EPTBoxer Rebellion
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SlayerS_Boxer shows off his new pro-gaming gear from Razer
Note: This interview appeared in the June 2011 issue of GameAxis Malaysia.
Lim Yo-Hwan isn’t any other pro-gamer – he is one of the most successful StarCraft pro-gamer in the world. Going under the pseudonym SlayerS_Boxer, or Boxer for short, he is often called “The Terran Emperor” and “The King of Terran” by his fans due to his creative strategies and masterful control of the Terran race in StarCraft. Boxer has a long list of well-publicized achievements, including being one of the highest-paid professional gamers with annual earnings of over US$300,000 (~RM918,000) in winnings and endorsements.
While his ranking has dropped with the onset of a new generation of pro-gamers, this StarCraft veteran is eager to get back into the game by playing high level StarCraft II games as well as creating a new StarCraft II clan called “SlayerS”. Already, the clan has reaped its first victory by recently winning the GOMTV Global StarCraft II Team League. He was also drafted by Team Razer, a group of pro-gamers drafted by pro-gaming equipment company Razer. GameAxis Malaysia interviews Boxer on his recent resurgence in the StarCraft II competitive community.
GAX: You’re chiefly known as the Terran Emperor due to your pioneering tactics and strategies with the Terran race. Since starting out with StarCraft II, what do you think of the Terran race? Do you see much more potential that has yet to be untapped by other players, or are you contemplating of mastering another race?
Boxer: The change from StarCraft to StarCraft II was very big. But I would rather say it was an improvement over StarCraft in terms of the buildings but also in terms of the races. I’ve thought about switching races and even tried other races, but I guess I will still remain a Terran player.
GAX: You have recently enlisted with Team Razer as one of their lineup of professional gamers. How did the partnership with Razer come about?
Boxer: Due the higher system requirements of StarCraft II, I was looking for peripherals able to keep up with these increase requirements. And fortunately, during Blizzcon, I was handed a Razer DeathAdder. It was literally love at first sight, and I was seeking for a possibility to work with Razer. So I’m very thankful that this partnership worked out.
GAX: Which Razer products do you regularly use in your training? How have they helped in improving your gameplay?
Boxer: I’m using the DeathAdder, Goliathus and Moray+. Especially the mouse and the pad; they helped me a lot in StarCraft II. The cursor movement is very accurate, and I’m very happy with the form factor as well as the coating.
GAX: You once mentioned in your biography that your goal was to become a ‘30s progamer’ so that people will start to consider progaming as a real job. Now that you have reached that goal, what are your thoughts now of the current progaming landscape? Consequently, do you have a new goal now?
Boxer: My goal was to become a ‘successful 30s progamer’, so ultimately I have yet to achieve my goal. But along with that, I would also like to become a pioneer for E-Sports, and StarCraft II on the global market.
GAX: Initially, your parents objected to your passion in games before eventually letting you embark on a progaming career. What do your parents think of progaming today, now that you’ve played professionally for over a decade? Are they more supportive of your line of work?
Boxer: I don’t think any parents would love the idea of their children playing games instead of studying. The same goes with my parents, therefore they were very skeptical in the beginning. But after they saw the development of E-sports and myself as a gamer, they started to support me a lot. Nowadays, they are experts on E-Sports. They know what is going on, and they even motivate me after certain matches.
GAX: Among the numerous achievements that you’ve accomplished in your professional career, what is the one achievement that you are especially proud of and still remember to this day?
Boxer: The SBS Multigame Championship back in 1999 is a tournament that I will always remember. It was the first tournament that I won, and it basically was the start of my career. But if I look at all the achievements in my lifetime, winning the World Cyber Games twice was an achievement that I’m very proud of. It was also the first time I represented my country.
GAX: Last year, the StarCraft progaming scene was hit by accusations of match fixing. Several players were banned by KeSPA from the progaming scene permanently. What was your initial reaction to the news when it first broke? Did you know anyone who was affected by the scandal?
Boxer: Of course, I was very shocked in the beginning, because those kinds of things shouldn’t have a place in E-Sports. But every sport has its scandals and if anything, I think it just shows that E-Sports has become a very serious sport in Korea although I still think things like this should be avoided. Hopefully those kinds of incidences won’t be repeated again.
GAX: Your new StarCraft II clan named SlayerS recently won the GOMTV Global StarCraft II Team League. What was it like for you and your newly-formed clan to win your first major StarCraft II tournament?
Boxer: To be honest, it went faster than I expected. I was hoping to win a team-league at least once, but I never expected that we’d be able to win it twice in a row. That’s something I’m very proud of. I think everyone in the team deserves credit.
GAX: What advice can you give to aspiring gamers who wish to reach your level of mastery in StarCraft II?
Boxer: The fastest, yet most important factor is to build a passion for the game. No matter what you do, if you want to be successful in a game or life, this certain item needs to be your top priority.
GAX: If you could have one StarCraft II request granted by Blizzard Entertainment, what would the request be?
Boxer: I hope Blizzard keeps the dialogue open between fans, gamers and Blizzard. But they are already doing great, so I don’t have any worries.
