• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EDT 17:56
CEST 23:56
KST 06:56
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
[ASL19] Finals Recap: Standing Tall9HomeStory Cup 27 - Info & Preview18Classic wins Code S Season 2 (2025)16Code S RO4 & Finals Preview: herO, Rogue, Classic, GuMiho0TL Team Map Contest #5: Presented by Monster Energy6
Community News
Flash Announces Hiatus From ASL58Weekly Cups (June 23-29): Reynor in world title form?13FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event19Esports World Cup 2025 - Final Player Roster16Weekly Cups (June 16-22): Clem strikes back1
StarCraft 2
General
Program: SC2 / XSplit / OBS Scene Switcher Statistics for vetoed/disliked maps The SCII GOAT: A statistical Evaluation Weekly Cups (June 23-29): Reynor in world title form? PiG Sty Festival #5: Playoffs Preview + Groups Recap
Tourneys
FEL Cracov 2025 (July 27) - $8000 live event RSL: Revival, a new crowdfunded tournament series Korean Starcraft League Week 77 Master Swan Open (Global Bronze-Master 2) [GSL 2025] Code S: Season 2 - Semi Finals & Finals
Strategy
How did i lose this ZvP, whats the proper response Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
[UMS] Zillion Zerglings
External Content
Mutation # 480 Moths to the Flame Mutation # 479 Worn Out Welcome Mutation # 478 Instant Karma Mutation # 477 Slow and Steady
Brood War
General
SC uni coach streams logging into betting site Flash Announces Hiatus From ASL BGH Mineral Boosts Tutorial Video Player “Jedi” cheat on CSL Replays question
Tourneys
[Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL20] Grand Finals - Sunday 20:00 CET Small VOD Thread 2.0 [BSL20] GosuLeague RO16 - Tue & Wed 20:00+CET
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers I am doing this better than progamers do.
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Nintendo Switch Thread Path of Exile What do you want from future RTS games? Beyond All Reason
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
TL Mafia Community Thread Vanilla Mini Mafia
Community
General
Russo-Ukrainian War Thread US Politics Mega-thread Trading/Investing Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine The Games Industry And ATVI
Fan Clubs
SKT1 Classic Fan Club! Maru Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece [\m/] Heavy Metal Thread
Sports
2024 - 2025 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion NBA General Discussion TeamLiquid Health and Fitness Initiative For 2023 NHL Playoffs 2024
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
Blogs
Culture Clash in Video Games…
TrAiDoS
from making sc maps to makin…
Husyelt
Blog #2
tankgirl
StarCraft improvement
iopq
Trip to the Zoo
micronesia
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 494 users

Code S Season 2 Finals (2022): herO vs Maru Preview

Forum Index > SC2 General
45 CommentsPost a Reply
1 2 3 Next All

Code S Season 2 Finals (2022): herO vs Maru Preview

Text byTL.net ESPORTS
July 28th, 2022 03:27 GMT

2022 GSL Code S Season 2 - Grand Finals

by Poopi and Wax

[image loading]

More info: GSL Code S Season 2 on Liquipedia

The Stakes

For most fans, Maru's quest to win the G5L trophy is the central focus of this match. Originally created for the great Mvp ahead of the Code S Season 4 finals in 2012, the G5L trophy ultimately went unawarded after Life won the championship in a breakout performance.

In the years that followed, the G5L trophy became considered to be more of a fantastical object than an award that would ever be realistically bestowed upon a player. The competition in the StarCraft II scene grew more intense by the year, and there was considerable churn at the very top. As time went on, it seemed like the hyper-dominant reigns of Nestea and Mvp were relics of the past, never to be recreated in a modern setting.

[image loading]

However, that all changed in 2018 when Maru finally realized his full potential. At the time, Maru was already an elite player with multiple championships to his name. However, he had shown such prodigious talent from such a young age that merely ending up as a 'great' player somehow felt like a disappointment.

That year, something clicked for Maru in a way it never had before. He finally converted that unparalleled, raw talent into not mere greatness, but into the most dominant run in GSL history. He achieved an unprecedented full-year sweep in GSL Code S, winning all three championships in 2018. That momentum carried over into early 2019 as well, and he won an unbelievable fourth consecutive Code S title. In little over a year, Maru had brought the G5L trophy back from the recesses of our memories to the forefront of SC2 competition..

[image loading]

However, just as it had been for Mvp, the mere construction of a G5L trophy seemed to jinx its intended recipient. Since winning title #4 in 2019, Maru has gone 0-for-2 in attempts to take win #5. His first unsuccessful finals challenge, lost against TY in 2020's Season 3, was somewhat understandable. TY was arguably the best TvT player in the world, and one of the few players who seemed like Maru's equal during his dominant 2018 stretch.

