Are You Not Entertained?

Determining styles of specific players has always been more difficult in StarCraft 2 than in its’ predecessor Brood War. In the end, most of the progamers tend to play very similar, since there is an idea of the “best and most efficient way to play”, which sooner or later leads to certain behaviourisms dominating the metagame. Especially in the eyes of an audience, which doesn’t know the ins and outs of this complex game, it’s incredibly hard for most players to differentiate themselves from the rest of the pack. Sure, some pros become notable for preferring one or another general approach to the game, or for oftentimes improvising in their play. If one wants to call that “style” or something else is probably a simple question of definition.


The point is that, if we were to hide the names of two duelling pro players, we wouldn’t be able to guess who is who just based on their playstyles in most cases. Developing such a recognizable style and still being successful with it can certainly be considered a great accomplishment then. However, such a feat requires a particular skillset, as well as a great deal of determination and sheer willpower. Bang ‘TRUE’ Tae Soo may not be a legendary champion of the game yet, but he has done what not a lot of others can claim: He has produced an identifiable way to play this game, and has secured a big fan base with this success.

Whenever TRUE plays, we can expect things to be fast, explosive and borderline crazy. When he first started to rise to prominence in 2014, he had already laid the groundwork for the way he plays even today. It doesn’t matter which match-up TRUE competes in, it’s very likely for him to use masses of zerglings and banelings as the core of his army, no matter if it’s the early-, mid- or late-game. Facing TRUE means facing a non-stop flood of cheap units, which will use any hole in your defence to find damage. Facing TRUE means facing excellent positioning and elaborate ruses, which will outflank even a careful opponent. And, facing TRUE means facing the unexpected: Be it nydus worms, overlord drops—well, those aren’t that rare in the current game version, but you get the point—or hectic basetrades.


When this very special Zerg player first showcased his unusual style he managed to reach the Round of 4 of GSL Code S, beating top players such as soO, Dark and Zest in what we today might as well call his breakout performance. However, what TRUE lacked back then was a killer instinct. He showed incredible fighting spirit throughout his SC2 career akin to his rival FanTaSy—down to staying in games maybe longer than makes sense—, but in later tournament stages TRUE just couldn’t deliver the killing blow to his opponents. That only changed this year, when he finally became a champion for the first time.

After celebrating the great top 4 finish in GSL, TRUE demonstrated that his adventurous nature not only showed on the virtual battlefield, but also outside of it: He decided to leave the security of his team Jin Air and joined the foreign organization Dead Pixels. Now, new opportunities opened themselves up to him. TRUE travelled the world for over a year and accomplished several top finishes in DreamHacks and other major competitions, winning sympathies all around the globe with his action-packed play. The one thing driving each and every progamer though—a championship—seemed to evade the Zerg player. He entertained the masses, but he couldn’t be pleased with himself yet.

The window of opportunity appeared to be closing fast as well: At the end of 2015 changes to the WCS system were announced, which would severely hurt players such as TRUE, who had journeyed the planet seeking glory and success. TRUE was deemed to go back to Korea and doomed to fail there. The grand dream of becoming a champion faded.

Until TRUE’s flexibility, his survival abilities if you so will, kicked in once more. He landed a contract with the American team PSiSTORM Gaming, which offered him another chance to finally complete his long quest for gold. The price was to leave behind his home—again. Even though some foreign fans despised the prospect of another Korean in WCS, which might have disheartened others, TRUE made an effort to integrate well into the NA scene, as soon as his visa was approved. He laddered there, competed in minor events and streamed his games with English commentary. He had earned his right to compete in WCS, and so he did just that.

At last, Bang Tae Soo became a champion. He cut his way through the foreign elite at WCS Summer and was able to keep his nerves together when he faced none other than Captain America in the grand finals. For many years Polt had been master of this domain, but no more. TRUE challenged and defeated him decisively, attained a direct ticket to BlizzCon.

One might come to the conclusion now, that TRUE is nothing else than one of the so often meme’d Faceless Korean opportunists, dreaded by foreign fans and players alike. He’s indeed an opportunist, like all of us, because he’s a survivor and does what’s best for him. But in a way, TRUE has shown us more of his personality and nature than anyone else in StarCraft 2: Despite not being successful with his style for the first two years of his SC2 career, he did stick to his guns.

This is a man, who’s absolutely faithful to his ideas, while staying adaptable in regards to everything else. TRUE has granted us great insights into his person, and many fans around the globe appreciate that. Even at the brink of defeat, TRUE will go out of his way to bring us entertainment.

BlizzCon is supposed to be the biggest show of the year, and TRUE is a perfect fit for it.