The grand finals card for WESG 2018 is set, with Finland's Serral due to face Korea's INnoVation for the $150,000 1st place prize. WCS Global Champion Serral previously defeated INnoVation in two, high-profile series in 2018, eliminating him in GSL vs. The World RO8 (3-0) and in the HomeStory Cup 18 finals (4-3). However, INnoVation was able to gain a modicum of revenge at IEM Katowice 2019, winning 2-1 in a group stage match—albeit one without any stakes for either competitor.
Meanwhile, Scarlett and Maru will play in the third place match, with a difference of $10,000 in prize money lying in the balance. The third place match is set to begin on Sunday, Mar 17 6:15am GMT (GMT+00:00) while the grand finals is scheduled to start at Sunday, Mar 17 10:00am GMT (GMT+00:00) (times are subject to change depending on matches in other WESG disciplines).
On March 17 2019 02:33 Sc2Nebula wrote: Wonder if there's any chance we have a Serral vs Maru match some day...Well.
I saw this coming. I was hoping to be wrong. But INnoVation has been in better shape than Maru since November, if you ask me. Right now he looks like the best Terran in the world.
Honestly I’m done. Serral has more than lived up to his end of the bargain it’s always been Maru who has fallen short. I have enough evidence now to tell me that Maru is not as good a player as Serral. The guy keeps choking every weekender tournament. He couldn’t even get out of his Ro16 Group in first place in the GSL; a group he designed himself!
The debate is over for THE CURRENT PERIOD OF TIME, because one player has always delivered since this narrative started; while the other has consistently failed to hold up his end if the bargain. The only evidence we have directly is a 1 map beat down during their show match at GSL vs the World. (Btw Team Serral also beat Team Maru showing that Serral made better picks as well).
(Maru still thinks Rogue is a better Zerg than Serral too even though all evidence points to the contrary...)
These truths are self evident. For now, by virtue of not qualifying for the contest multiple times when we could’ve gotten the matchup; this debate is over. Serral wins. Talk to me again when Maru actually delivers in a non GSL style weekend marathon tournament. Consistency MATTERS.
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
I don't know why people are still waiting for these two to play it out. I mean it would've been great at Blizzcon to see who was the best player in 2018, but now? Maru hasn't been the god he used to be since september last year and he failed to prove his skill over and over again when it mattered since then.
I think Innovation vs Serral is a much better matchup and I'm happy for either of them to take the win.
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
I don't know why people are still waiting for these two to play it out. I mean it would've been great at Blizzcon to see who was the best player in 2018, but now? Maru hasn't been the god he used to be since september last year and he failed to prove his skill over and over again when it mattered since then.
I think Innovation vs Serral is a much better matchup and I'm happy for either of them to take the win.
Maru's TvZ is the best? Who's gonna try Serral if not TY/Maru? Althought Inno appears to be getting back in shape, so he may.
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
And Serral needs to stop dodging the GSL
Serral is not dodging the GSL; the GSL is dodging Serral. :-)
We might’ve seen him play S1 but Blizzard put that rule in restricting players to either pick GSL or Challenger Season 1 so there was no reason for any foreigner to risk giving up Circuit points. Yes, Scarlett stayed, and that rule has since been revoked when they realized that none of the foreigners were willing to risk it points for BlizzCon to play in a prestigious tournament that honestly doesn’t benefit any of them point wise.
However, I think you may get your wish before the year is out but it also depends on his schedule. Participation in a GSL requires an extended stay in Korea as well. Hopefully we have a few more foreigners play down the line: Scarlett plays all the time, would like to see Neeb and Reynor - maybe Lambo and ShoWTimE? back as well - as I think those are clearly the best Circuit players that are capable of making noise in that tourney.
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
And Serral needs to stop dodging the GSL
Serral is not dodging the GSL; the GSL is dodging Serral. :-)
We might’ve seen him play S1 but Blizzard put that rule in restricting players to either pick GSL or Challenger Season 1 so there was no reason for any foreigner to risk giving up Circuit points. Yes, Scarlett stayed, and that rule has since been revoked when they realized that none of the foreigners were willing to risk it points for BlizzCon to play in a prestigious tournament that honestly doesn’t benefit any of them point wise.
