by DarkLordOlli

Long ago, StarCraft 2 was ruled by a King. The King wielded magical powers, and used them to claim so many crowns he could wear a different one each day. At the height of the King's rule over all of Korea and the lands over the water, a young man dared to challenge for his throne. The adopted heir of an Emperor from a fabled land, the one known as MMA was immune to the King's spells and won battle after battle against the King's armies. His rebellion split the realm in half, with the commoners forced to declare their loyalty to the old King or the rising crown prince. The King was able to broker an uneasy truce, and for a time the land was divided into the two kingdoms of Mvp and MMA.

Alas, the reign of MMA was short lived. Like many other once-great kingdoms, the doom of MMA's kingdom came from within. Trouble brewed between his allies, brother turned on brother, and the ones he once trusted most became his worst enemies. The Emperor applied the deathblow, disinherited the young MMA, disbanding his armies, and dispersing them to seven winds. MMA disappeared into exile.

At the peak of his power in 2011, MMA briefly held the coveted title of Best in the World. He travelled the globe and won major tournaments on three continents, taking two GSL tournaments, an MLG, and an IEM. He became the only player to thwart Mvp at the height of his power, defeating him 4 - 1 in the Code S finals at Blizzcon. MMA at his peak was much like INnoVation is today: nigh unstoppable in two match-ups while vulnerable in one. MMA's bane was his mundane TvP, but the lack of top level Protoss players at the time allowed him ride his overpowering TvT and TvZ to multiple titles.

At the end of 2011, it looked like we would soon have two kings of StarCraft 2, with the founding king Mvp joined by the challenger MMA who proved himself in an honorable trial by combat. In another timeline, we might be talking about a dominant duo of WoL, not just Mvp standing alone atop the mountain.

But MMA fell, and having reached such soaring heights, MMA fell hard. A new class of championship level Protosses emerged to thwart MMA at every turn. Zergs unlocked the secrets of brood lord-infestor, nullifying MMA's trademark aggressive style. But worst of all, the once great SlayerS team fell to pieces around him, collapsing like a house of cards. Facing catastrophe both inside and outside of the game, MMA fell off the radar. For months he haplessly wandered the wilds between Code A and Code S, looking more like a ghost than a being of flesh and blood. Until he discovered a new home at Team Acer.

MMA's move to an aspiring foreign team by no means sparked an immediate revival, and there were no noticeable short term results to speak of. His first couple of outings with Team Acer were disappointing at best: out of IPL5 in the top 40, and HSC5 in the top 16. But more importantly it gave him a fresh start, as both a player and as a person. He escaped the spotlight, shed the baggage of the past, and rebuilt himself as a new player for a new expansion. Some of his flamboyance was traded in for more stability, some of his TvT and TvZ dominance traded for a considerably better TvP. While retaining his signature commitment to harassment and drops, he turned himself into a well-rounded player with a more solid core.

Slowly but surely, the results returned. Starting with clutch performances for Axiom-Acer in the GSTL, MMA started to enjoy some individual success again. Top16 WCS Europe. Top 4 WCS Europe. Top 4 DreamHack Bucharest. And finally, just a few weeks ago, he took first place at WCS Europe, winning his first major championship in over a year.

The old MMA is gone, buried with the ashes of SlayerS. But the will and determination to be a champion has survived, and those have returned alongside a new MMA. He remembers the glory his old self once commanded, and he remembers the cheers he heard at Blizzcon two years ago as he ascended to the throne. Will history repeat itself?

Writers: DarkLordOlli.
Photos: ESL.
Editor: Waxangel.