Earlier in August, we saw one of the all-time Terran greats finally bring his career to an end. TaeJa had teased his retirement for years, but always found a reason to stick around and win more championships. Knowing TaeJa to also be one of the worst interviewees of all time, this writer dared to ask the Liquid legend why this GSL run was truly the final chapter.
Wax: You've finally played your last official match and are properly retired. How do you feel?
TaeJa: I feel some bitterness. As my enlistment day comes closer, the more I feel I've really retired.
When do you enter the military? What do you plan to do until then?
I enter the military on November 10th. I was enjoying competitive play on Overwatch until now, but now that the season is over I'm spending my days being bored. I don't have anything to do so I occasionally play StarCraft, trying to hit Grandmaster with Protoss.
I heard you're pretty good at Overwatch. How high did you climb on ladder? Also, what are your main characters?
I got up to 79 skill rating with Zarya, but I had to take 1~2 weeks off preparing for GSL so I finished the season at 77.
A lot of fans say you're skilled enough to continue as a pro, and you looked good in GSL as well. Why did you choose to retire at this point?
When Legacy of the Void came out, I wanted to try hard as well. But whenever I put in a lot of effort, my arm started hurting, so I couldn't. Also, since I had to take care of my mandatory military service at some point, so I decided to enlist.
You're called one of the most talented player ever, especially in Korea. Do you feel like you managed to get the most out of your talent? Do you have any regrets?
I wasn't able to practice properly because of injuries, but I think I grew in other aspects because of that. Since I couldn't practice a lot, I didn't practice meaninglessly. I put thought into every single game I played.
Still, I think sometimes that I could have taken care of my health properly.
You announced your retirement in June, and went on to have a good season in GSL. Your comeback vs. Zest was especially notable. Did you expect to perform so well?
Preparing for the Ro16, I didn't have any idea what you had to do to beat Protoss. After losing the first game, I thought "am I just going to lose like this?" So I went for the Concussive Shell-Marauder build Journey used in Season 1, looking to counter a Dark Templar-Prism strategy. It ended up working out perfectly. I got confidence from winning that game, and I think I was able to pull off the comeback because of that.
Have you thought about your future some more? I think you previously said you wanted to be a social studies teacher, but have your thoughts on post-military life changed? Any thoughts on returning to gaming?
I plan to think about my future during the two years I'm in the military. Nothing is determined yet.
You said you felt some bitterness after retiring. Why was that?
I watched some VODs of my old games, and there were some games I had regrets about. A lot of past memories are coming to mind.
Any games you remember in particular? Any that were especially meaningful?
Game four against Life at BlizzCon 2014.
The WCS 2016 changes are a big talking point in the foreign scene right now. As a Korean player, how was this year?
I think last year was better.
...Okay let's wrap things up. Anything you want to say to end?
I felt good that I was able go out by giving the fans a good showing until the very end. I'll never forget my time as a StarCraft 2 progamer, and I want to say thank you to my fans.
fps the go to genre for people with wrist problems ! Though I guess if I would play other games the same way you play fps games, I wouldn't have issues there as well.
Taeja really gave it all for the interview as well it seems ! Really lengthy answers for him.
On August 30 2016 21:39 Waxangel wrote: I think 79 skill rating for Overwatch puts you in like top 300~400 for Korea? Pretty damn impressive -_-;
As expected
It is good news to see that pro gamer skills are able to translate across games, even genres. If eSports was to become more established, having pros who can transition across games could be key to maintaining continuity and fanbases.
On August 30 2016 21:39 Waxangel wrote: I think 79 skill rating for Overwatch puts you in like top 300~400 for Korea? Pretty damn impressive -_-;
As expected
It is good news to see that pro gamer skills are able to translate across games, even genres. If eSports was to become more established, having pros who can transition across games could be key to maintaining continuity and fanbases.
If you can transfer your approach to practice and learning and improvement then yeah, of course.
Big reason why Fatal1ty won a ton of money in the early-mid 2000s was he competed in games that didn't have much of a true competitive scene and simply through his experience and ability to practice (being an actual pro gamer) he reached a lot of finals in those games, even though they weren't mechanically very similar to Quake.
"I put thought into every single game I played." I thought it was just me who doing that, thats why I hit diamond after my very first ~400 games in sc2 and master after ~1000 xD
On August 30 2016 21:18 Ej_ wrote: but Taeja won game 4 of the series vs Life
All questions seem to be separate / unrelated.
He won game 4 but it was a proxy hatch that he very masterfully fended off. I truly believe that series had very big implications on both careers. He was definitly favored against MMA and winning blizzcon would have put him over the top. Possibly even ahead of life.
The title of this interview is very true, I remember when I played in WOL I could learn from every single game I played but as the time passed somehow I started playing more games where I didn't focus.
On August 31 2016 00:21 Nerchio wrote: The title of this interview is very true, I remember when I played in WOL I could learn from every single game I played but as the time passed somehow I started playing more games where I didn't focus.
On August 31 2016 00:21 Nerchio wrote: The title of this interview is very true, I remember when I played in WOL I could learn from every single game I played but as the time passed somehow I started playing more games where I didn't focus.
Amazing man, keep up the good job
double post hehe :D
Getting to the point where the only good conversation is yourself. I know that pain.