However, I think you may get your wish before the year is out but it also depends on his schedule. Participation in a GSL requires an extended stay in Korea as well. Hopefully we have a few more foreigners play down the line: Scarlett plays all the time, would like to see Neeb and Reynor - maybe Lambo and ShoWTimE? back as well - as I think those are clearly the best Circuit players that are capable of making noise in that tourney.
It's not liek Serral cannot sacrifice a season in WCS as he will get the points anyway. And he's the best, so what risking are we talking about? C'mon, it's Serral dodging GSL. You can fly to Korea repeatadly and pretend it's multiple weekenders. You can't do this as a Korean citizen in WCS(you need to live there 30 days before the event once you get the visa).
Do we really ahve to go there every time? Also it's laughable foreigners need protection and when Koreans asked for one it's cancelled because too many good foreigners are scared about their easy points and especially funny it is when it's about t THE BEST PLAYER. Doesn't THE BEST mean THE BEST should win the tournament? So where's the risk? I cannot see it. Or is someone else the best then?
Soooo, nope. He's dodging Code S. (which is fine, I can see why, but don't defend the best dodging code S because the best is risking something...)
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
And Serral needs to stop dodging the GSL
Serral is not dodging the GSL; the GSL is dodging Serral. :-)
We might’ve seen him play S1 but Blizzard put that rule in restricting players to either pick GSL or Challenger Season 1 so there was no reason for any foreigner to risk giving up Circuit points. Yes, Scarlett stayed, and that rule has since been revoked when they realized that none of the foreigners were willing to risk it points for BlizzCon to play in a prestigious tournament that honestly doesn’t benefit any of them point wise.
However, I think you may get your wish before the year is out but it also depends on his schedule. Participation in a GSL requires an extended stay in Korea as well. Hopefully we have a few more foreigners play down the line: Scarlett plays all the time, would like to see Neeb and Reynor - maybe Lambo and ShoWTimE? back as well - as I think those are clearly the best Circuit players that are capable of making noise in that tourney.
It's not liek Serral cannot sacrifice a season in WCS as he will get the points anyway. And he's the best, so what risking are we talking about? C'mon, it's Serral dodging GSL. You can fly to Korea repeatadly and pretend it's multiple weekenders. You can't do this as a Korean citizen in WCS(you need to live there 30 days before the event once you get the visa).
Do we really ahve to go there every time? Also it's laughable foreigners need protection and when Koreans asked for one it's cancelled because too many good foreigners are scared about their easy points and especially funny it is when it's about t THE BEST PLAYER. Doesn't THE BEST mean THE BEST should win the tournament? So where's the risk? I cannot see it. Or is someone else the best then?
Soooo, nope. He's dodging Code S. (which is fine, I can see why, but don't defend the best dodging code S because the best is risking something...)
Choice A: Fly multiple times to Korea over several months and deal with the jet lag, different living conditions, language barrier, etc. to play a tournament to appease some nobodies on the internet.
Choice B: Keep playing the WCS circuit and rack up money like he has been doing.
Hmmm yeah... I can't see why Serral wouldn't fly to Korea to play in the GSL. Must be because he's scared of Maru.
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
And Serral needs to stop dodging the GSL
Serral is not dodging the GSL; the GSL is dodging Serral. :-)
We might’ve seen him play S1 but Blizzard put that rule in restricting players to either pick GSL or Challenger Season 1 so there was no reason for any foreigner to risk giving up Circuit points. Yes, Scarlett stayed, and that rule has since been revoked when they realized that none of the foreigners were willing to risk it points for BlizzCon to play in a prestigious tournament that honestly doesn’t benefit any of them point wise.
