After just a brief respite, we’re looking at another packed week in Korea. The amount of tournaments running might feel a bit overwhelming, so let’s get right to it.
GSL’s third season starts up with two groups in the Ro32. SSL’s second season starts the Premier division, and VSL will culminate in the semifinals on Wednesday, and then the grand finals on Friday. We’re going to take another look at the VSL finals later in the week, so make sure to keep your eyes open for that.
It feels like a first for SPOTV, but this time around they’ve kept the same format for SSL. The Premier division will again have a pennant race, just like it did last season. The top four will advance to the post season to compete for the title, while the rest are left to bide their time. The player to top the score board gets a direct seed to the grand finals, while the other three will have to duke it out among themselves.
INnoVation starts the league defending his title. He was the undisputed champion last season, and there’s no reason to think he’s not capable of the same feat again. We have three new Protoss faces in the league: Classic, herO and Dear, who all made it through the Challenge division to have a shot at the title. The three newcomers are replacing three Protoss players, with Zest, sOs and Patience unable to cater to the format’s peculiarities. The league rewards consistency, and every win is crucial on the way to the post season and the glories it will bestow upon those fortunate enough to reach it.
The big storyline in Code S is of course the record amount of foreigners who made it through the qualifiers. The first two groups already have Scarlett and Elazer, the latter making his Code S debut. The most iconic individual league of the scene is notoriously difficult and has historically been a graveyard for foreign hopes bar very few exceptions, so it remains to be seen how they perform this time around. Both MajOr and Scarlett bombed out in the Ro32 last season, but with so much foreign talent pouring into Korea this season, maybe there’s a sliver of hope now. It’s been almost a lifetime since Jinro’s runs to the semifinals in Wings of Liberty - a record unbroken to this day - and maybe we’ve waited long enough.
The other thing to note is the surprising absence of a group of death in the opening round. While all groups certainly have skilled players, there doesn’t seem to be one utterly stacked group that we’re used to. Maybe this time around we’ll have to wait until the Ro16 to see something like Dark’s infamous SKT brawl or 2014's classics.
Elazer will be facing KeeN, Rogue and the current champion GuMiho. The rising Polish star has his work cut out for him, but he’s been doing well on the international circuit, so maybe there’s a chance we’ll see him in the Ro16. It’s a long shot, there’s no doubt about that, especially after the monstrous TvZ shown by GuMiho in the grand finals. Obvious picks are GuMiho and Rogue, but it seems these days nothing is truly set in stone. GuMiho is still enjoying his title from the previous season, and Rogue still seems to be one of the most underrated Zerg players in Korea right now, despite being highly rated by anyone who plays Korean ladder.
Scarlett will be going up against Ryung, Hurricane and INnoVation. Things are likewise looking grim for the Canadian Zerg, and especially facing INnoVation’s utterly ruthless TvZ will be a daunting task. On the other hand, Hurricane and Ryung are both mortals compared to The Machine, and we just might see Scarlett finally reach the Ro16 after two seasons of knock-outs.
Finally, the youngest sibling to the two established leagues, VSL’s second individual league will conclude this week. The semifinals will pit soO against Super, and INnoVation against Leenock. The grand finals will be played the following day, and destiny would dictate that we’re going to see INnoVation against soO in finals for the third time.
When GuMiho won Season 2 of this year’s GSL just a few weeks ago, it was the culmination of a career long journey. As much as GuMiho, like all players, dreamt of a championship, there must have been moments where it seemed unobtainable. The arc of GuMiho’s career is largely inexplicable. After years lying fallow he took up a mad charge that brought him all the way to the mountain top. He stands triumphant upon those heights, but his peers are eager to usurp him.
His is not a position without privileges, though. For his hard fought victory, GuMiho earned the right to chose his initial opponent in Group A. Only soO shared this honor, but GuMiho got first pass. In his recent interview with TeamLiquid, GuMiho said that TvP was his best match-up, so Trap, Hurricane and Hush must have been attractive options. He’s shown exemplary TvT for years, making KeeN, Forte and TIME all viable candidates. Among the Zergs were familiar faces Leenock, Curious and newcomer NoRegreT. None of them interested GuMiho. He went for a higher profile name, one that fans of foreign StarCraft have come to love - Elazer.
