After we put a different spin on our series last year, we've run into similar issues—this will be the second BlizzCon for a lot of players, even the third for some. Our series was first and foremost centered around the storylines of players competing. This becomes an issue once players attend the tournament more than once. Their story has often not really changed all that much. For example: Polt is still 'Captain America', the exact same way he was last year. The risk of repetition grew even more compared to last year, and no theme (such as the Major Arcana we did last year) would help circumvent it. We wanted to stay as creative and fun as possible, while at the same time bringing you something fresh and interesting, yet also giving you all the information you need about everyone attending the Global Finals.

And so we came up with this. What we're going to release over the coming days is a fictional story consisting of 16 'chapters', all based on and referencing events that happened in WCS 2015. This novelization of the entire WCS year will take some creative liberties but will hopefully still give readers a evocative picture of the last year of Heart of the Swarm. Each chapter will also feature a short introduction for each player and a list of the best or most representative games they've played throughout the year.

The final chapter, the ending if you will, will be written after BlizzCon. That only makes sense—we don't know how the story ends yet!

It's a massive project, the biggest we've ever taken on as a team. As we said last year, writing can—and should!—be fun, and fiction is something most of us have never tried before. We're very excited about the collective result and hope that you will enjoy reading this story as much as we will enjoy watching it unfold.

Edit: In case you must know, we will be releasing 2 articles per day until Opening Weekend begins. Each chapter will be released chronologically, and characters and events will reappear in other chapters, too. While chapters focus on single players, everyone will fit into the big picture.

PS. Juuuust in case you're worried about having only a crazy story to read, don't fret! We will still include a short player introduction (basically a mini player preview), a list of their 4-5 best games of the year, and a strat analysis article. Think of it as a bonus, because BlizzCon!

Intro

We are in the fictional land of Metzennala, the main continent of this world. However, there are also numerous far away islands and foreign lands. Glostalea is the continent's capital, but the second largest city, Spostalea, is experiencing rapid growth. Castles dot the continent, where the most powerful clans reside. These clans rival each other for power and influence; generals and leaders align themselves with these houses. As such, war is the only constant.

The people in this world choose one of three races or affinities: Protoss, Zerg or Terran. While everyone is technically human, their race dictates the armies they control and the powers that they posses. Essentially, a physical interpretation of "players-as-generals". For example: Protoss have psionic powers including psi blades and psi storms; Zergs can control creatures through mind control; and Terrans command more traditional armies and units. All three of these races have a high Council and one leader. While the Councils do not have political power, they do influence the balance of power by directing the evolution of their race.

While there can only be one King that rules the continent, the throne is always contested. The position is not hereditary or democratic. Instead, the title is won by conquest. The golden Scepter is not only the King's symbol of power, it legitimizes his rule. Without it, the throne is essentially abdicated. He is the highest authority in Metzennala, but it is not absolute.

There are also several outlying islands, such as Vacation Island and Exile Island. The main foreign island is Oegugin. Small tribes run rampant, but some castaways from Metzennala have decided to tame the natives and build their own kingdoms.

Death does not exist in this world (because, video games); when something dies it can be reanimated and revived with little consequence. When someone is killed, they go through excruciating pain and respawn either in a reanimation chamber (if the body is recovered quickly), or at a point designated by fate. Because death is a non-factor for the powerful, exile is the most common form of punishment. However, some people choose the life of banishment on their own.

The Backstory

Once upon a time, sOs ruled Metzennala after triumphing over the tyrant Jaedong. Sadly, his reign did not last long as he lacked the authority to unify the clans. Civil war broke out and a rebellion ensued. All the continent's greatest generals tried to sieze the throne, but it was KT Rolster that prevailed. Their mighty champion Zest paved the way for the prodigy Life, but the chiseled Protoss fell in battle and entered an eternal state of rest. When all was said and done, Life had dethroned the incumbent king and ruled over the land.

Life's power was uncontested, as his kingdom's seat was the capital, Glostalea. In addition, he oversaw the Council of Zerg. However, there was still turmoil in Metzennala. While herO headed the Protoss Council, his position was heavily contested. INnoVation's collapse against Taeja had ushered in the era of Maru. Soon, PartinG became the first man to challenge Life's regime, but he was defeated and sent into exile for treason—where he met his fellow exile Rain, who had grown tired of life in his clan. The exiled Protoss had proven that the sovereign was not invincible, and the warring clans grew anxious waiting for their opportunity.

Metzennala was at peace, but as history suggested, the world would once again spiral into chaos.