• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 21:48
CEST 03:48
KST 10:48
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall10HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0TL Team Map Contest #5: Presented by Monster Energy6
Community News
Firefly given lifetime ban by ESIC following match-fixing investigation12$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced6Weekly Cups (June 30 - July 6): Classic Doubles6[BSL20] Non-Korean Championship 4x BSL + 4x China9Flash Announces Hiatus From ASL66
StarCraft 2
General
Firefly given lifetime ban by ESIC following match-fixing investigation The SCII GOAT: A statistical Evaluation TL Team Map Contest #4: Winners Weekly Cups (June 30 - July 6): Classic Doubles The GOAT ranking of GOAT rankings
Tourneys
$25,000 Streamerzone StarCraft Pro Series announced FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series WardiTV Mondays
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 481 Fear and Lava Mutation # 480 Moths to the Flame Mutation # 479 Worn Out Welcome Mutation # 478 Instant Karma
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ [G] Progamer Settings ASL20 Preliminary Maps [ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall SC uni coach streams logging into betting site
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL20] Non-Korean Championship 4x BSL + 4x China [BSL20] Grand Finals - Sunday 20:00 CET CSL Xiamen International Invitational
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers I am doing this better than progamers do.
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Path of Exile What do you want from future RTS games? Beyond All Reason
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Positive Thoughts on Setting Up a Dual-Caliber FX
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Summer Games Done Quick 2025! Stop Killing Games - European Citizens Initiative
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece [\m/] Heavy Metal Thread
Sports
Formula 1 Discussion 2024 - 2025 Football Thread NBA General Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
momentary artworks from des…
tankgirl
Culture Clash in Video Games…
TrAiDoS
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 533 users

Liquid`TaeJa: The Prince Returns

Forum Index > SC2 General
171 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 Next All

Liquid`TaeJa: The Prince Returns

Text bylichter
Graphics byshiroiusagi
September 24th, 2018 13:07 GMT
By CosmicSpiral







For those of you who kept the candle burning, congratulations. Your faith proved true in the end. After an excruciating break, the Crown Prince will indeed be returning to Team Liquid.

For the skeptics out there, this comes as no surprise. Quitting in this profession is usually as permanent as the deaths of comic book characters. Of course we regret watching our favorite characters depart to the afterlife; it is customary to grieve, offer well-wishes, reminisce, and ultimately accept their departure. Yet no one dies in comic books except Uncle Ben. TaeJa was finished in the same manner as Jason Todd, Bucky Barnes, Multiple Man, Bruce Banner and every “deceased” character stretching back to Batman’s pistol-wielding days. He was simply waiting in stasis, biding his time until the new story arc began. Players who relinquish their spot in the field inevitably return as something else. They don a new costume for a new team, kick start a rebranding narrative involving a role switch (the most common one being the “coach repentance arc”), or leave the moment of unmasking for a shocking out of left field reveal.

TaeJa’s retirement was accompanied by an atypically somber mood. The sendoff was as grateful and heartfelt as every other epilogue to a player’s career. The sole difference was a lack of that niggling doubt. It felt like an irrevocable swan song. It felt final in a different way than when other great players had quit. It wasn’t a transition into the next stage, but a moratorium on the only avenue TaeJa had into SC2.


The hints had been accumulating for years. In the past they were the subject of in-house jokes and memes, reminding us TaeJa could be unwieldy and goofy as the rest of us mortals. He suffered from bouts of flagging motivation which turned into mock threats of retirement. Every tournament was going to be the last one. If only he wasn’t so darn good. Lack of practice was an easily surmountable obstacle for someone with his talent. Skill alone could carry the day. Hell, it worked for an entire tournament. Once upon a time the wrist soreness was accepted as a minor point of pride. It showed how dedicated he was to the craft in-between the periods of weariness.

Until the intermittent complaints about his wrists became chronic...which revealed themselves to be debilitating. Previous peaks and troughs of enthusiasm dwindled to troughs. He was forbidden from participating in overseas tournaments, where he had earned his fame, and had to grind it out in the sole tournament he had never conquered. Every blow was reflected in TaeJa’s results. By the time he said farewell, he was just another good player in the GSL. Not fantastic, not great, just good. It belied just how spectacular TaeJa had been at his peak.




