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United States33155 Posts
Serral announced through his stream and Twitter that he will begin his mandatory military service on April 15th. Due to military service, it is not 100% certain that he will be able to participate in the upcoming DreamHack Dallas and Esports World Cup tournaments.
The official stream notice stated the following:
"I will begin my mandatory military service on April 15th. The duration of my service is 6-12 months. I will be part of the Finnish Defence Forces Sports School, which will allow me to train during my conscript service. I won't be able to participate in all of the events during this time, but I will TRY to participate in Dreamhack Dallas and the World Championship tournament."
Serral gave additional context on Twitter:
"Just to clarify, it is highly likely that I will attend the larger events. Additionally, I won't be disappearing anywhere, but you are going to see me less often during my service."
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I thought this was a troll. Is it a troll?
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Canada8988 Posts
Ah damn 
That suck, I tought he had a lot of time still.
On the plus side, get ready for some Rotti WTL heroics.
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Bisutopia19200 Posts
On March 19 2024 02:06 ssg wrote:
I thought this was a troll. Is it a troll?
This is not a troll. They were going to be creating a new livestock division to accommodate goats, but recent reliable intel on Serral has changed the military's decision, and he will be put up in a barracks.
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Oh nice, im super glad he'll be able to try to compete at Dallas and EWC!
If he's able to win EWC despite being in the military - then that'll be another huge achievement.
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For the note. That '6-12 months' uncertainty is due possibility he may be chosen to go NCO or Reserve Officer courses, in which cases he will serve longer than just minimum 6 months.
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If we are super-pessimistic for a moment: It certainly would be fitting for a game that has historically been plagued by military service retirement that the best player misses the possibly last big tournament...through military service.
Hope it works out and he can atleast go to Riyadh (I can't write this damn city in english...) and win it all.
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Even being a foreigner can't stop the military service retirement.
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On March 19 2024 04:17 argonautdice wrote:
Even being a foreigner can't stop the military service retirement.
Safe to assume that to be good at Starcraft you need to be born in a country with mandatory military service
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Scary time to be doing military service in Finland, what with the situation with Russia being so heated right now. But unless anything serious happens Serral will be back in a few months, Finnish military service requirements aren't as long as Korean.
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Serral so handsome...
Hope all goes well in his military service!
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What do I gotta do to be the GOAT? Who else do you need me to beat? Fine, I'll destroy everyone in the biggest tournament out there. 20-1. Cherry on top of my legacy. No? Forget it, nothing will ever be good enough for you guys. Fuck it, I'm done here, I'm joining the military.
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On March 19 2024 11:38 Smorrie wrote:
What do I gotta do to be the GOAT? Who else do you need me to beat? Fine, I'll destroy everyone in the biggest tournament out there. 20-1. Cherry on top of my legacy. No? Forget it, nothing will ever be good enough for you guys. Fuck it, I'm done here, I'm joining the military.
He shouldn't have lost that 1. Evidences that he wouldn't last in Code S.
But it's ok Serral understands this. He plans to go to the military and win EWC during service.
The ultimate challenge and career-blocker to any KR Starcraft player.
He will deliver, and then all will see.
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i dont give 2 fks about sc2, but this guy deserves recognition...
gl to him, 1 yr break is not too long
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In a moment I thought military service is something you have to face once you became a Starcraft pro player, not just be a Korean......
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Finally competition can win something
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I wonder why the duration is a wide range, instead of a specific number. Shouldn't you know the duration beforehand?
Quoting the official website:
"Depending on the training, military service lasts 165, 255 or 347 days. Conscripts trained for rank-and-file duties serve for 165 days, those trained for rank-and-file duties requiring special skills and those completing unarmed service serve for 255 days. Conscripts trained to be officers, non-commissioned officers or for the most demanding special duties in the rank-and-file serve for 347 days. Non-military service lasts 347 days."
I guess an RTS player fits most for an officer role? XD
Shouldn't they let you know how long it takes so that you can plan accordingly?
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Now imagine if Rogue come back from the military in time for the EWC Open Qualifier and make it there.
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bummer..
hope he will still be able to participate in the bigger tournaments at least
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On March 19 2024 16:32 jy_9876543210 wrote:
I wonder why the duration is a wide range, instead of a specific number. Shouldn't you know the duration beforehand?