So what’s to be made of this move by GuMiho? If he were going for the easiest opponent, it appears on paper that he failed, for there were less skilled and accomplished players in the field than Elazer. If it was familiarity, he failed on all fronts. He’s only played two matches against Elazer over the course of his seven year career and hasn’t beaten him since 2015 (losing to him in June of this year). GuMiho is a veteran of Korean StarCraft and has logged a lifetime's worth of matches against a veritable who's who of domestic titans past and present. He knows them inside out and, as shown by the finals against soO, has no reason to fear any of them.
Maybe more of the same was what he was trying to avoid when he selected the Polish Zerg. Barring a couple losses to Solar (and one against Elazer), GuMiho has looked pretty unbeatable in TvZ as of late. A few months back Serral tried to bust out the trendy ling/bane/swarm host composition, only to discover that 3/3 thors counter everything. Elazer doesn’t have the luxury of going up against elite Terrans on a daily basis and his 2-2 mark against Korean Terrans during 2017 is impossible to infer anything from. A player like NoRegreT doesn’t have the chops that Elazer does, but he’s had far more opportunities to log games against elite Terrans like INnoVation or Maru. Is GuMiho gambling that Elazer doesn’t have the tools at his disposal to prepare for the reigning champ? GuMiho doesn’t seem like much of a gambler, though. He’s more of a mad scientist whose erratic experiments usually leave his opponents holding the fuse. Elazer has looked supremely capable at times, but if soO couldn’t, how can one expect Elazer to contain GuMiho’s special brand of chaos?
GuMiho’s entire life led up to the night on which he won his GSL title. Prior to that match he was quoted as saying, “If I win the GSL this time...I can't picture it right now, actually, but I think I will feel elated. And also the next season is beginning right away, so I'll be able to start the new season on a high note, like a new beginning in my career.” Well, he won and he’s gotten that new beginning. But if that’s the case, he has a long way to go to return to the recently departed heights. Will he be able to retain his motivation or stumble as returning champs often have. GuMiho was a player commonly thought to be mired in the past. Elazer represents the future and greatness yet to be realized. Despite their differences, what they were or could be, they’ll have to focus on the present as they clash in the inaugural match of the 2017 GSL Season 3.
Wow, I just realized that INnoVation will be playing in a tournament every single day except Wednesday this week. (Assuming he beats Leenock in VSL which is pretty much guaranteed)
Machines feel no fatigue, need no rest, and fear no player.
On July 03 2017 05:52 pvsnp wrote: Wow, I just realized that INnoVation will be playing in a tournament every single day except Wednesday this week. (Assuming he beats Leenock in VSL which is pretty much guaranteed)
Machines feel no fatigue, need no rest, and fear no player.
On July 03 2017 11:34 ThunderJunk wrote: Gumiho is going to make Elazer look silly... But maybe he can score a win or two against the other players in the group
Actually, I would not be surprised if Elazer does well against Gumiho. GSL champions have a well-documented habit of slumping next season.
That said, I doubt Elazer will beat him. Gumiho would have to slump really hard for that to happen.
The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
With the lack of Proleague I'm really glad that we've got SSL. Plus it's a chance to watch your favorite player stomping nerds every week when you're an Inno fan.
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
With the lack of Proleague I'm really glad that we've got SSL. Plus it's a chance to watch your favorite player stomping nerds every week when you're an Inno fan.
All hail the machine.
Yeah the regular matches each week are just sucha good format tbh. I like GSL, but SSL > GSL easily.
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
With the lack of Proleague I'm really glad that we've got SSL. Plus it's a chance to watch your favorite player stomping nerds every week when you're an Inno fan.
All hail the machine.
Yeah the regular matches each week are just sucha good format tbh. I like GSL, but SSL > GSL easily.
Add me to the ranks of SSL fans. With 5 foreigners in GSL and 0 in SSL its easy to see which Starleague is harder.
Not to mention you actually have to play top players of all races in SSL and can't rely on bracket luck.
One negative aspect is that there isn't really the potential to change a lot of players for premier at once. That means there is a legit possibility that the best players at any given time aren't actually in premier. But i would say it's working pretty well so far.
