On December 18 2018 22:45 JimmyJRaynor wrote:On December 14 2018 18:28 Kaizor wrote:
I wouldn't take that as confirmation until i see official plans for wcs 2019. And like some have mentioned before SC2 might have had its best year in a while but is it good enough for the higher ups?
i think Blizzard posted some good, detailed info about IEM-Katowice which they've labelled as a WCS-Circuit event. It looks like WCS 2019 is happening man.
WCS-2019 And GSL-2019A year long SC2 championship pro circuit in the form of WCS occurs throughout 2019. The first event has been announced with a War Chest attached to the funding of additional cash to the prize pool. Blizzard named the new War Chest after the event: "War Chest Katowice 2019". Also, lots of details about the contents of the Warchest. Cool Stuff!
https://wcs.starcraft2.com/en-us/https://wcs.starcraft2.com/en-us/news/22792661/Let's contrast WCS-2019 and IEM-Katowice-2019 with GSL-2019. We have lots of info about a WCS-Circuit event concluding months from now in March. Lots of details several months in advance for IEM-Katowice. Great stuff! Unfortunately, We have zero information for GSL-2019. No qualifiers, no prize pool details, no schedule. GSL Qualifiers are usually in December with GSL Season 1 occuring in the 1st week of January. Last year
GSL Qualifiers were announced December 2.. Its December 18.
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/a73im2/gsl_2019_offline_qualifiers/Korean Pros and IEM KatowiceNotice the IEM Katowice 2019 event includes both WCS-Korea and WCS-Circuit in the graphic. It appears this event is open to any one of any nationality. The Katowice qualifiers are online in January making it easier for Koreans to participate. Notice IEM Katowice is described as "SC2 returns to Poland for the first major event of the year". Doesn't a GSL count as a major event? When is the first season of GSL 2019 happening?
https://wcs.starcraft2.com/en-us/news/Blizzard's silence around GSL 2019 qualifiers and the appearance of the web site covering the WCS-Circuit doesn't give good vibes for the GSL in 2019. Fortunately, based on what Blizzard has already announced it looks like WCS-2019 should be good. There is even a cool countdown timer for IEM-Katowice saying it starts in 68 days, XX hours, XX minutes.
So for 2019 we've got some pretty cool stuff for WCS-Circuit and an odd silence around GSL-2019. The longer the silence the more it sounds like the silence surrounding HGC before its cancellation. In any event, we'll probably know in a few weeks what's going on with the GSL.
If they would do the Circuit globally it would actually be kinda fair.
Thinking of WCS tournaments in Katowice, Leipzig, Montreal, Austin, Valencia and Seoul. Open to anyone. No GSL