Dark interview @IEM: "ByuN is a wolf in sheep's clothing"…

In 2016, Dark was unrivaled as the best Zerg in the world, coming in second place at the Global Finals. I had a chance to sit down with Dark at IEM Gyeonggi, where he talked about his loss to ByuN at BlizzCon and the strange rivalry-friendship that has since formed between them.

*This interview has been edited and rearranged for clarity.
**This interview was conducted between the quarterfinals and semifinals of IEM Gyeonggi.



Waxangel: How have you been since BlizzCon?

Dark: I took care of some personal stuff, while practicing as much as I could.

Did you take a break?

I was able to take time off prior to BlizzCon, so after that I’ve just been playing the game.

Did you feel discouraged after you lost in the finals?

I joke a lot that I blew a chance to make $100,000, but actually, the thing that sticks with me the most is that ByuN took the trophy. It’s a trophy I really wanted, so I was that much more determined today [Dark had defeated ByuN in a close 3-2 match in the quarterfinals of IEM Gyeonggi].

You got some revenge, big or small, depending on how you look at it. How did you feel?

I hadn’t been able to beat ByuN after BlizzCon, so I’ll try to use this as an opportunity to regain my confidence. In the future, if I run into ByuN, I’ll defeat him easily like any other Terran.

Your game on Sejong Station was called the best game of the year, the best game in BlizzCon history by the fans. How do you feel about it personally?

It was a game that was REALLY hard to win. I went into it thinking if I lose this, I’m finished as a gamer, and I think that determination allowed me to pull off the comeback.

Have you rewatched the game?

Actually, I don’t watch games where I lost... *laughs* So I haven’t watched the series at all. I’ve watched the games where I won championships a number of times, but I can’t bring myself to watch games that I lost.

Of course you’ll win IEM, now that you’ve beat ByuN?

Of course, I considered the round-of-eight to be the finals. *laughs*

Were you worried before the Ro8, though?

I have a RO16 jinx which was on my mind, and I was worried it might continue. I think that jinx is gone now. When they were drawing the bracket for the Ro8, I was thinking “please, don’t pick ByuN.” But the person drawing the brackets just drew ByuN right away *laughs*

You’re always exuding confidence, but you seem to be afraid of only ByuN.

ByuN is someone who works really hard, so I think he’s a difficult opponent. He always pretends to be weak, saying “oh that guy is good, and that guy is really good too.” But inside, he always thinks he’s the best. He’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing. I always know he’s going to be confident, so I was a bit afraid.

Are you close with ByuN?

After BlizzCon, we got to know each other.

Really? I thought you’d hate to talk to the guy who beat you in the finals.

Maybe, but I lost because I played worse, so there’s no reason to dislike him personally. After BlizzCon ended, we went to see Universal Studios, and as I talked to him while walking around, I got to know him better.

Do you practice with each other now?

I practiced with him for the first time at this tournament, he came to me and asked to practice. We practiced in the Ro16 but ended up meeting in the Ro8, so it was… *laughs*

Who did that practice end up benefiting more?

ByuN hid a lot of things in practice. He was so bad in practice, I didn’t lose a single game. But when we played our tournament match, he turned into a totally different person. So I realized, ah, he’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

So are you going to keep practicing with him?

I will, but I’ll hide strats too *laughs*

Is this part of your plan to practice with each other and dominate StarCraft II together?

I’d like to, but I don’t think ByuN has any desire to do that.

Looking at the VSL, it seemed like he was taking it easy after winning $200,000.

He’s become complacent. He’s not the same person since he won everything. There’s no talk of buying me a meal either. It’s awkward to ask him for that as the loser, so I’m just waiting for him to approach me first.

Are there any foreign players you got to know at BlizzCon?

I guess you could say Elazer and I are like brothers? *laughs* He seemed to like me a lot. Solar told me he was a big fan of mine, and we had seats next together at the practice area. If we ran into each other on ladder while practicing, we joked around and talked, so I think we grew closer.

Do you think he imitates your style?

I don’t know if he’s imitating me specifically. My play is just the right way to play *laughs*

What did you think about the skill of foreigners in general after crushing them at BlizzCon?