However, Maru's second failed attempt at securing the G5L made it feel like the trophy was truly cursed. Maru headed into the 2021 Season 2 finals as a massive favorite against Rogue, having defeated every other top Zerg in the world in the months prior. Yet, somehow, the nigh-invincible Maru had no answer for Rogue's surprise deployment of a Roach-Ravager style, and lost by a shocking and deflating 1-4 outcome. Thus, even though Maru appears to be in fantastic form ahead of this match, fans are right to be leery about his chances of winning the most elusive prize in StarCraft II.

While Maru is on the verge of completing THE most difficult individual accomplishment in StarCraft II, we shouldn't let it overshadow the considerable historic stakes for herO as well.

At an individual level, this is herO's chance to win his first ever Code S championship. herO is already one of the great players in StarCraft II history, with six major individual titles under his belt and a stellar run as CJ Entus' ace in Proleague. However, only one of his individual championships was won in a "Tier 1" event—that being 2015's SSL Season 3. It's an unfortunate fact of life that the victors get to write the history books, and this once major event operated by SpoTV is barely remembered by modern day fans. Fairly or unfairly, GSL Code S is the true measure of greatness in Korean StarCraft II, and the lack of a Code S title puts herO's legacy firmly behind the likes of Zest, Stats, or Classic.

On a more communal level, this is a chance for Protoss to win their first Code S championship in over five years. The aforementioned Stats was the last Protoss champion, winning Code S Season 1 back in March of 2017. Due to shifts in balance, the unfavorable metas, and perhaps simply an unfortunate maldistribution of championship-caliber talent (we'll leave it to the TL.net readers to argue about which factor was MOST important), Protoss has been stuck in a rut ever since. It's been an especially infuriating experience for Protoss fans, as Protoss has actually reached the finals in ten out of fifteen possible Code S finals in those five years. You read that right: Protoss is in the midst of a ten match losing streak in Code S finals.

Finally, herO can win this for an even greater collective than that of Protoss: every progamer who aspires to a post-military career. Over the years, we've seen progamers slowly turn what used to be a career death sentence into a more manageable roadblock, thus breathing 'new' life into the Korean esports scene. However, no one has made what could be considered a full recovery, with military service always seeming to exact some kind of toll on their skill level. Now, herO stands to become a player who became even better after his military service by winning the biggest championship of his career. Such an event could recalibrate career expectations for dozens of progamers going forward.

Thus, even as Maru fights for the ultimate individual accolade, a triumph for herO could be just as meaningful.

The Path to the Finals

Both herO and Maru have gone on impressive runs to reach the grand finals. Among his progamer peers, herO was one of the most hyped players headed into the tournament, and he proved that he was worthy of their acclaim by taking first place in both his round-of-20 group (beating DRG and Rogue) and round-of-10 group (wins against DRG, soO, and Zoun, loss vs Maru). Maru was also able to top his RO20 group (wins vs Solar and Creator), but finished second place to herO the RO10 by the difference of a single map (wins vs herO, soO, and Zoun, loss to DRG).

That first place seed allowed herO to bypass the round-of-6 stage of the playoffs and go directly to the semifinals, where he managed to beat Bunny 3-1 in a convincing series. While Bunny may be severely lacking compared to herO in terms of career resume, this match was hardly a formality. Bunny had been on fire in 2022, also winning his RO20 group and putting up a strong 3-1 record in his RO10 group (wins vs RagnaroK, Creator, and Cure, loss vs Dark). If herO made that match look somewhat one-sided, it was more a credit to herO than a mark against Bunny.

One of the big reasons Bunny should be treated as a credible opponent is because he actually beat Maru himself in the RO6. In Maru's shakiest moment of the tournament, he was unable to clinch a semifinal spot on his first try as he gave up a shocking 1-3 upset to Bunny. It was one of the weirdest TvT series in recent memory, with Maru apparently overthinking things with strategies like heavy bio into Ghosts (allegedly to counter Ravens in the late game), or 2-Starport Raven openers.

Thankfully, for Maru fans, and neutrals who simply want to see the G5L trophy actually get awarded in their lifetimes, Maru looked far more impressive in his last-chance RO6 series against DongRaeGu. Despite losing 0-2 in their RO10 encounter, Maru was able to sweep DRG in the rematch with a series of 2 base all-ins/timing pushes.

