OlimoLeague to end in its current form

Olimoley writes:
Discussion: Closing the Chapter on OlimoLeague

Let's discuss OlimoLeague.

From the beginning, OlimoLeague was an answer to a period in StarCraft 2 history where Korean players had nothing to participate in beyond WCS/GSL. It was a solution for players who wouldn't have anything to earn or compete in for months.

For 7 years OlimoLeague has fulfilled that goal. We provided content for fans, filled player's schedules with weeklies, and provided pocket money for our winners. OlimoLeague has helped players gain recognition, acted as wonderful support, and unintentionally became a platform where fans could randomly compete against their favorite player.

2021 is solidifying itself as a prosperous new time for StarCraft 2. Players have full schedules participating in the variety of tournaments available for them. From team leagues to open cups, we no longer have to worry about the state of the scene as it is thriving. OlimoLeague has completed its duty, and that is not a bad thing at all.

I'm incredibly proud of the work we've done together for the past 7 years. Now it's time to discuss where to go from here.

First and foremost, payments on this Patreon have been paused. You will not be charged for June, as I have checked OlimoLeague's current budget which is enough to payout May's tournaments.

Secondly, OlimoLeague will wrap up its May tournaments. We still have one more weekly tournament and then the May finals. After that, however, we will be taking a break in June. With Dreamhack, World Team League, TSL, GSL, and NEXT SC2 all happening within the same month OlimoLeague is unable to run without schedule conflicts.

We will take the free time in June to determine what our next steps will be, and we would like your input on that.

My initial plan was to close out OlimoLeague entirely in July with a final event with all the remaining OlimoLeague budget.

When Crank (our KR caster) discussed the potential of OlimoLeague closing on his stream today, the response was very touching. A lot of people were incredibly sad and incredibly poignant to the point we are considering alternative methods to keep OlimoLeague going, but not as an open tournament. The alternatives being discussed right now is a bi-weekly invitational with different themes.

However, this is not something I can decide on my own. You (the viewers, the fans, the supporters, and most importantly the patrons) deserve a seat at the discussion table as well.

If OlimoLeague ends with our final tournament series in July, the Patreon will close. If OlimoLeague continues in another form, Patreon will undergo a revamp, from top to bottom including goals and tiers, to fit the new purpose.

Lastly, I want to note that I understand people will see this as a knee-jerk reaction to the ESL/Shopify announcement earlier this week. This is a reaction to the news, but not a sudden one, as we've felt our purpose had been fulfilled for months, perhaps even in the last few years. OlimoLeague has steadily noticed a trend of decreasing sign-ups and increased schedule conflicts. However, of all the issues to have, weeklies with $800 prize pools and player schedules filled to the brim with high-paying events...that's not a bad thing at all. StarCraft is gonna be okay, whether OlimoLeague sticks around or not. OlimoLeague supported this scene for 7 years with the help of the community, and now we can finally relax.

I'm eager to hear all your thoughts and opinions, so please leave a comment.

As always and forever, thank you for supporting OlimoLeague.