I think outside me and ByuN, other progamers are all the same in skill, Korean or foreign. I defeat Korean players just as easily. Foreigners aren’t bad, I’m just that good *laughs*


WCS 2017 and team search

What are your overall thoughts on WCS 2017?

It’s about the same size as last year, and there are a lot of new additions as well. Still, I think it will be harder for players because it’s gone down from dual leagues to a single league. I think everyone will be more do-or-die in their games.

Isn’t it more convenient to prepare for just one tournament? Last year, you had to juggle both individual leagues and Proleague all at once. Especially in your case, going far in all the tournaments.

It’s a bit tough physically and mentally. But if you have a lot of tournaments, you feel secure. If there’s just one, you feel a bit nervous?

Did you have to prepare very specifically for all your tournament games? Or did you focus on all-around practice?

I think about each and every single match; what I need to do on this map, this set, etc.

But you were still able to prepare properly for all of your games?

Yes.

What improvements would you like to see made to the WCS system?

Honestly, I don’t think it’s that bad. But there will be players who can’t seize those opportunities, I think the situation could be improved for them.

So for you, someone who’s always a championship contender, it’s all good?

Personally I’m not worried about much. I think it’s the same. But the other players, the ones who can’t get into tournaments, it could be very bleak for them.

How do you feel about the addition of shorter tournaments to WCS Korea? What do you prefer between long and short tournaments?

I think it’s great that tournaments are being added. That in itself is good, regardless of the length. I do feel that longer tournaments like GSL and Starleague with bigger prize pools are a better.

Other players complained a lot about having a year schedule with just two seasons last year. How did you feel about it?

If you look at it, it’s two GSLs and two SSLs, so four tournaments in total. I just thought about it that way, so I didn’t have any complaints.

Do you think that the retirement of other players gives you a better chance of winning? Is this an opportunity for you?

Actually, I think instead of leaving, players are working even harder at StarCraft II. I thought after BlizzCon, a lot of gamers would retire, but everyone is practicing harder than I expected. Maybe it’s survival instinct? But they’re working harder, and it makes me feel I need to work harder as well.

What do you think about the foreign community talking point, that the skill level in StarCraft II has gone down?

Well, it’s not applicable to me, so I don’t care. It would be best for players to show good games so they don’t hear that kind of thing.

LotV is considered to be the hardest expansion. Is that why you’re at your peak now?

I think so. The more things that you have to do, the better I am at the game. I think it fits me well.

You put up a tweet saying you’re looking for a foreign team. How’s the search going?

I’m getting contacted a lot, but the process hasn’t been as smooth as I had hoped. I’m still looking.

What kind of treatment, conditions do you want from your team?

I don’t need them to do anything for me in particular; just salary and incentives would be fine. I’m not sure *laughs*

No one can question your skill, but do you have any plans to appeal to the foreign scene through streaming or other methods?

The reason I started streaming wasn’t to appeal to teams. On a personal level, I just wanted to show fans this is what my first-person view looks like, and have a place to communicate with foreign fans. I’m streaming here and then, and I’ll try to keep streaming when I find free time. I think rather than appeal to the fans with my stream, it would be better to appeal to them through my results.

And obviously you’re the best Zerg?

Obviously.

How many championships do you think you’ll win next year? What’s your chance of winning a title?

I think I have a high chance of winning a title. I’m looking at the IEM World Championship and BlizzCon as being particularly important. We’ll have to see how things play out next year, but I’ll work hard to win those tournaments.

How’s the patch so far? Do you think the meta is still in flux, or has it settled down a bit?

The game was changing a lot in LotV, and with this patch, the game has become very chaotic. I think if some time passes, things will become more ordered and structured, so we still have to wait and see. The current situation is still chaotic, there’s no right answer to what’s good and what’s bad.

Give me your sales pitch to a foreign team.

Until the day StarCraft II disappears, I'll always be a player who is a title contender.

Starting with this tournament, I’ll make StarCraft II my world in WCS 2017, so if you’re interested make sure to contact me.

And to my fans, I’m not good at English, so I can’t really get closer to fans even though I want to. I’m not great at communication, but I really want to get closer, so keep watching my stream.


You can follow Dark on Twitter at @SKT1_Dark and check out his stream at https://www.twitch.tv/qkrfuddn0