If fans were worried about Maru's condition after his loss to Bunny, he blew such concerns away with a fantastic 3-1 victory over Dark in the semifinals. Dark had defeated both herO and Maru during his championship run at DreamHack Valencia, which gave him the provisional title of 'best in the world.' Maru was able to demonstrate the full breadth of his power in that series, winning with both his defensive late-game style and with a well-disguised 2-base all-in.

Though the competition has been very tight at the summit of the SC2 scene for over a year now, one could argue Maru is currently the tentative #1 player in the world. Not only did he pay back Dark for his loss at DreamHack Valencia, but he also has a winning record against herO in their recent matches. Even though herO is riding in on a wave of incredible momentum, he still seems like the slight underdog against a peak-form Maru.

The Match-up

Both before and after his military service, herO has been a master of offensive Protoss play. While he receives plenty of deserved praise for his precise micro in small-scale combat, it overshadows what might be his true greatest strength: an uncanny sense for knowing when his opponent is weak. Often, herO will go for a daring attack that initially seems unwise, but he somehow ends up getting an advantageous trade out of it (or just outright kills the opponent).

However, as with many players who thrive with an aggressive style, one has to wonder if there's an upward limit to herO's success. He may have looked nearly flawless against Bunny, but can he be as successful against a defensive master like Maru? Those audacious Blinks into the Terran main, those headlong dives into the Terran defense—they just might not be available to herO in this series. Or, perhaps even worse, herO could enforce a more passive style upon himself, intimidated by Maru's reputation.

As we've already seen in some of herO's earlier matches this year, playing into the ultra-late game is an inevitability in a series against Maru. And, in the late game, it still looks like Maru is on an entirely different level from other Terrans. It's hard to recall the last time any Protoss managed to beat Maru in a prolonged bout, unless they already had a significant advantage from the early/mid-game.

While it's easy to simplify this match down to 'offense vs defense,' Maru has already shown against DRG and Dark that he can subvert such expectations. Passive turtle play might be what Maru is most known for at the moment, but he can make you pay if you think he's only capable of one style.

Maru and herO's most recent match at DreamHack Valencia was a BO3 in the group stages (VOD), where Maru took a clean 2-0 victory. herO tried to go to the late game against Maru on the first map of Moondance, but as expected, Maru's defense was extremely hard to crack. After constant repositioning and probing, it looked like herO might have finally found an opening with his Tempest-based army, but Maru pulled off a fantastic, multi-directional flank to win the game-deciding battle. On the second map, herO was able to take a comfortable early-game lead, pinning Maru down on 2 bases with blink stalker aggression. This prompted Maru to go all-in off a weak economy,, and he managed to take a comeback win thanks to herO staying over-aggressive in a dicey situation. herO admitted he played terribly afterward, and it will be interesting to see how he adjusts his game for this best-of-seven series.

The stats website Aligulac.com sees both Maru and herO as the clear #1 players on either side of the TvP match-up, gapping the #2 players by a comfortable 100+ rating points. However, when compared directly against each other, Aligulac gives Maru the edge with a 64.93% chance of winning the best-of-seven series. TL.net Liquibet users are predicting Maru to win at around a 3-to-1 ratio, while online betting odds reveal that gamblers see this as a 60:40 proposition in Maru's favor.

The career head-to-head record favors Maru slightly as he leads 16W-12L-1D in overall series (37W-28L map score), but this bears a closer look considering that these two have been playing against each other since 2013. The two players were actually fairly evenly matched before herO went on hiatus in 2020-21 for his military service, with Maru pulling ahead AFTER herO made his comeback. Indeed, since herO's return, Maru has dominated herO with five victories and a draw, racking up a map score of 13W-5L in those matches. Their closest match was during GSL Super Tournament 1 (2022) where Maru won 3-2, but other than that, he's been pretty dominant against herO.

In the semifinals preview, we surmised that Maru may have barely lost to Dark at DreamHack Valencia due to fatigue and his general trend of performing poorly in overseas events. As it turned out, Maru ended up being just slightly better than Dark when they rematched in Korea. Given that Maru was already able to 2-0 herO in Valencia, one might start to wonder if we're headed to a one-sided finish. In fact, all of Maru's TvP finals in Code S have been rather one-sided: 4-2 vs Stats, 4-0 vs Zest, and 4-2 vs Classic.

The final thing to consider is whether or not the G5L is truly a cursed trophy. Maru has already failed to win it in two prior finals against TY and Rogue, and in the latter he was a massive favorite headed into the match (even more so than he is against herO). Say what you will about Protoss and its inability to win Code S titles, but the G5L might be even more sacrosanct.

