EPT
Time to Breathe
by Olli![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/bird_blue_16.png)
- TL_OlliAfter an exhausting season of GSL, the next one is already partially underway. Qualifiers for Season 3 took place on Sunday and saw a record five non-Koreans advance to Korea's most prestigious individual league. Established players like ByuL and Zest meanwhile failed to make it in.
Exact dates and a schedule have not yet been released, which means that everyone participating in GSL will have some time off to breathe.
IEM Shanghai - Global Qualifiers
Oh how have we missed these. IEM Korean qualifiers used to be some of the most grueling brackets, rivaling even those of Code S in terms of the names competing in them. They disappeared with the region-locking of IEM events and the disappointing lack of WCS Global Events last year. To have two Open Qualifiers on the Korean server this week is therefore all the more exciting.
The qualifying process is relatively simple overall. Two Open Qualifiers are held on Tuesday and Wednesday, with eight players advancing to the Final Qualifier from each.
The third and last stage of the Qualifier is held on Thursday and includes the sixteen qualified players, as well as sixteen invited players, assumably determined through WCS standing. Ten players from this final stage will qualify directly for IEM Shanghai.
The main event itself will take place at the end of July, and some players have already been determined through invites and the recently concluded Chinese Qualifier.
SSL Challenge
StarCraft II Starleague continues with its Challenge league on Saturday. So far, though, neither groups nor first week matches have been announced. All we know at this point as the finalized list of players participating in the event.
The format remains the same as last season's, with two initial groups of five players feeding into one six-man group. It has, however, not been confirmed whether Starleague will continue (and if so, if the format will stay the same) next year. This means that the winners of SSL Challenge may or may not have a chance to qualify for Premier.
Weekly Schedule:
Tuesday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers - First Stage #1
Wednesday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers - First Stage #2
Thursday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers,
VSL Quarterfinals:
ByuN vs 
Super, 
soO vs Curious
Friday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers - Final Stage,
VSL Quarterfinals:INnoVation vs Hurricane, Classic vs Leenock
Saturday - SSL Challenge: TBD vs TBD
Exact dates and a schedule have not yet been released, which means that everyone participating in GSL will have some time off to breathe.
IEM Shanghai - Global Qualifiers
Oh how have we missed these. IEM Korean qualifiers used to be some of the most grueling brackets, rivaling even those of Code S in terms of the names competing in them. They disappeared with the region-locking of IEM events and the disappointing lack of WCS Global Events last year. To have two Open Qualifiers on the Korean server this week is therefore all the more exciting.
The qualifying process is relatively simple overall. Two Open Qualifiers are held on Tuesday and Wednesday, with eight players advancing to the Final Qualifier from each.
The third and last stage of the Qualifier is held on Thursday and includes the sixteen qualified players, as well as sixteen invited players, assumably determined through WCS standing. Ten players from this final stage will qualify directly for IEM Shanghai.
The main event itself will take place at the end of July, and some players have already been determined through invites and the recently concluded Chinese Qualifier.
SSL Challenge
StarCraft II Starleague continues with its Challenge league on Saturday. So far, though, neither groups nor first week matches have been announced. All we know at this point as the finalized list of players participating in the event.
The format remains the same as last season's, with two initial groups of five players feeding into one six-man group. It has, however, not been confirmed whether Starleague will continue (and if so, if the format will stay the same) next year. This means that the winners of SSL Challenge may or may not have a chance to qualify for Premier.
Weekly Schedule:
Tuesday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers - First Stage #1
Wednesday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers - First Stage #2
Thursday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers,
VSL Quarterfinals:
ByuN vs Super, soO vs CuriousFriday - IEM Shanghai Global Qualifiers - Final Stage,
VSL Quarterfinals:
INnoVation vs Hurricane, Classic vs LeenockSaturday - SSL Challenge: TBD vs TBD
VSL Quarterfinals
by Olli - TL_OlliVSL Season 2 has largely fallen under the radar, but it too is almost ready to finish. The quarterfinals are taking place this week, featuring four matches with clear favorites in each.
ByuN can still end his year on a successful note after failing to reach last year's heights again, having to concede his GSL title to Stats and now GuMiho. Super on the other hand has just failed to qualify for GSL. His most impressive VSL victory was a narrow 2-1 over Ryung. That likely won't be enough to bother ByuN.
soO goes again, just a week after his sixth loss in a GSL Finals. His opponent may not be in his prime anymore, but Curious has historically had excellent ZvZ and is certainly no stranger to knocking people out of tournaments, hence his nickname. The Gatekeeper's path to the Quarterfinals has not been especially impressive either, though. jjakji and Impact do not exactly constitute expert opposition, especially with the latter losing twice to NoRegret in the GSL qualifiers on Sunday. All in all, soO is a massive favorite in their series, but stranger things than Curious beating soO have happened in ZvZ.
INnoVation is also here after a finals appearance, although he won his - SSL Season 1 ended with the Machine taking home a third Starleague title. Hurricane should, on paper, pose little threat to him, even though he seems to have improved his game in recent months. Among others, he eliminated WCS Champion Neeb from the GSL Qualifiers on Sunday, and just recently put together a close series against INnoVation in Olimoleague. Still, this is INnoVation's series to lose.
Lastly,Classic will attempt to bounce back from a disappointing PvZ showing against his long-time teammate, friend and rival soO in the GSL Semifinals, where he was completely dominated and eliminated 0-4. Just as he was the first player to win both Korean Starleagues, GSL and SSL, Classic may become the first to win three - the same goes for INnoVation, though. Leenock may prove the toughest opponent for any of the four favorites, however, as he defeated vastly superior opponents to reach this stage, in Solar and Patience.
ByuN can still end his year on a successful note after failing to reach last year's heights again, having to concede his GSL title to Stats and now GuMiho. Super on the other hand has just failed to qualify for GSL. His most impressive VSL victory was a narrow 2-1 over Ryung. That likely won't be enough to bother ByuN. soO goes again, just a week after his sixth loss in a GSL Finals. His opponent may not be in his prime anymore, but Curious has historically had excellent ZvZ and is certainly no stranger to knocking people out of tournaments, hence his nickname. The Gatekeeper's path to the Quarterfinals has not been especially impressive either, though. jjakji and Impact do not exactly constitute expert opposition, especially with the latter losing twice to NoRegret in the GSL qualifiers on Sunday. All in all, soO is a massive favorite in their series, but stranger things than Curious beating soO have happened in ZvZ. INnoVation is also here after a finals appearance, although he won his - SSL Season 1 ended with the Machine taking home a third Starleague title. Hurricane should, on paper, pose little threat to him, even though he seems to have improved his game in recent months. Among others, he eliminated WCS Champion Neeb from the GSL Qualifiers on Sunday, and just recently put together a close series against INnoVation in Olimoleague. Still, this is INnoVation's series to lose. Lastly,
Classic will attempt to bounce back from a disappointing PvZ showing against his long-time teammate, friend and rival soO in the GSL Semifinals, where he was completely dominated and eliminated 0-4. Just as he was the first player to win both Korean Starleagues, GSL and SSL, Classic may become the first to win three - the same goes for INnoVation, though. Leenock may prove the toughest opponent for any of the four favorites, however, as he defeated vastly superior opponents to reach this stage, in Solar and Patience. 
