One of the longest running curses in StarCraft II was broken in Poland as soO cast off his silver shackles to claim the IEM Katowice championship. soO appeared to be headed to another devastating loss after Stats went up 2-0 in the grand finals, but the ex-Kong rallied back to win four consecutive maps. soO was unable to hold back tears after winning the IEM trophy which gave him the 'major' title that had eluded him for so long.
Stats had looked imperious throughout the tournament, arriving in the finals with a 10-0 match record. soO seemed like he would be an easy eleventh victim, with his Zerg forces breaking helplessly against the 'Shield of Aiur' in the first two games. However, the swarming Zerg style that had seen soO reach ten previous finals began to work in in game three, and the normally steadfast Stats was suddenly overwhelmed by waves of Hydras, Roaches, and Banelings. Down 2-3, Stats pulled out a tricky 2-base all-in to try and even the score, but soO was able to snuff out the attack to end the series 4-2 and win the $150,000 1st place prize.
soO's runner-up curse and 'kong' reputation had been one of the longest running narratives in StarCraft II, with his first finals loss coming in 2013 at the hands of Dear. Four more 2nd place finishes would follow before he finally won KeSPA Cup II in 2015, and then four more losses after that. Fan mythology proved to be a stronger force than historical fact, as the StarCraft community collectively denied the KeSPA Cup victory 'major' status. It was a position that even soO himself bought into as he continued his search for a championship that no one could dispute. That search would take him all the way to BlizzCon 2017 where he suffered his worst heartbreak yet, losing to Rogue on StarCraft II's grandest stage.
A poor 2018 campaign suggested that the BlizzCon loss may have finally broken the unbreakable player, but early signs were positive for soO in 2019. He looked strong in the early rounds of GSL and online competition—but he was still overshadowed by names such as Serral and Maru, heading into IEM Katowice. Any hopes of a title run seemed to die in the group stage where he finished 2-3, but an unlikely four-way tie saw soO squeeze into the playoff bracket.
Though soO entered the playoffs with the worst record among the participants, he took his play to another level after receiving the unexpected second chance. soO's 3-0 sweep against the mercurial Zest was not surprising, but his bloody 3-2 victory over reigning Global Champion Serral instantly restored soO's championship contender status. herO—an underdog punching above his weight—was summarily dispatched in the semis, setting up soO's meeting with Stats in the finals.
With the victory, soO has not only secured $150,000, but a spot at the 2019 WCS Global Finals. A BlizzCon championship won't be necessary to secure soO's place as one of SC2's all-time legends. Yet, it will be intriguing to see if soO can change his reputation from that as StarCraft II's biggest loser to one of its greatest winners.
As the ultimate Maru fanboy and terran supporter I have to say I wouldn't have wanted this tournament to end any other way then it did (some more TvZ would have been great though). So happy for soO, he played well!
what a fucking inspirational man. ive been watching this man play sc2 for over half a decade, and watched his soul crushing 2017 loss to evil rogue at blizzcon. i thought he was really done after that defeat, as he basically dropped off the face of the earth in 2018 and had basically no results to speak of, and didn't even qualify for blizzcon. i thought it was over for him and he would seek retirement. even then though, i still considered him a champion in my eyes, because he always pushed forward despite all the second place finishes and strove to do his best, which takes a strong will, grit and determination.
to me, this win is more amazing than maru triple GSL first place finishes, and serrals 2018 dominance and becoming first foreigner to win blizzcon and best player in the world
On March 04 2019 00:44 Snarosc wrote: Can we take a moment to appreciate our new Kong Stats, be it in all kinds of tournaments :
2018 GSL S1 : 2nd place Blizzcon 2018 : 2nd place GSL vs the World 2018 : 2nd place IEM Katowice 2019 : 2nd place
Very emotional and well-deserved win for soO, even Smix was barely able to hold out her tears during the interview.
Also won GSL Super Tournament in the time frame mentioned. The agenda to push for Stats as this new Kong seems a bit artificial. The guys won four premier tournaments.
In its darkest hour, Korea called upon a champion to step forth and regenerate the glory. All eyes looked to Maru but the Terran did not face up to the task and Korea was left without hope. But from the shadows came the perennial Kong, victim of so many taunts, written off as he who could never take the greatest price. He brought Serral to the brink and pushed him over it using only Honorable Korean Non-Hive ZvZ and showed its superiority in the face of modern European styles. But his biggest task was yet awaiting him in the grand finals, where he conquered the biggest foe of all: the shadow of his own inferiority. As he stood speechless on the podium, overwhelmed with the realization of his most profound desire, a thousand nerds shed tears of joy as soO finally lifted the trophy.
Surely the streets of Korea will be filled with celebration as its champion returns in glory. Many people are already expecting the reunification of the country in a swelling of pride over soO's achievement. And the return of proleague.
An extraordinary feat, the first ever time I watch Korean Starcraft was his second GSL defeat vs Zest, I have watch every single one of his premier final ever since and frankly lost hope before him.
Today was the first of his final that I didn't get to watch live, still only reading TL thread got me crying. Can't wait to watch it when I come home.
This is best news to wake up to! Never really thought soO would do it but he did and I am so happy for him! I remember watching all his GSL finals losses in HotS all those years ago and feeling his pain as nothing seemed to go in his favour. Now, here we are, with soO winning a premier event!!
The final games were not the most amazing games, but beating the world champion in a few insane ZvZs really showcased how good he is at this game. Well done soO, great fighting spirit, great mechanics, great discipline, great heart and dedication!
EPT
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/iem/katowice2019/soowin.jpg)
soO cast off his silver shackles to claim the IEM Katowice championship. soO appeared to be headed to another devastating loss after 
