hope remains. His series against Cure stands as one of the more impressive matches by Soulkey in recent memory, and without Proleague or GSL to fall back on, all his cards are on the table here. He has nothing else to practice for. This tournament is do or die. Win, and you may rise up to the champion you once were. Lose, and you'll be destined to remain in mediocrity for another season. Only time will tell which door Soulkey happens to open.

It's easy to forget, then, that his opponent Classic is a more recent champion. But, despite his championship in the midst of 2014 (in only his second season, no less), he's failed to garner the respect a GSL trophy usually earns. Sandwiched between Zest, INnoVation, and the Sisyphean soO, Classic was the forgotten champion of 2014. Even with the trophy in his hands, he could not escape his reputation as a forgettable character. His lack of visibility behind a bench of more popular, more accomplished, more handsome players is the one thing standing in his way, as he has steadily become on of the better protoss in Korea ever since his race switch at the dawn of HotS. People may forget that he reached the Ro4 of KeSPA Cup and Blizzcon after his title in Code S Season 2, though he has been unable to carry that momentum into the new year. He has unfortunately been unable to make it back to Code S, losing to Ryung in Season 1 and Sleep in Season 2. He should be in SPOTV's debt because S2SL has given him a chance to avoid the same fate as Seed and Sniper; he has once again reached the main event. With defeats only to Stats and Dark in the last month, Classic is in as good a vein of form as he has had in 2015, but it might not be enough to reverse his misfortune.

Overall Thoughts and Predictions:

All of these players have proven themselves before, but only two will be able to survive. Soulkey has adjusted well enough to life without swarm hosts, and his only weakness—players with better micro and multitasking—likely won't be an issue in this group. The X-factor that should decide the order is Dream. On the one hand, he has some of the best TvP and TvZ right now. On the other hand, he has experienced some difficulty handling roach bane pressure in the early game, as he prefers greedy macro openings. If HyuN prepares well, he may have a surprising chance of beating last season's runner up. We all know he loves his roaches; it will depend on his opponents to know what they have to do to swat away the desperate zerg.


Dream < HyuN
Soulkey > Classic
HyuN < Soulkey
Dream > Classic
HyuN > Dream

Soulkey and HyuN to advance.

Writers: Soularion.
Graphics: shiroiusagi.
Editors: lichter.
Stats: Aligulac