Quoting the official website:
"Depending on the training, military service lasts 165, 255 or 347 days. Conscripts trained for rank-and-file duties serve for 165 days, those trained for rank-and-file duties requiring special skills and those completing unarmed service serve for 255 days. Conscripts trained to be officers, non-commissioned officers or for the most demanding special duties in the rank-and-file serve for 347 days. Non-military service lasts 347 days."
I guess an RTS player fits most for an officer role? XD
Shouldn't they let you know how long it takes so that you can plan accordingly?
Maybe it's something he choses to do or will be chosen for him once he entered basic training?
From wiki
The conscripts at first receive basic training, after which they are assigned to various units for special training. Privates who are trained for tasks not requiring special skills serve for six months. In technically demanding tasks the time of service is nine, or in some cases 12 months.
![[image loading]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Finnish_conscript_training.png/600px-Finnish_conscript_training.png)
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On March 19 2024 16:32 jy_9876543210 wrote:
Shouldn't they let you know how long it takes so that you can plan accordingly?
Depending on how you do, they'll try to get you to NCO training and stuff like that. And refusing can be hard, if your officers are ***holes.
And, he might decide he likes it and go NCO voluntarily.
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On March 19 2024 02:06 ssg wrote:
I thought this was a troll. Is it a troll?
man, people just can't believe anything about serral.
serral IS the second greatest of all time
serral IS going to the military
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Tbh he will still probably be the favorite to win the World Championship if he can make it.
He can practice games in his head, he's that good, and the metas not exactly changing every week often. He'll maybe have fewer snipe builds but he's never actually needed those, it's the difference between winning 4-0 and 4-2.
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Canada8988 Posts
On March 21 2024 08:08 Fango wrote:
Tbh he will still probably be the favorite to win the World Championship if he can make it.
He can practice games in his head, he's that good, and the metas not exactly changing every week often. He'll maybe have fewer snipe builds but he's never actually needed those, it's the difference between winning 4-0 and 4-2.
Yeah, he was so far above everybody else in Kato, I can't imagine he'll suffer from a lack of practice.
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On March 20 2024 06:31 zelevin wrote:man, people just can't believe anything about serral. serral IS the second greatest of all time serral IS going to the military
appreciate you bringing this up since currently theres no other threads where goat order is discussed
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Finland926 Posts
On March 20 2024 06:31 zelevin wrote:man, people just can't believe anything about serral. serral IS the second greatest of all time serral IS going to the military
Serral is indeed the greatest military of all time.
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Ah great, whose idea was it to give the goat a sniper rifle?
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Best of luck for the GOAT of our hearts! Have a good start into the service.
For the swarm!  GLGL
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Can some Americans finally get good so we don't have this problem?!?
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On March 27 2024 00:29 lorestarcraft wrote:
Can some Americans finally get good so we don't have this problem?!?
You had Neeb but he played Protoss so he couldn’t last as long as Serral
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On March 19 2024 15:13 ownself wrote:
In a moment I thought military service is something you have to face once you became a Starcraft pro player, not just be a Korean......
Same thought! Clearly it is fate
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On March 27 2024 00:29 lorestarcraft wrote:
Can some Americans finally get good so we don't have this problem?!?
No you have it backward, obviously America needs to institute mandatory military service so Americans can win at Starcraft again.
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Mandatory Military Service ruining Starcraft since 1998 ....
I hate goverments, politicians should fight their own stupid wars ....
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On March 27 2024 00:29 lorestarcraft wrote:
Can some Americans finally get good so we don't have this problem?!?
Well there is no mandatory military service on Italy (It was abolished in 2004), and with no Rogue, Dark or Serral... Reynor is Zerg's future and hope.
As for France (Clem), it also doesnt have MMS. So thats also a win.
As for Protoss, his royal highness the duke of denmark MaxPax, i dont think he will get drafted any time soon ...
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On April 04 2024 02:37 CerebrateHector wrote:Show nested quote +On March 27 2024 00:29 lorestarcraft wrote:
Can some Americans finally get good so we don't have this problem?!? As for Protoss, his royal highness the duke of denmark MaxPax, i dont think he will get drafted any time soon ...
Unfortunately Max "Hamlet" Pax's royalty status means he would never appear at a Premier offline tournament anyway.