When you add everything up, it seems that Maru is at least a moderate favorite. While Maru has a clear advantage in the late-game, it's uncertain as to how successful herO will be with his early/mid-game aggression. Certainly, you can envision a best-case scenario where each and every one of herO's builds hit perfectly, and Maru loses without ever getting to play his real game. However, it seems more likely that herO will only be able to work his magic a handful of times, and ultimately fall to the more solid Maru.

Prediction: Maru 4 - 2 herO




Credits and acknowledgements

Writers: Poopi & Wax
Images: AfreecaTV
Records and Statistics: Aligulac.com and Liquipedia

Facebook Twitter Reddit
TL+ Member
samAel1
Profile Joined October 2019
Poland26 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-07-28 06:37:04
July 28 2022 06:35 GMT
#2
Its gonna be rough for herO :< GL my fav toss! Lets upset some people and make toss great again!
samÆl
swarminfestor
Profile Joined September 2017
Malaysia2449 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-07-28 06:57:05
July 28 2022 06:53 GMT
#3
I would love to see Maru vs Rogue in the final fighting for G5L trophy. Defeating Rogue in the offline final BO7 series, then grabbing G5L is the best satisfying story that can be offered. So, I am going to support herO.
Rogue & Maru fan boy. ^^
Alpharius
Profile Joined September 2018
Vietnam39 Posts
July 28 2022 07:00 GMT
#4
GSL Final are historically one-sided, and on paper this might not be an exception. Rooting for herO to give us an exciting match
Edpayasugo
Profile Joined April 2013
United Kingdom2214 Posts
July 28 2022 07:16 GMT
#5
5 GSLs, never thought I'd see the day
FlaSh MMA INnoVation FanTaSy MKP TY Ryung | soO Dark Rogue | HuK PartinG Stork State
XDEKSDEEXD
Profile Joined June 2013
622 Posts
July 28 2022 07:43 GMT
#6
Someone help me understand - in the history of SC2, MVP, Maru, Innovation and Rogue have all won 4 GSL each, correct? And now Maru is on the verge of becoming the first ever 5-time GSL champion?
daskleinehotte
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
Germany76 Posts
July 28 2022 07:47 GMT
#7
Nice write up! Looking forward to the Finals tomorrow, I hope Maru can snatch that legendary G5L!

"If fans were worried about Maru's condition after his loss to Bunny, he blew such concerns away with a fantastic 3-2 victory over Dark in the semifinals."

Maru won 3-1 vs. Dark
www.bunker-rush.de (German SC2 and eSports blog)
tigera6
Profile Joined March 2021
3345 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-07-28 08:01:24
July 28 2022 07:59 GMT
#8
So because Maru changed team, they will give him a new G5L trophy if he win right? Not the one shown in the picture with JinAir team name.

On July 28 2022 16:43 XDEKSDEEXD wrote:
Someone help me understand - in the history of SC2, MVP, Maru, Innovation and Rogue have all won 4 GSL each, correct? And now Maru is on the verge of becoming the first ever 5-time GSL champion?

Yes, except that Inno "only" won 3 GSL code S iirc.
lolfail9001
Profile Joined August 2013
Russian Federation40190 Posts
July 28 2022 09:42 GMT
#9
On July 28 2022 16:43 XDEKSDEEXD wrote:
Someone help me understand - in the history of SC2, MVP, Maru, Innovation and Rogue have all won 4 GSL each, correct? And now Maru is on the verge of becoming the first ever 5-time GSL champion?

Since current G5L only counts Code S victories, Mvp and Innovation won 3 respectively. Rogue and Maru are at 4.
DeMoN pulls off a Miracle and Flies to the Moon
Harris1st
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Germany6889 Posts
July 28 2022 10:05 GMT
#10
Great write-up!

her0 is the hero we need but don't and deserve!
Go Serral! GG EZ for Ence. Flashbang dance FTW
renaissanceMAN
Profile Joined March 2011
United States1840 Posts
July 28 2022 11:53 GMT
#11
So much hype! Fingers and toes crossed for Maru!
On August 15 2013 03:43 Waxangel wrote: no amount of money can replace the enjoyment of being mean to people on the internet
Lokol18
Profile Joined July 2021
51 Posts
July 28 2022 12:25 GMT
#12
On July 28 2022 18:42 lolfail9001 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On July 28 2022 16:43 XDEKSDEEXD wrote:
Someone help me understand - in the history of SC2, MVP, Maru, Innovation and Rogue have all won 4 GSL each, correct? And now Maru is on the verge of becoming the first ever 5-time GSL champion?

Since current G5L only counts Code S victories, Mvp and Innovation won 3 respectively. Rogue and Maru are at 4.


