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//: StarCraft II World Championship Series 2014 – America, Europe & Korea Season 1

S

SamuraiX-

Member



After an exciting and successful global finals at BlizzCon last November, the 2013 StarCraft II World Championship Series closed on more of a positive note compared to the notoriety it had been receiving ever since Blizzard unveiled its restructuring earlier in the year. Since the closing months of WCS 2013, Blizzard has been in constant talks with their partners and key figures in the eSports community in order to make some changes that they hope will improve WCS and continue to build toward a self-sustaining StarCraft II eSports ecosystem.

In 2014, StarCraft II WCS will remain a three-season event operated from three primary regions—America, Europe, and Korea—broadcasting matches in primetime from each region over Twitch. The global ranking system for players will remain as the glue tying together all the league competition as well as partner events. And there will be a total $1.6 million prize pool with a final year-end global finals for the top-ranked players.


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Please visit Blizzard's WCS 2014 introduction blog entry for full details.


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Please visit Blizzard's WCS 2014 introduction blog entry for full details.


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* Hack forfeited his slot to switch regions to Korea (GSL) and was replaced by TaeJa.

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* Snute forfeited his slot to switch regions to WCS Europe.
** TaeJa was promoted to Premier League based on having accumulated the most WCS Points in WCS America 2013 among players currently in Challenger League.

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* duckdeok retired and was replaced by Mvp.

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* LucifroN forfeited his slot due to taking an indefinite break from active play and returning to school.
** Mvp was promoted to Premier League based on having accumulated the most WCS Points in WCS Europe 2013 among players currently in Challenger League.

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* jjakji forfeited his slot to switch regions to WCS Europe.

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S

SamuraiX-

Member
sOs really looks like he isn't messing around right now. His demeanor looks completely different compared to what he's been showing in Proleague.
 
C

Cohsae

Member
This coincides nicely with the fact that I just bought HotS and decided to get back into Sc2.
Splendid.
 
Harlock

Harlock

Member
You guys are watching Starbow? Very different, Terran in special, because use mech almost all the time. But somehow I understand better the choices from Blizzard. Feels more modern watch the native SC2 fast battles, even at cost of less micro.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
Harlock said:
You guys are watching Starbow? Very different, Terran in special, because use mech almost all the time. But somehow I understand better the choices from Blizzard. Feels more modern watch the native SC2 fast battles, even at cost of less micro.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm giving it more time. Not liking everything it does so far.

Gumiho not doing so hot. Lets see if game 2 goes his way.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
Holy crap Gumiho played like crap. Sure it was shitty the stuff Protoss can get away with like that Timewarp crap at the beginning. But trying to drop over and over again vs HTs and Classic being on top of his defense. His macro was crap too.

Well sOs/Classic go to Code S first and then either the loser and Shine look to pass. Unless Gumiho pwns Shine and then manages to beat the loser of the PvP.
 
U

unknownstranger

Member
I'm surprised more Protoss don't build Phoenix more often to deal with drops after opening Oracle. I know they're not cheap but they're a good stopgap until you can get High Templar.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
Aaron said:
Where was this SoS in proleague? Does he have a twin brother or something?
Click to expand...

LOL sOs seems to be bad in teambased tourneys. Then again he was good in the last proleague.

Gumiho has his last shot vs Shine now and then Classic again if he wins this.

Lets see if Shine cheeses lol.

Edit: Gumiho could have ended that so long ago if he wasn't so terrible at defense.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
So disappointed with that result for Gumiho. He really is so up and down. Sometimes you see him and wonder how he isn't winning GSL's and other times he looks like a foreigner. He has talent but i wonder if he will ever make anything of it.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
AdventureRacing said:
So disappointed with that result for Gumiho. He really is so up and down. Sometimes you see him and wonder how he isn't winning GSL's and other times he looks like a foreigner. He has talent but i wonder if he will ever make anything of it.
Click to expand...

;_; I feel bad because he doesn't have a team to fall back on and I don't think he can last the 3 months until the next Code A/S.

But thats the life of a Progamer in the most competitive scene. Wouldn't be shocked to see a retired article come up on TL.

Well on to better news is that Flash will be playing in the next group. That and Innovation has a all Protoss group. If he fails then the backlash should cause Blizz to take a look at TvP. If Innovation goes 4-0 then Terrans will be happy and sad because Inno passed but no nerf to toss lol.
 
A

Aaron

Member
Feel sorry for Keen there. There was nothing he could do against that army, even if he had all the time and resources in the world.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
Aaron said:
Feel sorry for Keen there. There was nothing he could do against that army, even if he had all the time and resources in the world.
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He would need the luckiest Nuke of his life. The only counter to that was 3 or more Thors with Viking and Bio support. Maybe WMs with fast burrow but there was way too many colossus. Should have just focused down the colossus with the Vikings and let the Phoenix shoot them. Not many Stalkers to shoot down the vikings.

Edit: Well shit Keen just got REKTED! It wasn't even close. Shocking that he didn't even kill more than a handful of units.
 
A

Aaron

Member
His vikings were dying so fast he wouldn't have killed enough anyway. The death ball had too much death.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
So did anyone watch that symbol series? That was some of the worst SC2 i have seen since the first GSL. Incredibly entertaining though. In game 2 myunsik went for like 3-4 different all ins all off one base before winning, just insane stuff.

That last game from myunsik, just lol at that all in.

Crimsonlink said:
;_; I feel bad because he doesn't have a team to fall back on and I don't think he can last the 3 months until the next Code A/S.

