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soO: Facing the Mountain, Again

Forum Index > SC2 General
33 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 Next All

soO: Facing the Mountain, Again

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
June 6th, 2022 18:06 GMT
By: Eo Yun Soo

The sense of liberation didn’t truly sink in until I left the base for the final time. For me, military service had been a lifelong burden. Even when I was young I couldn’t help thinking of the day I would have to join and my life would be put on hold. It didn’t matter if I was still in high school or at the peak of my StarCraft II career. There was always a yoke on my shoulders—the knowledge that no matter what I did or how well I played, that I was always going to end up there eventually.

I was allowed to leave the base on numerous occasions, but I never felt like I was on my own time when I did. How could I when I knew I’d be back at the base in a matter of days? It made it difficult for me to enjoy the breaks at times. It was almost painful to return home for a day or two knowing that for those 18 months, the apartment I had shared with my family wasn’t actually my home. Home was the base and it would remain so until my service was complete.

It may come as a shock given how huge of a role StarCraft has played in my life, but I didn’t really think of it all that much during my service. For the first year or so I was focused on what lay directly before me instead of planning for the future. It wasn't until my service was nearly complete that I finally began to wonder what I would do next. What path I would choose when the apartment became home again and my life started anew.

I’m not sure exactly why, but I ended up watching IEM Katowice a few months ago. Almost a year and half had passed since I had last played StarCraft, but even as a viewer the event was incredibly moving. Seeing Serral win reminded me of the elation of being crowned champion. But, more than anything, IEM made me recall how much fun I had playing StarCraft II. Every progamer dreams of winning a championship, but you have to really enjoy playing the game to endure the stretches where wins are hard to come by and the notion of lifting a trophy steadily seems to be slipping away.

Watching IEM convinced me that I needed to give StarCraft another try. And so, with less than two months remaining in my service, I sat down at a computer and played StarCraft II for the first time in 18 months. By the end of the day I was decided. I couldn’t leave StarCraft behind. I still want to be a champion. I still want to compete.

Things haven’t gone as smoothly as I hoped, though. Before I joined the military I always figured that if I started playing poorly I could do my service without missing out on anything. But, now that I’m on the other side, I’ve been experiencing a pressure unlike any I’ve felt before. I’ve been a progamer since I was 15 years old, but I don’t have much time left when it comes to StarCraft II. I know I need to make the most of it, but I’m worried I’ve stagnated. The game is different now and my micro isn’t what it once was. I’m not one of the best players in the world anymore. I can’t enter a tournament and simply expect to make a deep run.

That’s not going to stop me from doing everything I can to get back to where I once was, though. I know I don’t have an eternity to reach the level at which I formerly played, but I’ll be practicing as hard as I can to relive the unmitigated joy I felt when I won IEM Katowice. My goal for this season of GSL was modest—I just wanted to qualify for the main event. Now that I have, I'm playing with house money. I’m particularly excited to play in a streamed event again. I just hope I keep my cool and play to the best of my abilities.

That’s for now, though. I’m just going to enjoy myself and see where things take me. I have no way of knowing the future or how long I’ll play StarCraft II, but everyone knows how much finally winning GSL would mean to me. As long as it's still around I think I have a pretty good reason to stay.