However, I think you may get your wish before the year is out but it also depends on his schedule. Participation in a GSL requires an extended stay in Korea as well. Hopefully we have a few more foreigners play down the line: Scarlett plays all the time, would like to see Neeb and Reynor - maybe Lambo and ShoWTimE? back as well - as I think those are clearly the best Circuit players that are capable of making noise in that tourney.
It's not liek Serral cannot sacrifice a season in WCS as he will get the points anyway. And he's the best, so what risking are we talking about? C'mon, it's Serral dodging GSL. You can fly to Korea repeatadly and pretend it's multiple weekenders. You can't do this as a Korean citizen in WCS(you need to live there 30 days before the event once you get the visa).
Do we really ahve to go there every time? Also it's laughable foreigners need protection and when Koreans asked for one it's cancelled because too many good foreigners are scared about their easy points and especially funny it is when it's about t THE BEST PLAYER. Doesn't THE BEST mean THE BEST should win the tournament? So where's the risk? I cannot see it. Or is someone else the best then?
Soooo, nope. He's dodging Code S. (which is fine, I can see why, but don't defend the best dodging code S because the best is risking something...)
So let’s see... you’re saying he should give up playing in the tournament designated for his country just to answer your whims. You might as well ask a NA FIFA team to qualify through Europe instead.
There are things we want him to do and things he actually HAS to do. WCS Circuit is something he has to do as a Circuit player. If you actually READ what I said, I pointed out that I think we will see him do this before the year is out: the question is how it fits into his schedule because it is a massive time investment.
It should be noted however, that he has been asked about this directly: he basically said he doesn’t think it’s fair to take spots away from Koreans in their own tournament. (Different debate.)
Serral hasn’t “dodged” anything... the timing hasn’t worked out yet. So slow your roll, he has two more seasons of GSL he could try for yet.
But no player, no matter how good they are, even Serral, will risk qualification points for BlizzCon - that is a ridiculous ask -this game is hard enough as it is without forfeiting those and who knows how long he will be in his current form? There is simply too much on the line to risk, even for Serral.
You’re more likely to see him try after he’s secured a spot, so if I were going to guess I think we will see him try Season 3.
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
And Serral needs to stop dodging the GSL
Serral is not dodging the GSL; the GSL is dodging Serral. :-)
We might’ve seen him play S1 but Blizzard put that rule in restricting players to either pick GSL or Challenger Season 1 so there was no reason for any foreigner to risk giving up Circuit points. Yes, Scarlett stayed, and that rule has since been revoked when they realized that none of the foreigners were willing to risk it points for BlizzCon to play in a prestigious tournament that honestly doesn’t benefit any of them point wise.
However, I think you may get your wish before the year is out but it also depends on his schedule. Participation in a GSL requires an extended stay in Korea as well. Hopefully we have a few more foreigners play down the line: Scarlett plays all the time, would like to see Neeb and Reynor - maybe Lambo and ShoWTimE? back as well - as I think those are clearly the best Circuit players that are capable of making noise in that tourney.
It's not liek Serral cannot sacrifice a season in WCS as he will get the points anyway. And he's the best, so what risking are we talking about? C'mon, it's Serral dodging GSL. You can fly to Korea repeatadly and pretend it's multiple weekenders. You can't do this as a Korean citizen in WCS(you need to live there 30 days before the event once you get the visa).
Do we really ahve to go there every time? Also it's laughable foreigners need protection and when Koreans asked for one it's cancelled because too many good foreigners are scared about their easy points and especially funny it is when it's about t THE BEST PLAYER. Doesn't THE BEST mean THE BEST should win the tournament? So where's the risk? I cannot see it. Or is someone else the best then?
Soooo, nope. He's dodging Code S. (which is fine, I can see why, but don't defend the best dodging code S because the best is risking something...)