But thats the life of a Progamer in the most competitive scene. Wouldn't be shocked to see a retired article come up on TL.
Click to expand...

It sucks because he has this really cool all out aggressive style.

Crimsonlink said:
Well on to better news is that Flash will be playing in the next group. That and Innovation has a all Protoss group. If he fails then the backlash should cause Blizz to take a look at TvP. If Innovation goes 4-0 then Terrans will be happy and sad because Inno passed but no nerf to toss lol.
Click to expand...

TBH whilst i want blizz to look at the matchup if that's how blizz balance their game it's pretty much doomed anyway. A handful of result or community backlash over 1 player losing shouldn't factor in at all.

The lack of diversity in the matchup and the entire community basically telling them that it needs to change based on like a year of results is what should spur blizzard into action.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
AdventureRacing said:
So did anyone watch that symbol series? That was some of the worst SC2 i have seen since the first GSL. Incredibly entertaining though. In game 2 myunsik went for like 3-4 different all ins all off one base before winning, just insane stuff.

That last game from myunsik, just lol at that all in.

TBH whilst i want blizz to look at the matchup if that's how blizz balance their game it's pretty much doomed anyway. A handful of result or community backlash over 1 player losing shouldn't factor in at all.

The lack of diversity in the matchup and the entire community basically telling them that it needs to change based on like a year of results is what should spur blizzard into action.
Click to expand...

I'm still stunned about what happened in game 2 on Yeonsu. That was the hardest throw I've seen from a Zerg in a long time.

Still Symbol fought back against the Toss invasion and is pushing it back with his Code S spot.

;_; Bro we Terrans have been waiting since the EMP nerf to 1.5 radius. Thats when deathballs grew much more powerful. We are in for a long wait.

Keen looks to bow out with 2 protosses left but maybe he can do what Gumiho couldn't last night.
 
A

Aaron

Member
Crimsonlink said:
;_; Bro we Terrans have been waiting since the EMP nerf to 1.5 radius. Thats when deathballs grew much more powerful. We are in for a long wait.
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I uninstalled SC2 after that nerf. Honestly, I hadn't been playing much and needed the space, but I was really annoyed that Blizzard seemed to think every terran player was as skilled as MVP, and could pull off those sick EMPs and snipes.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
It sucks because specific circumstances brought about both the snipe and EMP nerf. The game has changed now and they're really unnecessary. I don't think they're the problem though. Especially in TvP if you switch them back it will still be bio every game and it will still be death balls every game. It will just mean that the steamroll will go in terrans favor more often. I want them to revert the ghost nerfs but the matchup needs a lot more change than that.
 
A

Aaron

Member
Keen, you dun goofed. Straight attack against protoss when they have time warp, nexus cannon, and ffs? Just throwing the game away.

Man, that whole match was terrible. Keen didn't play that great, but protoss had so many advantages with so little effort.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
Aaron said:
Keen, you dun goofed. Straight attack against protoss when they have time warp, nexus cannon, and ffs? Just throwing the game away.
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That attack was pretty baffling. Actually the reaper attack and that second attack were poor. Keen fell apart to that zealot harass and ate those storms at the same time. He just never looked comfortable.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
Aaron said:
I uninstalled SC2 after that nerf. Honestly, I hadn't been playing much and needed the space, but I was really annoyed that Blizzard seemed to think every terran player was as skilled as MVP, and could pull off those sick EMPs and snipes.
Click to expand...

Preach it man! It really does suck that Colossus, HTs and Archons with Gateway meatshield have such good synergy vs Terran's only option aka Bio. TvP would be fun if Ghosts were as good as HTs at punishing clumps of units which is a big problem besides 4+ Colossus.

Storms actually kill units, EMP removes about 50% or less of a Toss unit's shields depending on the unit besides the Archon. It never kills a toss unit. You need army to finish off the units. Keen just showed us what happens when toss doesn't have 3/3/3 and you get EMP with a good army to kill the weakened army.

EMP being nerfed just hurt that so much. The TvP MU has been changed so much with MSC and the nerf made TvP more Toss favored back in WoL. So now Terran is struggling so much in the lategame if they survive that long.

Anyways Keen is out and another Protoss goes on to Code S since its a PvP. 90% protoss with 0 Terrans moving onto GSL Code S so far. I hope Bravo and Flash change that ASAP.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
Crimsonlink said:
The real matches starts in 1 hour and 30 mins. Symbol played one of the worst ZvP I've seen in a long time, Keen got rekted by Protoss as a small summary how the matches went.
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Yeah i've enjoyed these games but it's been pretty ordinary. Can't wait for tonights group but oh man will there be some disappointment if flash fails (including myself there).

Edit: I think i'm spoiled by the proleague, it has been very high quality this year.
 
C

Crimsonlink

Member
FLASH FIGHTING!

Common guys time to cheer on our former Terran God Flash! Him and Bravo need to make it out so that Code S is not dominated by Zergs and Protoss.

Kpop is going on as I'm posting this but the show will start in about 5 minutes. So get your butts to twitch and start watching.
 
A

AdventureRacing

Member
Crimsonlink said:
FLASH FIGHTING!

Common guys time to cheer on our former Terran God Flash! Him and Bravo need to make it out so that Code S is not dominated by Zergs and Protoss.

Kpop is going on as I'm posting this but the show will start in about 5 minutes. So get your butts to twitch and start watching.
Click to expand...

Already here. Actually i've been watching idra's VOD's in starbow whilst waiting.
 
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