Hell, It’s about time! – 10 years of StarCraft II

Starcrafters vs. Warcrafters

Long before StarCraft II, there was a lot of controversy in the gaming community about which game required more skill – StarCraft: BroodWar or WarCraft III. The release of the new strategy finally allowed the most ardent debaters to move from words to deeds and test their arguments in the neutral territory of Wings of Liberty. Initially, all the players were on an equal footing, so each confrontation between the two “schools” attracted special attention and, regardless of the results, kindled new holivars on the forums.

The division into “Warcraft” and “Starcraft” movements in StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty did not last long. Over time, these conventional boundaries were erased when esportsmen began to massively jump from one squad to another. Even at clanwars in 2v2 matches, representatives of both disciplines often played for one team, showing excellent play in pairs. Do not forget that with the release of Wings of Liberty, a third stream of players appeared – those for whom this game was the first in the RTS genre.

Now hardly anyone will be able to say which representatives of which movement ended up being stronger and more successful than others. Neither side was able to earn an unconditional advantage over the others, so the age-old question about the skill remained unanswered forever.

The whole world against South Korea

StarCraft II has become a testing ground not only for a showdown between representatives of different games, but also for a new confrontation between regions. For many players, the opportunity to challenge the pros from South Korea who dominated both StarCraft: BroodWar and WarCraft III was one of the main reasons to wait for a sequel.

From the very beginning, Koreans were very wary of StarCraft II. The BroodWar cult in the country was so strong that some professionals did not even take the sequel seriously, considering it a temporary phenomenon. The teams also did not fully understand how to act in this situation, given the long-term contracts with sponsors and commitments to television leagues.

While the top Korean esports players continued to compete in BroodWar, the less successful began to master StarCraft II. The sequel radically changed the view of local gamers on the professional environment – they suddenly realized that there was no point in “stewing” on the ultra-competitive home scene. Instead, you can find a good team abroad, play in foreign tournaments and receive tens of thousands of dollars for it. Thus began the expansion of the Koreans to other regions, which soon turned every tournament in Europe or the United States into a confrontation between “ours and the Koreans.”

In the early years after the release of StarCraft II, Europeans were quite successful in resisting the Korean touring performers at home tournaments. At the forefront of this struggle were players such as Illes Stephano Satori, Markus ThorZaIN Elklef, Sasha Scarlett Hosting, Arthur Nerchio Bloch, Pedro LucifroN Moreno Duran, Johan NaNiwa Lukyosi other. Now the representatives of South Korea take most of the prize places in the tournaments. And although the last stronghold of European defense in the person Yoona Serral Sotala confidently on its feet, this battle of the regions seems to be lost again.

Stream like mainstream

The release of StarCraft II coincided with the rise in popularity of streaming. By that time, high-speed Internet had ceased to be exotic even in small towns, and the power of computers had finally reached the point when live broadcasting and comfortable gaming at high settings were no longer mutually exclusive concepts.

Virtually every top StarCraft II player has streamed, and some still do. In the early 2010s, the hype around the discipline attracted the attention of many large sponsors who were not content with a simple logo on a T-shirt or a banner on their website. Professional players often became streamers and signed individual contracts with brands, and sometimes even left the team to play under the sponsor tag.

In the days of StarCraft II, streaming was also a good way to show off your skills and get invited to a good team. Regular broadcasts and the activity of viewers on the player’s streams have always been a significant plus for the club, which wanted to sign a contract with him. In addition, it made it easier for the scouts to assess the player’s skill, his manner of communication, stress resistance and other factors. It was during this period that cybersportsmen began to think en masse about the importance of the media and how it can influence salaries.

Where are the best clanwar? – In our club!

One of the key features of StarCraft II esports was the high activity of the pro scene. The first teams began to form even before the release of the game, others even came from other disciplines in whole squads. Those who were stronger – they played in the international leagues, the weaker teams fought in the regional divisions. In the first year after the release, up to a hundred teams were registered for open championships only in the CIS. Subsequently, most of them dropped out, but there were still a lot of applicants.

It was with the release of StarCraft II that a trend appeared on the professional scene for one-day tournaments, whose participants raffled off small amounts from $ 50 to $ 200. This format was very convenient for single players without organizations, as well as for sponsors who decided to test their brand advertising in esports. Over time, there were more and more such one-day tournaments, and a couple of years after the release of the game, they not only took place every day, but also often overlapped on the schedule.

Team leagues and singles championships were often supplemented by national team competitions or sponsored show tournaments. Many believed that in the early years the StarCraft II tournament scene was oversaturated – top players simply did not have time to play everywhere, which is why semi-professionals and even amateurs often received cash prizes. However, then no one complained about the situation.

StarCraft II as a springboard for esports

When StarCraft II was at its peak, almost every major organization had a roster for the game. For many clubs, this discipline has become a springboard to big esports – it is this discipline that has allowed attracting major sponsors and investors, promoting social networks and forming the core of a fan base. StarCraft II unleashes the potential of Team Liquid, Evil Geniuses, Team Dignitas, Team Empire, and more. Of course, they were famous outside of StarCraft II, but the role of Blizzard in their development cannot be overemphasized.

StarCraft II has become a springboard for esports not only for clubs. This strategy has dramatically changed the lives of many players and commentators, without whom it is impossible to imagine the modern scene. Some of them said what they think about the tenth anniversary of their favorite discipline. Unfortunately, Dmitry Happy Kostin, Pavel Brat_OK Kuznetsov and many other e-sportsmen from the CIS did not find the time or desire to share their stories. Perhaps they need another 10 years?