He may clap like a woman and let's not even mention the Champagne bottle's.... But oh my god could this kid play Starcraft. A pleasure to watch and true inspiration. Will be sorely missed. Good luck in the military.
That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
Did he already have problems with his hands back then?
On August 30 2016 23:28 SCHWARZENEGGER wrote: "I put thought into every single game I played." I thought it was just me who doing that, thats why I hit diamond after my very first ~400 games in sc2 and master after ~1000 xD
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
Such a great story. One of my all time favorite pros.
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
Such a great story. One of my all time favorite pros.
GL Taeja!
I am not familiar with Dota. Diamond is the highest league in dota? Google doesn't help me.
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
Such a great story. One of my all time favorite pros.
GL Taeja!
I am not familiar with Dota. Diamond is the highest league in dota? Google doesn't help me.
He's on about League of Legends, no one in Korea really plays DOTA, but LoL is very popular, after Diamond 1 their is masters and GM
On August 30 2016 23:28 SCHWARZENEGGER wrote: "I put thought into every single game I played." I thought it was just me who doing that, thats why I hit diamond after my very first ~400 games in sc2 and master after ~1000 xD
This is pretty common.
well, it was my first experience in multiplayer rts ever, and I see alot of players with 5-10k matches in dia-master.
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
Such a great story. One of my all time favorite pros.
GL Taeja!
I am not familiar with Dota. Diamond is the highest league in dota? Google doesn't help me.
It was in League of Legends, Diamond I would be the league below Master and Challenger leagues.
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
Such a great story. One of my all time favorite pros.
GL Taeja!
I am not familiar with Dota. Diamond is the highest league in dota? Google doesn't help me.
It was in League of Legends, Diamond I would be the league below Master and Challenger leagues.
not even sure if masters already existed back then.
I will miss Taeja he was such an interesting player. I have watched and cheered for a variety of Terran players. I watched mvp out mind game people, inovation out macro people, Maru out micro his opponents, polt win by positioning and base trading. but I've never been able to understand what makes Taeja so good. He seems to just be comfortable in most situations. He is masterful at defense. He is better at late game than any Terran pro I've ever seen. He took rain into a 40 + minute game and beat him. He wore down innovation in the greatest tvt of all time. His play is always smart strategic and patient. No matter the situation he always knows what to do and has a plan that can lead to victory. I will miss his games some of them were works of art. <3
Cute interview. Won't forget you Taeja. Nobody wins that many tournaments without a certain something special and that's why all the haters who said he couldn't put a fight in KR were wrong.
On August 31 2016 16:22 Heartland wrote: taeja wants to be a social studies teacher? But he seems to know absolutely nothing about the outside world. : P Good luck to him though
edit: Just thought of a few of my colleagues and realized that the above is not a problem.
Yeah, I wonder made that role particularly interesting to him? It's quite specific, those I know in the social sciences got into teaching through as desire to do research.
Guess there is much we don't know about the lives of or pros (may it stay that way!).
On August 31 2016 02:17 Hot_Bid wrote: That casual rank 79 in Overwatch (top 200-300 in Korea??) reminds me of my favorite story about Taeja: when he visited the TL house in the Netherlands in preparation for Dreamhack the next week. Many players visit and its generally a good environment for practicing. The seating is an open area where the players sit in the center and Victor (Nazgul) sits behind them. When Hero or TLO or Ret visit they typically practice really hard because the owner's RIGHT THERE working too, so they want to show they're a hardworking player etc.
Taeja just didn't give a fuck, I don't think I saw him play StarCraft 2 all week. He'd just watch k-dramas and play League (in which he's Diamond 1 lol) with Victor right behind him. Of course he then goes to DreamHack and sweeps the tournament easily. He's one of the most talented players I've seen and he could've probably gone pro in any game he wanted. Too bad about the hand injuries.
wow. thanks for sharing that amazing story. would be great to see some video footage from teaja other than his sick play. training videos from the past or how he hangs out with the TL crew... things like that. is something like that in the TL archives?
On August 31 2016 16:22 Heartland wrote: taeja wants to be a social studies teacher? But he seems to know absolutely nothing about the outside world. : P Good luck to him though
edit: Just thought of a few of my colleagues and realized that the above is not a problem.
Yeah, I wonder made that role particularly interesting to him? It's quite specific, those I know in the social sciences got into teaching through as desire to do research.
Guess there is much we don't know about the lives of or pros (may it stay that way!).
A lot of people here can't make it into research and so the only thing you can do with a social sciences degree is to be a teacher for non-uni kids.
Taeja and HerO were my 2 most favorites players in Starcraft 2. They're the 2 who brought me to know and love Teamliquid. Now 1 is no longer on Liquid, and 1 is retired
But still, best of luck on whatever you do Taeja. For me you're always the best Terran in the world!
Ah Taeja, he really cleaned up the foreign scene when he was allowed to. I really wonder how his career would have been if he had stayed in Korea and focused on Korean tournament. Thanks for all the memories!
I wasn't able to practice properly because of injuries, but I think I grew in other aspects because of that. Since I couldn't practice a lot, I didn't practice meaninglessly. I put thought into every single game I played.
Still, I think sometimes that I could have taken care of my health properly.
The European and North American SC2 scenes could learn so much from Taeja's approach.
EPT
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/qEC2kOI.gif)