When Nazgul first announced TaeJa’s signing he said it felt like Liquid’s “biggest acquisition in history”. Over the four years TaeJa played for Team Liquid, he validated that confidence over and over and over. He was undoubtedly the shining star of the roster. During that time span he won 11 premier tournaments and finished in the top 4 of 13 more. He made DreamHack Open his personal playground, terrorized all the tourists attending HomeStory Cup, and generated enough tears to save the Dead Sea for another century. His supernatural consistency served as a bulwark against turbulence for the team. He carried the banner during the times HerO battled with his own demons; he protected the battlements whenever Snute needed time to master the ever-shifting meta.

He spearhead and last line of defense when Liquid played in team leagues. Back before the concept decayed into irrelevance, he was one of the best players in the all-kill format. Outside of Proleague—the bane of many great players—TaeJa remained as composed and fearsome as a typical showing at Jönköping. Innumerable examples exist but his legendary run in IPL TAC 3 stands head and shoulders above the rest. All-killing Prime alone was impressive considering their intact reputation at the time. Almost single-handedly defeating Incredible Miracle—the undisputed kings—twice in the grand finals thrust him into the limelight.



Example 2,492 of TaeJa carrying us.



To watch TaeJa evoked admiration and slight puzzlement. His playstyle was distinguished by a lack of panache incommensurate with his success. From his days slaughtering scrubs in the ESV TV Korean Weekly to the bitter end, TaeJa never possessed a sole feature that outshone the rest of his repertoire. He had few to zero technical all-ins. His micro rarely dazzled us in the way Maru or Polt could dance their marines. His macro was top-tier, but the same could be said for Innovation or ForGG. He never pioneered builds the way Mvp revolutionized TvZ and TvT. He almost never took the monumental risks that characterized some of his contemporaries. Why would he need to? He was simply good at...everything (except maybe mech).



The famous battle on Newkirk Precinct.



The typical TaeJa victory demonstrated his uncanny ability to make better decisions second to second, minute to minute over the course of an entire game. To watch him at his apex was like witnessing a sand castle besieged at high tide. Anyone could predict the incoming surf. Barely anyone could shield such a frail structure from it. Among the great players from that era, only TaeJa could nonchalantly walk over foes with so little apparent effort. He was the best StarCraft player Team Liquid has ever boasted, and perhaps the best individual player in the team's history.



One of his several series wins over Life on the DreamHack circuit.



The cynic in me chides against indulging in nostalgia. Every successful player’s career is like catching lightning in a bottle and despite TaeJa’s lack of gimmicks, he faces a grueling road upon his return. Every factor conspires against him. He’s been gone for 2 years for a punishing game where professionals noticeably degrade after a few weeks off; unless Jesus has blessed him in the interim, he’ll still have the same wrist impediments. And if he does shake off the rust, relearn the new baseline for LotV and grit his teeth through the pain, TaeJa still must best his bête noire. Despite plain sailing in international waters, the inability to win a GSL championship leaves a blot on his legacy. It will only be reinforced every time he appears onstage. On the other hand, it provides an obvious redemption arc for his return.

The idealist in me still believes in magic. TaeJa is neither feckless nor amenable to popular whim. If he wanted to wash his hands clean of SC2, he would’ve stuck to his decision to leave. He had plenty of reasons to question whether he could reestablish himself in a new era. Those doubts still linger, waiting to be addressed. Yet doubts were omnipresent when he first threw on the jersey too. TaeJa, serious and driven underneath his unassuming demeanor, defied them during his first run on the team.

I expect our expectations to be shattered again.



[image loading]


Two years ago, I watched TaeJa play his last game in the GSL. When we announced soon after that he was retiring, it really felt like we were saying goodbye to a part of Team Liquid's identity, especially because of what he meant to the team and to me personally. Even though all SC2 fans knew that TaeJa left something unfinished in his career, between wrist problems and his cool indifference, it was difficult to tell what he would do after his military service. Still, there was lingering hope that he would come back one day.