With 5 foreigners in GSL and 0 in SSL its easy to see which Starleague is harder
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
I disagree completely with the assertion that the format is successful. The players who made Premier in the first season are heavily advantaged compared to those who made Premier. soO and Rogue are examples of players who are playing extremely well as of late but were locked out of Premier because they didn't make either division in Season 1. On top of that players who make Challenge for this season (like soO and Rogue) have no guarantee of ever seeing Premier as there has been no announced regarding SSL's future beyond the season. Add to that the fact that Blizzard gave a token amount of WCS Points to only the top four players and you see a format that has a lot of potential failing in many respects. Sure, the matches are great, the roster is chock full of elite players and Spo and Jin Air are doing a wonderful thing (and hyunkyung is back!!!!) but it's a league that was formed with the short term in mind and little concern for players beyond those who qualified for Premier the first time around.
On July 04 2017 01:50 The_Red_Viper wrote: One negative aspect is that there isn't really the potential to change a lot of players for premier at once. That means there is a legit possibility that the best players at any given time aren't actually in premier. But i would say it's working pretty well so far.
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
I disagree completely with the assertion that the format is successful. The players who made Premier in the first season are heavily advantaged compared to those who made Premier. soO and Rogue are examples of players who are playing extremely well as of late but were locked out of Premier because they didn't make either division in Season 1. On top of that players who make Challenge for this season (like soO and Rogue) have no guarantee of ever seeing Premier as there has been no announced regarding SSL's future beyond the season. Add to that the fact that Blizzard gave a token amount of WCS Points to only the top four players and you see a format that has a lot of potential failing in many respects. Sure, the matches are great, the roster is chock full of elite players and Spo and Jin Air are doing a wonderful thing (and hyunkyung is back!!!!) but it's a league that was formed with the short term in mind and little concern for players beyond those who qualified for Premier the first time around.
Well the format is somewhat close to european football/sports leagues. If you see a team in league one/two there is a good chance that team will be there the next season as well, unless it did really badly. You can argue that this isn't the best format for a 1vs1 sport and i would probably agree, as i said before there is a legit chance that the best players aren't in premier simply because there was no chance to qualify for it at that very moment. Though i think it works out decently tbh, looking at the season 2 roster we can be happy with it.
Ofc we don't know if there will be SSL next year, but right now you kinda have to speculate that SPOTV will do a lot to make it happen, simply because they chose this format. It kinda screams: "we wanna do this a long time" Hopefully it works out.
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
I disagree completely with the assertion that the format is successful. The players who made Premier in the first season are heavily advantaged compared to those who made Premier. soO and Rogue are examples of players who are playing extremely well as of late but were locked out of Premier because they didn't make either division in Season 1. On top of that players who make Challenge for this season (like soO and Rogue) have no guarantee of ever seeing Premier as there has been no announced regarding SSL's future beyond the season. Add to that the fact that Blizzard gave a token amount of WCS Points to only the top four players and you see a format that has a lot of potential failing in many respects. Sure, the matches are great, the roster is chock full of elite players and Spo and Jin Air are doing a wonderful thing (and hyunkyung is back!!!!) but it's a league that was formed with the short term in mind and little concern for players beyond those who qualified for Premier the first time around.
Well the format is somewhat close to european football/sports leagues. If you see a team in league one/two there is a good chance that team will be there the next season as well, unless it did really badly.
That's fine and the model works very well in sports where players have salaries, but you have to remember that the majority of the prize money is centered in Premier as well as all the WCS Points (in the top four no less). Despite that fact, the players in both divisions are required to show up on a weekly basis for a lengthy period of time. On top of that, Challenge has a start time of 10 pm, so if you're playing in the last match, you're starting well after midnight. (More on this in my interview with Leimmia coming out soon) which is a major inconvenience considering you're participating in something that has very little upside besides qualifying for Premier.