Gom counted mvp's gsl vs the world, but I can't remember why
Iskhiaro
Profile Joined March 2011
Great Britain11 Posts
July 28 2022 12:40 GMT
#13
Thanks for this write up. I hope hero finally wins this for protoss!
Beelzebub1
Profile Joined May 2015
1004 Posts
July 28 2022 13:07 GMT
#14
I'm a big Hero fan, but Maru has nerves of steel and seems to be able to turn it on when it matters most.

My heart believes in Hero, but my head thinks Maru
zelevin
Profile Joined January 2012
United States256 Posts
July 28 2022 13:27 GMT
#15
I have dreamed about this twice. Maru wins 4:1, with hero winning the second map.
jodljodl
Profile Joined October 2016
152 Posts
July 28 2022 13:50 GMT
#16
i don't have a clue who wins this.
Always when i start to think about it, i think herO's gonna take it playing phenomenal. But in the next moment i am starting to doubt: It's maru and well,... it's maru. He'll probably simply win.
Kim Doh Woo
TossHeroes
Profile Joined February 2022
281 Posts
July 28 2022 14:05 GMT
#17
herO needs to win this for Aiur

G5L belongs to Rogue only
loeblix
Profile Joined September 2016
18 Posts
July 28 2022 14:35 GMT
#18
Go herO.

But it's gonna be an easy win for Maru sadly.
Moonerz
Profile Joined March 2014
United States444 Posts
July 28 2022 14:40 GMT
#19
Just hoping for some good games and a Maru win.

Maru speed running another toss would usually be cool but I quite like herO so i wouldnt want to see that (similar to when he destroyed my boy Zest)
Waxangel
Profile Blog Joined September 2002
United States33339 Posts
Last Edited: 2022-07-28 15:17:19
July 28 2022 15:17 GMT
#20
Ionno that speed-run Maru exists anymore in 2022. His micro is definitely declined from the days when he 1v1'd Adepts with Reapers for fun.

Still think he'll win in long games tho.
AdministratorHey HP can you redo everything youve ever done because i have a small complaint?
1 2 3 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 12h 4m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
JuggernautJason133
ProTech80
Nina 4
StarCraft: Brood War
firebathero 237
Rock 37
NaDa 34
LancerX 23
Dota 2
LuMiX1
League of Legends
Grubby3600
Dendi1519
Heroes of the Storm
Liquid`Hasu513
Khaldor252
Other Games
summit1g9269
FrodaN2157
Mlord611
RotterdaM319
Sick59
fl0m0
ViBE0
Organizations
Other Games
EGCTV1007
BasetradeTV44
StarCraft 2
angryscii 28
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 24 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH290
• StrangeGG 59
• davetesta43
• musti20045 42
• tFFMrPink 18
• OhrlRock 5
• IndyKCrew
• Migwel
• sooper7s
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• LaughNgamezSOOP
StarCraft: Brood War
• Pr0nogo 7
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• masondota21439
• Ler114
League of Legends
• Doublelift4309
• Jankos2510
Other Games
• imaqtpie1096
• Shiphtur425
• WagamamaTV405
Upcoming Events
RSL Revival
12h 4m
Clem vs Classic
SHIN vs Cure
FEL
14h 4m
WardiTV European League
14h 4m
BSL: ProLeague
20h 4m
Dewalt vs Bonyth
Replay Cast
2 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
2 days
WardiTV European League
2 days
The PondCast
3 days
Replay Cast
4 days
RSL Revival
4 days
[ Show More ]
Replay Cast
5 days
RSL Revival
5 days
FEL
5 days
RSL Revival
6 days
FEL
6 days
FEL
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

BSL 2v2 Season 3
HSC XXVII
Heroes 10 EU

Ongoing

JPL Season 2
BSL Season 20
Acropolis #3
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 2
CSL 17: 2025 SUMMER
Copa Latinoamericana 4
Championship of Russia 2025
RSL Revival: Season 1
Murky Cup #2
BLAST.tv Austin Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 7
IEM Dallas 2025
PGL Astana 2025
Asian Champions League '25
BLAST Rivals Spring 2025
MESA Nomadic Masters
CCT Season 2 Global Finals
IEM Melbourne 2025

Upcoming

2025 ACS Season 2: Qualifier
CSLPRO Last Chance 2025
2025 ACS Season 2
CSLPRO Chat StarLAN 3
K-Championship
uThermal 2v2 Main Event
SEL Season 2 Championship
FEL Cracov 2025
Esports World Cup 2025
StarSeries Fall 2025
FISSURE Playground #2
BLAST Open Fall 2025
BLAST Open Fall Qual
Esports World Cup 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall 2025
BLAST Bounty Fall Qual
IEM Cologne 2025
FISSURE Playground #1
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.