EPT
Some liberties in translation have been taken wherever the hell I feel like it
Q: Many of your key players left the team before the start of the 2015 season, and there was a lot talk about SK Telecom becoming a weaker team.
A: Yes, a lot of key players left. Rain, who was our ace, PartinG, and Soulkey didn't re-sign. Even Fantasy, who was the spiritual leader of our team, left as well. Ever since the team was founded, it's probably the first time so many players left at once. Though we definitely took a big hit, I was confident that we wouldn't be affected. I thought that we could make it up through teamwork.
Q: So, skill could be made up through teamwork.
A: You could think that since StarcCraft 2 is a 1v1 game, teamwork doesn't have any meaning. Still, even though it's individual competition, an individual needs an entire team's help in order to win. Whether it's analyzing an opponent, researching strategies, coming up with solutions, or shutting out variables, you need action at a team level. For a single player to play a match, there has to be a team behind him. That's what teamwork means in StarCraft 2.
Q: Still, it seems like the departure of so many skilled players would have had a big impact.
A: I think if you look at the big picture, relying on one or two ace players creates a rift in teamwork. The more you rely on your aces, the bigger their say becomes in matters. An awkward power struggle starts to form between players, and between players and the coaching staff. At the end of 2014, when new contracts were being negotiated, key players said that they would leave. I didn't try too hard to hold on to them. I thought that if we rebuilt and shored up our teamwork, we could get better results.
They say that pros speak through their results. To get good results, you need teamwork, but that doesn't mean good teamwork always leads to good results. Until 2014, our team had good results, but we weren't a team with good teamwork. But in 2015, we were able to succeed at having both good teamwork and good results.
Q: It seems like something that was possible because the company was willing to gamble on your management philosophy.
A: It was probably a big dilemma for SKT. Rain, Soulkey, PartinG, Fantasy: that guarantees you top four, at least. But the company believed in my management strategy. If there was a player I needed, they acquired him for me. They helped me through all means possible, more passionately than any other team.
Q: It's been 2 years since you took up the head coach position in 2014. You've gotten some incredible results.
A: I didn't expect to get such great results like this. I think it's because the players and coaching staff could come together as one.
Q: Your Proleague results were great as well.
A: It was inevitable that we would get good results in Proleague. The entire team moved as one. Instead of relying on one or two aces, we participated in Proleague thinking that every single player was an ace. In that process, we were able to win 13 games in a row in the regular season, go undefeated in round 3, and achieve a "perfect" round by winning in the post-season as well. If only we hadn't lost to Sbenu in Round 4, we could have broken the Proleague record of 23 consecutive wins, so I regret that a bit.
Q: How do you think you were able to achieve such good teamwork?
A: We created an atmosphere where you focused solely on the game. When the coaching staff put forth a new management strategy, the players followed it without questioning it. They put their faith in me, Doctor.K, and MuJuK. We offered our players both the "carrot and whip." Of all the seasons SK Telecom competed in Proleague, 2015 was the year where we offered the most days off. We set goals for each player, and if they reached that goal, we offered them up to 3 days off in a week. We even set practice hours to the minimum possible. However, when goals weren't met, there was an equivalent cost. Because the incentives were so clear, player satisfaction went up as well. Players who received too many "rewards" and rested too long, they came to the practice house of their own volition to keep training. Seeing that, I felt that the team was running itself.
Q: You went on a 13 game win streak, a record in StarCraft 2.
A: Because the players practiced on their own, the coaching were able to focus their attention on other aspects of the team. Doctor.K and MuJuK analyzed our opponents and shared the predicted line-ups with the team. Of the 28 regular season games this season, they were correct outside of 3 or 4 games. Because the coaching staff was able to accurately predict the opponent's line-ups, the players trusted them and followed them, creating a synergy effect.
Q: You must have been disappointed when your winning streak was broken.
A: Our winning streak stopped at 13 when we lost to Sbenu. That day, the Sbenu players played really well. You could see them gritting their teeth, determined to stop our winning streak. I think all teams need to play with that attitude, so the quality of Proleague can improve and attract more fans to watch. We took received a harsh reality check from Sbenu, so we were able to stay alert ahead of the playoffs.
Q: The team achieved amazing results in individual competition as well.
A: Most of our main Proleague players also had experience playing in finals. Classic won the SpoTV Season 2 Starleague, while INnoVation won GSL Season 3. soO won KeSPA Cup Season 2. Dream reached consecutive finals in SpoTV StarLeague season 1 and 2, while Dark reached two consecutive KeSPA Cup finals. It's unfortunate we couldn't win BlizzCon, but I'm satisfied that that our players achieved success in all sorts of tournaments, big and small.
Q: Most other teams only have one or two players who stand out, but SKT had five players who reached the finals of individual tournaments in 2015. Is that the result of teamwork?
A: You could say so. Jin Air had Maru and sOs who won a championship a piece, while CJ saw herO and ByuL face each other in the finals. However, we had five players with finals experience. With the skill level of the team going up as a whole, I think it was a season where we achieved an overall raising of the bar.
Q: SK Telecom had an incredible year, but SC2 as a whole faced a crisis in 2015. What are your thoughts on match-fixing?
A: Something that should never have happened, happened. Whatever the reason behind it, I'm sure you all know who was involved. I think they must be made a harsh example of. KeSPA has banned the involved head coach and players for life, and worked it out in the industry it so they can't do personal streaming. But I think stronger penalties need to be implemented. Honestly, I think they need to be made examples of for everyone to see. Legal measures need to be taken so there are severe financial repercussions for them. The industry has taken a lot of damage due to them, and players who compete fairly have been unfairly defamed. Fans have left. They have to be held responsible in a way that others won't even dare consider it the future.