That just sounds like a bad financial decision. Why would he sacrifice playing in tourneys he can win hundreds of thousands for a tournament that lasts 2-3 months that's worth 26k for first place? All that traveling, relocating, adapting to new environments seem a bit much for someone who has consistently placed higher than Maru in their recent tournaments. Don't think of it as Serral dodging Code S, think of it as Serral not participating because it isn't worth his time due to the low $. Serral has nothing to prove really. If Maru really wants to prove that he's better, then he should show it through results. This isn't to say Maru isn't a top tier player, I still think he's the second best player in the world atm, but idk man, Maru is doing a great job at dodging Serral.
I'm actually very excited to see Inno vs Serral. The group matches at Katowice were amazing. Thumbs up to "StarcraftSqall"s first post, that's really what I was thinking too
On March 17 2019 02:26 Kitai wrote: Oh, good. Now the Serral/Maru debate can stretch to eternity.
Well, Serral kept up his end of the bargain, Maru just needs to stop dodging Serral in the finals
And Serral needs to stop dodging the GSL
Serral is not dodging the GSL; the GSL is dodging Serral. :-)
We might’ve seen him play S1 but Blizzard put that rule in restricting players to either pick GSL or Challenger Season 1 so there was no reason for any foreigner to risk giving up Circuit points. Yes, Scarlett stayed, and that rule has since been revoked when they realized that none of the foreigners were willing to risk it points for BlizzCon to play in a prestigious tournament that honestly doesn’t benefit any of them point wise.
However, I think you may get your wish before the year is out but it also depends on his schedule. Participation in a GSL requires an extended stay in Korea as well. Hopefully we have a few more foreigners play down the line: Scarlett plays all the time, would like to see Neeb and Reynor - maybe Lambo and ShoWTimE? back as well - as I think those are clearly the best Circuit players that are capable of making noise in that tourney.
It's not liek Serral cannot sacrifice a season in WCS as he will get the points anyway. And he's the best, so what risking are we talking about? C'mon, it's Serral dodging GSL. You can fly to Korea repeatadly and pretend it's multiple weekenders. You can't do this as a Korean citizen in WCS(you need to live there 30 days before the event once you get the visa).
Do we really ahve to go there every time? Also it's laughable foreigners need protection and when Koreans asked for one it's cancelled because too many good foreigners are scared about their easy points and especially funny it is when it's about t THE BEST PLAYER. Doesn't THE BEST mean THE BEST should win the tournament? So where's the risk? I cannot see it. Or is someone else the best then?
Soooo, nope. He's dodging Code S. (which is fine, I can see why, but don't defend the best dodging code S because the best is risking something...)
That just sounds like a bad financial decision. Why would he sacrifice playing in tourneys he can win hundreds of thousands for a tournament that lasts 2-3 months that's worth 26k for first place? All that traveling, relocating, adapting to new environments seem a bit much for someone who has consistently placed higher than Maru in their recent tournaments. Don't think of it as Serral dodging Code S, think of it as Serral not participating because it isn't worth his time due to the low $. Serral has nothing to prove really. If Maru really wants to prove that he's better, then he should show it through results. This isn't to say Maru isn't a top tier player, I still think he's the second best player in the world atm, but idk man, Maru is doing a great job at dodging Serral.
That's not entirely true: prize money isn't everything, history and glory do matter and Code S still retains its prestige; to Serral as well, even if he is not obsessed by them. Serral said living in Korea(in 2017) was overall a positive experience and that he would do it again, he didn't exclude he'll play in Code S one day. However, he said after HSC it was dumb that he could even play in GSL and that he had no plans to compete in korean leagues in 2019; moreover, the key point is that he wouldn't like to leave Finland for more than one month so it's unlikely he'll spend three abroad. If Code S format was monthly like it was in 2011, we'll for sure see Serral try.
Maybe a direct invitation could help him in that regard or maybe he'll be more likely to try when he has already secured Blizzcon as suggested in the post above yours. I would love to see him in Code S but that's a decision only Serral can take and he is not expected nor obliged to.
EPT
![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/WESG/wesg734.jpg)
Serral due to face Korea's ![[image loading]](/staff/Waxangel/WESG/wesgbracket3.png)
