Written by Mizenhauer
Photos by leimmia


It’s not our first rodeo.

At this point, the StarCraft II community is intimately familiar with soO's struggle. It's one of the most compelling stories in all esports, drawing us in with the gravitational pull of a black hole. We watch with rapt focus, knowing—even dreading—what comes next. No matter how impressive soO looks on the path to the ultimate stage, fate looms like a specter. It’s what makes soO so respected in the first place. He never surrenders in the face of failure.

soO had finished second in GSL a record six times, but the BlizzCon finals was an untarnished frontier. It was a potential Eden if he could only reach it, so soO entered BlizzCon 2017 with his eyes set on a top two finish. The term “life changing money” gets thrown around a lot in sports, but reaching his tenth premier event finals would bag soO more than twice as much as he earned in 2014. $140,000 represented the third largest paycheck in StarCraft history, only eclipsed by winning BlizzCon itself, and TY’s WESG haul.

It might have been aiming for the stars given soO’s form at the time. Most notable were a pair of losses to Dark in GSL Season 3 and the second Super Tournament. soO had always dominated his former teammate, but as BlizzCon crept closer, the wheels seemed to be coming off the bus. This was not the soO who had rampaged to consecutive GSL finals. Fatigue was catching up with him and things weren’t clicking as they had in the first half of the year. The fact that he was happy with second might have been a portent, but he freely admitted that once he and Rogue stood alone, the desire to win flared up as strong as ever. It was an opportunity to pry the monkey off his back.

soO had finished in second place on eight occasions prior to facing Rogue. But this time was different. He had bared his hopes and dreams to the community when he penned My Life as Sisyphus, winning over more fans to his side than ever before. Those who had previously enjoyed mocking soO status as a running joke had a harder time of it, once they got to know his pain more intimately. soO's confessions revealed another side of a complex personality that didn't know how to give up, cementing the adoration of his followers.

"I’ll get myself ready until BlizzCon no matter what and I’ll show you a different side of myself. A career can be decided in a single moment. BlizzCon is my time to redeem my past mistakes."

It’s clear how much the WCS Global Finals meant to soO. BlizzCon 2014 was a careless embarassment soO never wanted to repeat. 2017 was an opportunity to rectify that mistake, and all the others which had haunted him throughout his career. BlizzCon may not have matched GSL Code S in terms of sheer mathematical difficulty, but the title of WCS world champion came with an unrivaled prestige. Perhaps it would be enough to change the entire narrative of soO's entire career.



It wasn’t to be. There was no doubt that Rogue was a powerful force in himself, but fate was an even stronger one. soO took a 2-1 lead in the series, but crumbled from there. The final blow came on Acolyte where Rogue completely outplayed soO. soO staggered back to the hotel, alone with his thoughts and a suffering none but he could understand.

We had seen soO fail before, but never like this. Rumors of retirement were stirring before BlizzCon even started and they only intensified afterwards. soO was also notably absent from HomeStory Cup and online events. The healing process was harder than ever. Relief was not as forthcoming as it had been when Stats and GuMiho had shattered his dreams. If his brief but noticeable absence fanned the flames, they roared like an inferno when he missed the WESG qualifiers. Some fans couldn’t help running with soO’s ambiguously worded tweet explaining why he had missed the event. It turned out he had simply been out of the country, but it was an unusually timed vacation.

soO seems certain his best days are behind him. 27 is a pivotal age in his eyes, for it is around the period when progaming careers peter out. If he hasn’t won by now, what’s to lead him to believe he ever will?

In 2014 he ascended to the pantheon of ignominious legends by taking second place in three consecutive GSL's. 2016 was the year in which he lost and subsequently regained his drive to be a progamer. 2017 was the year the fans came to know soO as a human and not just a caricature. We marveled at his resurgence, and suffered even greater disappointment because we dared to open our hearts. One can’t help but wonder what 2018 will be for perhaps the greatest Zerg of StarCraft II, the Kong who has outdone even the progenitor of his line, Yellow.

Despite finishing second at BlizzCon less than three months ago, soO does not enter the first GSL of the new year as a favorite. The spotlight shines far brighter on INnoVation, Dark, and the man who beat him in the WESG APAC qualifier, Classic. soO, riddled with doubt, troubled with old age, and coming off the largest defeat of his career has slipped through the cracks. He finds himself in maybe the most challenging group of the Round of 32. Zest is an elite Protoss. Bunny and his distinctive mech play are formidable in their own right. soO’s opening match against NoRegret is unlikely to trip him up, but there’s no denying that soO finds himself in the middle of the pack once more, a startling feat given all he accomplished in 2017.

soO has never quit. He’s given us reason to believe time and again, but this as we enter 2018, we can’t help but wonder if it’s one time too many. Those who savor his losses are licking their lips at the prospect of the only dish that can sate their hunger: soO finally breaking. But soO doesn't play for buzzards. He plays for those who have given him their hearts and cheered for him every step of the way. Those whose attention he garnered in 2014, and those he won over by baring his vulnerabilities in 2017. soO will keep fighting even if this is his last year. He still has to repay his fans for their kindness.

"As for the fans cheering for me and wanting me to win because I've lost so many times... I want to repay you for your expectations, but there's nothing I can say besides “I'm sorry”. I feel you are the driving force that keeps me working hard at the game. It's not over yet so I still want to become a champion, if only to repay your kindness."

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