Q: An old school progamer was involved as a broker in the scandal; you must have something to say about that?
A: The problem is bigger because people who are familiar with esports get involved and approach people in the industry. It's tougher to refuse when someone you've known for a long time comes to you with an offer. Brokers abuse this and work their evil. At heart, their thinking is "we're all in this together, and we're all f***ed together." Their threat is "if you report me, then that means both of us get caught." And to the, esports is just a way to make money. They don't care if esports lives or dies. It makes me bitter to think that people who used to work in esports can think that way.
Q: It seems that conditions for players need to become better to prevent match-fixing. What do you think?
A: When accepting new recruits or new players, I tell them to read our message board. At the entrance to the team house, we've posted a KeSPA notice about the punishment for match-fixing. "Criminal and civil liabilities" as well as "lawsuits from related companies." On the small end, you could be liable for hundreds of millions of Won in damages, and potentially ten figures on the high end. Teams could disband as well.
Simply telling the players the potential cost doesn't help. If they think "live and let die" then they could still cause problems. The best preventative measure is to give players a salary commensurate to their efforts, and for more companies to support teams or players.
Q: From that perspective, the StarCraft 2 industry seems to be shrinking.
A: I think there's a big problem with Blizzard's policy. After the announcement of their plans for 2016, a lot of veteran players – especially those who were competing overseas – announced their retirement. Blizzard's policy regarding StarCraft 2 esports changes too often, too radically, and too unfavorably toward Korean players. When WCS was first formed, Blizzard had no region restrictions. Korean players could compete in North America or Europe, with the idea being that if Korean players could show good games overseas, then the fans would be pleased, and Blizzard was okay with that. Because of that policy, the North America and European pro scene was crippled, and teams only focused on acquiring Korean players. Afterward, the policy eventually changed so Korean players needed citizenship, residency, visas, etc to compete, reducing their opportunities to compete. And going into 2016, the policy has changed so Korean players can't compete in international circuit tournaments.
When Korean players compete abroad, they win almost all of of the time. From Blizzard's perspective, Korean players are bullfrogs destroying the ecosystem [bullfrogs are a major invasive species in Korea]. They're changing the environment in order to catch the bullfrogs, but players end up retiring or leaving the scene. When Blizzard said it was okay for them to compete abroad, they left Korea, leaving teams to disband and shrink. Stopping them from competing in foreign tournaments now, three years later, is just forcing players to retire with no alternative.
Q: Another sad reality.
A: You have to wonder if Blizzard really has any desire to help StarCraft break through its current situation. If you look at their interviews, they say they make games with 'artistic spirit, the heart of a craftsman.' Right now, StarCraft 2 doesn't need any artisanal spirit. It needs Blizzard to act like a proud owner. All the people in the Korean StarCraft 2 esports industry have a spirit of ownership. When they hear other people say "StarCraft 2 is a dead game," they feel more hurt than Blizzard.
Brood War was the top esports game for a time, but it gave up that spot to other games, and not that many people play it any more. In this situation, Blizzard Korea employees have no problem going around saying "StarCraft 2 isn't any fun, is it? Play other games." in the company of pro players. I don't think that's right. Players, teams, industry workers are all doing their best to keep StarCraft 2 afloat. Saying that kind of stuff shows you don't have the right attitude. Of course, it they probably meant it as telling players to play HearthStone or Heroes of the Storm. Still, I can't understand it.
Q: What did you feel as a head coach in 2015?
A: I was appointed as head coach in 2014, but at the time I was trying to learn more about the a regular coach's role. However, when Boxer resigned as head coach and left the team, that heavy responsibility fell on my shoulders and I spent the first year trying to adapt. In my second year, I think I realized a lot of things. The biggest realization was that a leader can't do things alone.
I'll try to compare it to cooking. A chef who works in kitchen with the best ingredients, best utensils, best facilities is the happiest. However, that kind of situation is rarely given to you. Sometimes your ingredients aren't good, your knives are blunt, the stoves aren't hot enough, etc. All sorts of bad situations are always coming up. A good leader's abilities are recognized by how they get through those situations. You have the sharpen your knives if they're blunt. If your ingredients are bad, you have to cut out the rotten parts and make the remaining parts taste the best you can.
Running a team is similar to that. You have to bring up the talent and potential of your players and deploy them accordingly. A team can't work with just aces. To be specific, they team can't run together as one, toward the same goal. I think SK Telecom was able to have their best year in 2015 because we brought out 120% of our players' talent. Everyone fulfilled their needed role on the team, and we overachieved.
Q: Is there anything you really want to achieve in 2016?
A: I want to put soO on top of the world. soO reached four consecutive GSL finals in 2013 and 2014, but he couldn't win a championship. He won the 2nd KeSPA Cup in 2015, but that wasn't a proper league tournament. What I want to do, and my personal project, is to put soO on top of the Starleague or GSL.
Q: Is there any particular reason you care about soO so much?
A: When I was appointed as head coach, he was the first player to reach a final. He was a player I was looking closely at even before I went to do my military service, and after he transitioned to StarCraft 2, he reached the finals through a ton of hard work. Unfortunately, he's left us with regrets because he couldn't win a championship. He's the heart and soul of the team ever since Fantasy has left, and I want to help him win a championship trophy in a big tournament.
Q: What's your outlook on the 2016 Proleague season?
A: Instead of looking at other teams, I'm thinking about how we can run our team in order to win consecutive titles. Because all of the players who played so well for us last year remained, I think it's possible, but we won't let our guard down. There's 2~3 players I'm looking at as prospects, and if they can play their supporting roles well, then I think we can win consecutive championships.