21 months after leaving pro scene, TaeJa announced that he was about to be discharged. Two years away from the game is a very long time, but TaeJa has always been something special. We asked him if he had plans to come back and compete, and in his typically nonchalant way, he simply told us yes.

Today, Liquid`TaeJa makes his return. We are incredibly proud to have our most decorated individual player back on the team, and we're excited to see how his experiences over the past two years have helped him grow as a person and a player.

TaeJa has always been a special competitor, and I think I speak for all of his fans when I say that we expect a lot from his return. TaeJa is one of the real geniuses of the game, and that's something that doesn't go away after two years. It might take him a while to get back to his previous level, but I know that it's only a matter of time before we all get to watch TaeJa back in the GSL, and perhaps even more. In our chats, he told me that he could win GSL if he practices hard, and I believe him. No mustache, beard, or eyepatch necessary.

Hopefully, we won't have to wait till next summer. Welcome back, TaeJa.

- Victor "Nazgul" Goossens




Hello I'm TaeJa and I am honored to rejoin Team Liquid, the world's best team. I will work hard to show my old skills again. I plan on streaming frequently, so please take a look.

Thank you to all the fans that have greeted me on my return.

- Liquid`TaeJa


Follow TaeJa








Facebook Twitter Reddit
AdministratorYOU MUST HEED MY INSTRUCTIONS TAKE OFF YOUR THIIIINGS
stardog
Profile Joined August 2011
556 Posts
September 24 2018 13:09 GMT
#2
Ah, so Liquid once more. Nice
Divain
Profile Joined November 2014
France17 Posts
September 24 2018 13:15 GMT
#3
Unbelievable...
Ziggy
Profile Blog Joined June 2013
South Korea2105 Posts
September 24 2018 13:24 GMT
#4
:OO
WriterDefeating a sandwich only makes it tastier. @imjustziggy
KadaverBB
Profile Blog Joined June 2009
Germany25657 Posts
September 24 2018 13:26 GMT
#5
I am sooooo happy <3
AdministratorLaws change depending on who's making them, but justice is justice
DomeGetta
Profile Joined February 2012
480 Posts
September 24 2018 13:27 GMT
#6
So much hype. This is the guy who taught us all back in wol how to play terran proper. Inno b4 inno. Grim reaper of observers. <3 taeja so hyped to see if he can get back in form.
Where will he be streaming?
Inflicted
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Australia18228 Posts
September 24 2018 13:28 GMT
#7
Nice, hopefully he returns to the next HSC
Liquipedia"Expert"
THERIDDLER
Profile Joined July 2014
Canada116 Posts
September 24 2018 13:30 GMT
#8
Fun Fact: he's got a perfect record vs maru in offline tournaments
Please don't fricken hack, its just a game.
YourGoodFriend
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
United States2197 Posts
September 24 2018 13:34 GMT
#9
This is awesome, watching him play is so much fun. Can't wait to watch him kill it in tournies soon
anonymous is the most famous author that anyone can be
CynicalDeath
Profile Joined January 2012
Italy3354 Posts
September 24 2018 13:35 GMT
#10
awesome, waiting for him at HSC!
ModeratorSC2 LP Admin - My Life for Aiur - Let the Metal flow - @Cynical_Death
renaissanceMAN
Profile Joined March 2011
United States1840 Posts
September 24 2018 13:52 GMT
#11
Gotta change my favorite team from SKT1 to TL again! Cannot believe he's back!
On August 15 2013 03:43 Waxangel wrote: no amount of money can replace the enjoyment of being mean to people on the internet
intotheheart
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Canada33091 Posts
September 24 2018 13:56 GMT
#12
Is he playing WCS or GSL?
kiss kiss fall in love
HolydaKing
Profile Joined February 2010
21254 Posts
September 24 2018 13:57 GMT
#13
Niiice. I wonder how his wrists are after the 2 years of not playing?
MarthTV
Profile Blog Joined December 2012
Germany387 Posts
September 24 2018 14:00 GMT
#14
:O
youtube.com/c/MarthTV | twitter.com/Marth_TV | twitch.tv/marthtv
imCHIEN
Profile Joined January 2016
14 Posts
September 24 2018 14:02 GMT
#15
I was a Toss before until I saw MVP then Taeja put some magic into Terran. It has been 2 years since he left pro-scene. Feel so old right now. Go Teaja. Make your fans proud again.
DieuCure
Profile Joined January 2017
France3713 Posts
September 24 2018 14:05 GMT
#16
Nice, good luck.
TL+ Member
starkiller123
Profile Joined January 2016
United States4030 Posts
September 24 2018 14:06 GMT
#17
this makes me so happy
Seeker *
Profile Blog Joined April 2005
Where dat snitch at?37021 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-09-24 14:10:41
September 24 2018 14:07 GMT
#18
I haven't felt this happy in a while. I'm so glad to see TaeJa joining the Liquid family again. Let's go TaeJa! 2019 is your year! GSL champion + BlizzCon champion baby!
ModeratorPeople ask me, "Seeker, what are you seeking?" My answer? "Sleep, damn it! Always sleep!"
TL+ Member
Zephyp
Profile Joined April 2013
238 Posts
Last Edited: 2018-09-24 14:09:00
September 24 2018 14:08 GMT
#19
I love it! One of my favorite players, and I'm usually a fan of zergs.