Interviewer & Editor: Mizenhauer
Translators: verecunda & Waxangel
Image: Blizzard
Facebook Twitter Reddit
TL+ Member
StabiloBoss20
Profile Joined July 2015
313 Posts
June 06 2022 18:31 GMT
#2
super cool to have him back. and as long as he has not yet lift the GSL trophy, i will cheer for him.
datscilly
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
United States528 Posts
June 06 2022 18:31 GMT
#3
Wow, what a personal and heartfelt interview in letter form. A rare chance to connect with soO and for the progamer to reconnect with fans. I know this makes me want to cheer you on, in Group B Thursday, 2 1/2 days from now.
BeoMulf
Profile Joined January 2014
United States91 Posts
June 06 2022 18:48 GMT
#4
Oh man, that's such a beautiful interview. Well done Mizenhauer, verecunda, and Waxangel!
Find me at twitch.tv/beomulf
bela.mervado
Profile Joined December 2008
Hungary387 Posts
June 06 2022 18:49 GMT
#5
Soo <3
Brutaxilos
Profile Blog Joined July 2010
United States2624 Posts
June 06 2022 18:54 GMT
#6
Let's go soO!! So glad to see him back!
Jangbi favorite player. Forever~ CJ herO the King of IEM. BOMBERRRRRRRR. Sexy Boy Rogue. soO #1! Oliveira China Represent!
Haku
Profile Joined August 2013
Germany550 Posts
June 06 2022 18:59 GMT
#7
Cheering for soO! Great translation!
Jaedong | Life | MKP | PartinG | LosirA | ByuN | TaeJa | TY | TLO | Bomber | HerO | Rotti | Dark | Stephano | Maru | Ragnarok | MC | IdrA | Serral | Creator | Bunny | INnoVation | Liquid | Prime | JinAir
Crocolisk Dundee
Profile Blog Joined October 2015
870 Posts
June 06 2022 19:11 GMT
#8
Wonderfully edited interview. I had tears in my eyes by the fifth paragraph.
Stopped watching ESL content in 2022 when the company was acquired by Savvy Gaming Group. Also object to sponsorships by the U.S. Air Force. Thanks for the lively discussions about sportswashing. StarCraft II is not for me anymore.
Radio Free Borg
Profile Joined June 2022
2 Posts
June 06 2022 19:55 GMT
#9
--- Nuked ---
yubo56
Profile Joined May 2014
687 Posts
June 06 2022 20:01 GMT
#10
soO fighting!!
Jung Yoon Jong fighting, even after retirement! Feel better soon.
dbRic1203
Profile Joined July 2019
Germany2655 Posts
June 06 2022 20:28 GMT
#11
Thanks this was realy awsome read and total pleasant suprise
Wishing him all the best
MaxPax
Captain Peabody
Profile Blog Joined May 2009
United States3099 Posts
June 06 2022 21:00 GMT
#12
Wonderful. I'm happy that I can continue cheering for Soo as before.

Even starting at the bottom of the mountain makes it sweeter to cheer every single victory at every stage, and not just the trophies.
Dies Irae venit. youtube.com/SnobbinsFilms
Kitai
Profile Joined June 2012
United States873 Posts
June 07 2022 00:23 GMT
#13
One thing I've always appreciated about soO is his openness and how easy he makes it to empathize with him. Despite him not having a closet full of first place trophies I'll always see him as one of the all time greats. I really hope he can find his old form and start making some finals appearances again.
"You know, I don't care if soO got 100 second places in a row. Anyone who doesn't think that he's going to win blizzcon watching this series is a fool" - Artosis, Blizzcon 2014 soO vs TaeJa
renaissanceMAN
Profile Joined March 2011
United States1840 Posts
June 07 2022 02:34 GMT
#14
YESSSSS
On August 15 2013 03:43 Waxangel wrote: no amount of money can replace the enjoyment of being mean to people on the internet
Howard_Kao
Profile Joined September 2018
China261 Posts
June 07 2022 04:51 GMT
#15
Let's go Soooo!
"You don't need a gsl champion, you don't need a esl champion. I feel like I'm just a normal man. I just practice very hard this time, like 15hrs everyday" Oliveira 2023
MM-yingxiong
Profile Joined January 2021
Serbia26 Posts
June 07 2022 04:54 GMT
#16
let's go soo
[PkF] Wire
Profile Joined March 2013
France24193 Posts
June 07 2022 06:55 GMT
#17
very moving. Hopefully soO can make deep runs again, he deserves it.
Edpayasugo
Profile Joined April 2013
United Kingdom2214 Posts
June 07 2022 07:06 GMT
#18
An amazing insight, I have always cheered for soO and always will.

soO fighting!
FlaSh MMA INnoVation FanTaSy MKP TY Ryung | soO Dark Rogue | HuK PartinG Stork State
jodljodl
Profile Joined October 2016
152 Posts
June 07 2022 07:30 GMT
#19
Thank you very much for that amazing interview <3

soO is simply a boss. I hope he'll do well and crush the kong notion revolving around his name.
Kim Doh Woo
Nakajin
Profile Blog Joined September 2014
Canada8989 Posts
June 07 2022 09:23 GMT
#20
Great, great read!
Nice to have you back soO
Writerhttp://i.imgur.com/9p6ufcB.jpg
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