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
I disagree completely with the assertion that the format is successful. The players who made Premier in the first season are heavily advantaged compared to those who made Premier. soO and Rogue are examples of players who are playing extremely well as of late but were locked out of Premier because they didn't make either division in Season 1. On top of that players who make Challenge for this season (like soO and Rogue) have no guarantee of ever seeing Premier as there has been no announced regarding SSL's future beyond the season. Add to that the fact that Blizzard gave a token amount of WCS Points to only the top four players and you see a format that has a lot of potential failing in many respects. Sure, the matches are great, the roster is chock full of elite players and Spo and Jin Air are doing a wonderful thing (and hyunkyung is back!!!!) but it's a league that was formed with the short term in mind and little concern for players beyond those who qualified for Premier the first time around.
Well the format is somewhat close to european football/sports leagues. If you see a team in league one/two there is a good chance that team will be there the next season as well, unless it did really badly.
That's fine and the model works very well in sports where players have salaries, but you have to remember that the majority of the prize money is centered in Premier as well as all the WCS Points (in the top four no less). Despite that fact, the players in both divisions are required to show up on a weekly basis for a lengthy period of time. On top of that, Challenge has a start time of 10 pm, so if you're playing in the last match, you're starting well after midnight. (More on this in my interview with Leimmia coming out soon) which is a major inconvenience considering you're participating in something that has very little upside besides qualifying for Premier.
Well i agree that the prize pool could be done better, same for wcs points. Schedule for challenge is also not optimal. I was mostly talking about the actual tournament format though, the big round robin group(s) which make sure that players have to deliver in every matchup and against a lot of other top players. Also from the spectator pov a weekly competition is just really exciting, you always have your favorite players to watch. But sure you bring up good points, hopefully spotv will do ssl next year and also try to imrpove it here and there.
On July 03 2017 23:57 Xamo wrote: The SSL lineup is ridiculously good, even better this season than the last one. The format is clearly successful, at least for selecting the best players of the moment for Premier.
I disagree completely with the assertion that the format is successful. The players who made Premier in the first season are heavily advantaged compared to those who made Premier. soO and Rogue are examples of players who are playing extremely well as of late but were locked out of Premier because they didn't make either division in Season 1. On top of that players who make Challenge for this season (like soO and Rogue) have no guarantee of ever seeing Premier as there has been no announced regarding SSL's future beyond the season. Add to that the fact that Blizzard gave a token amount of WCS Points to only the top four players and you see a format that has a lot of potential failing in many respects. Sure, the matches are great, the roster is chock full of elite players and Spo and Jin Air are doing a wonderful thing (and hyunkyung is back!!!!) but it's a league that was formed with the short term in mind and little concern for players beyond those who qualified for Premier the first time around.
Well the format is somewhat close to european football/sports leagues. If you see a team in league one/two there is a good chance that team will be there the next season as well, unless it did really badly.
That's fine and the model works very well in sports where players have salaries, but you have to remember that the majority of the prize money is centered in Premier as well as all the WCS Points (in the top four no less). Despite that fact, the players in both divisions are required to show up on a weekly basis for a lengthy period of time. On top of that, Challenge has a start time of 10 pm, so if you're playing in the last match, you're starting well after midnight. (More on this in my interview with Leimmia coming out soon) which is a major inconvenience considering you're participating in something that has very little upside besides qualifying for Premier.
Well i agree that the prize pool could be done better, same for wcs points. Schedule for challenge is also not optimal. I was mostly talking about the actual tournament format though, the big round robin group(s) which make sure that players have to deliver in every matchup and against a lot of other top players. Also from the spectator pov a weekly competition is just really exciting, you always have your favorite players to watch. But sure you bring up good points, hopefully spotv will do ssl next year and also try to imrpove it here and there.
I'm probably coming off as harsh and it's really undeserved. What Spo did with SSL is nothing short of incredible and I really do appreciate their effort to revive Starcraft after a down 2016. I personally don't love round robin, but it leads to a high volume of quality games which is hard not to enjoy. To me, 2015 SSL was the most competitive and also best formatted tournament ever. I think that with the current shallow player pool it would be an optimal model too adopt going forward. I don't see it happening, though. Not with the way Spo has moved away from the traditional format since the launch of LotV. Still, one can wish, right?
EPT
by hexhaven![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/bird_blue_16.png)
- thehexhaven
INnoVation starts the league defending his title. He was the undisputed champion last season, and there’s no reason to think he’s not capable of the same feat again. We have three new Protoss faces in the league: 
Classic, 
Scarlett and 
by mizenhauer