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No Serral in the Regionals, Reynor playing from Korea.
Looks like we will have a Max Pax / Clem fight for #1
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On April 04 2024 03:52 Kreuger wrote:
No Serral in the Regionals, Reynor playing from Korea.
Looks like we will have a Max Pax / Clem fight for #1
When if anytime does Rogue/Zest return ?
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On April 04 2024 04:02 CerebrateHector wrote:Show nested quote +On April 04 2024 03:52 Kreuger wrote:
No Serral in the Regionals, Reynor playing from Korea.
Looks like we will have a Max Pax / Clem fight for #1 When if anytime does Rogue/Zest return ?
They wont be playing in EU anyways :p
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United States33155 Posts
Serral officially forfeited his spot in the online EPT EU regionals. If he gets permission to compete at Dallas, could be fun to see him work his way up from the open bracket  (too bad it's not like the old MLG days where he has to mow through gold leaguers for 8 hours)
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I'm guessing Serral won't be able to take part in WTL? Rotti as ace player for Basilisk? :o
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On April 04 2024 04:02 CerebrateHector wrote:Show nested quote +On April 04 2024 03:52 Kreuger wrote:
No Serral in the Regionals, Reynor playing from Korea.
Looks like we will have a Max Pax / Clem fight for #1 When if anytime does Rogue/Zest return ?
Rogue is back already
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Saw this on reddit
https://ruotuvaki.fi/-/miljoonia-tienannut-e-urheilija-joona-sotala-hankki-varuskunnan-vieresta-toimiston-jonne-voi-vetaytya-pelaamaan-vapaa-ajalla
https://www.reddit.com/r/starcraft/comments/1cb8crm/serral_hired_an_office_next_to_the_garrison_he/
From proper_ikea_boy
"The two-time StarCraft world champion does not believe that serving at a sports school will hamper his career.
Joona "Serral" Sotala, who has made millions from e-sports, is not worried about the impact of service on his career. StarCraft's toughest challengers come from South Korea, where military service lasts two years.
Finnish e-sports superstar Joona Sotala began his service at the Guard Ice Regiment's sports school in April.
The sports school has been accepting e-athletes since 2017, but Sotala is still the first professional player to start his service at the school.
The service will definitely be tough at times, but also fun, Sotala reflects.
StarCraft II, which Sotala plays, is a real-time strategy game in which individual players compete against each other. Serral, known around the world, is a two-time world champion and the first non-Korean world champion of his kind.
The 26-year-old Sotala rents an office in Laajasalo, next door to Santahamina, where he can train during his military service. On weekends, he plans to go to Pornais.
The Defence Forces were willing to give me space here, but I decided to get my own place where I could train in peace," Sotala explains.
Serral plays for the BASILISK international organisation in the USA. The team let its star player decide on his own when he would do his military service.
The organisation took my decision very well. It's probably not an optimal situation for them, but they have been very supportive," Sotala reveals.
International fans have been surprised to see e-sport star Sotala join the army. Many fans didn't even know that Finland has compulsory military service. Armed service is a familiar topic in StarCraft circles, though, as many professionals serve long stints in Korea.
Tournaments around the world
This year, Serral has played in three tournaments and has already earned a place in the StarCraft World Championship. In this year's tournaments, Sotala has won two and taken bronze in one.
There are currently only five players in the world who have already earned their place at the World Championship in Saudi Arabia. Serral has earned by far the most qualification points and can now focus on the summer's giant tournament.
Sotala is aiming for two main tournaments during his service. These are the ESL Masters in Dallas and the World Championship in Saudi Arabia. The event in Texas will take place just before the World Championships and will be a great way to try out the last tactics before the season culminates.
Sotala is happy with the arrangements made by the Defence Forces and believes he will be able to compete abroad without any problems.
Smokers surprised positively
The first days in the army have gone smoothly, according to Sotala. The discipline and culture are what he had expected. The smoking buddies were a positive surprise.
Some of my smoking buddies were a little surprised when I came to the sports school. In general, I have got on well with smokers. It's been fun so far," says Sotala.
Despite his success, Sotala feels he is in the same boat as all the other conscripts who have just started.
In the army, gun handling and shooting are also of interest to the newcomer.
Shooting is fun. It's nice to at least try it out," Sotala says.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)"
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EPT