The years of TaeJa are upon us again. Now we'll have to see how he does after a long hiatus.

Very cool that he went back to TL.
Liquid`JunoTheCat
Profile Joined December 2014
Netherlands79 Posts
September 24 2018 14:09 GMT
#20
Yes! So happy finally to announce -- welcome back, TaeJa!!
Team Liquid"Two things fill the heart with ever new and increasing admiration and awe: the starry skies above and the moral law within"
1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Replay Cast
00:00
SEL Masters #4 - Day 1
CranKy Ducklings74
Liquipedia
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
PiGStarcraft349
Nina 133
RuFF_SC2 89
Livibee 62
ProTech58
StarCraft: Brood War
Artosis 822
NaDa 97
sSak 47
LuMiX 2
Dota 2
monkeys_forever637
NeuroSwarm72
League of Legends
JimRising 849
Counter-Strike
taco 735
Coldzera 257
Super Smash Bros
hungrybox619
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor97
Other Games
summit1g9949
C9.Mang0281
ViBE220
Maynarde205
shahzam44
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick43466
BasetradeTV98
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 16 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH189
• Hupsaiya 43
• Kozan
• sooper7s
• Migwel
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• IndyKCrew
• intothetv
• AfreecaTV YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
• Azhi_Dahaki8
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Jankos2021
• masondota21200
Other Games
• Scarra1688
Upcoming Events
RSL Revival
8h 12m
ByuN vs SHIN
Clem vs Reynor
OSC
11h 12m
Replay Cast
22h 12m
RSL Revival
1d 8h
Classic vs Cure
FEL
1d 14h
OSC
1d 18h
RSL Revival
2 days
FEL
2 days
FEL
2 days
CSO Cup
2 days
[ Show More ]
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
2 days
Bonyth vs QiaoGege
Dewalt vs Fengzi
Hawk vs Zhanhun
Sziky vs Mihu
Mihu vs QiaoGege
Zhanhun vs Sziky
Fengzi vs Hawk
Sparkling Tuna Cup
3 days
RSL Revival
3 days
FEL
3 days
BSL20 Non-Korean Champi…
3 days
Bonyth vs Dewalt
QiaoGege vs Dewalt
Hawk vs Bonyth
Sziky vs Fengzi
Mihu vs Zhanhun
QiaoGege vs Zhanhun
Fengzi vs Mihu
Replay Cast
5 days
Replay Cast
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Proleague 2025-07-07
HSC XXVII
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL 2v2 Season 3
Acropolis #3
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
Jiahua Invitational
Championship of Russia 2025
RSL Revival: Season 1
Murky Cup #2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025

Upcoming

2025 ACS Season 2: Qualifier
CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
CSL Xiamen Invitational
CSL Xiamen Invitational: ShowMatche
2025 ACS Season 2
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
SEL Season 2 Championship
FEL Cracov 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
Underdog Cup #2
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.