History MediaNotes / ProfessionalGaming

Professional gaming in the VideoGame scene is well established, and many teams and organizations have established popular brands with numerous sponsors dating back to VideoGame/{{Counter-Strike}}, VideoGame/{{Quake}}, [[VideoGame/StarcraftI Brood War]], and other classic games' roots.

!!!''VideoGame/StarcraftI''
With player salaries ranging between $20000 and $200000 and games routinely broadcast over three television channels, Starcraft is far and away the most glamorous form of professional gaming. The most noteworthy Starcraft tournaments are organized under the Korean E-Sports Players' Association ([=KeSPA=]) in the form of the [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=75487 OSL]] and [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=75488 MSL]] individual competitions and the [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=75489 Proleague]] team competition.

Because Starcraft has been played professionally since 2000, there have been lots of notable players, including:

** Lim Yo-Hwan ("Boxer"). Also known as the "Emperor of Terran" or simply "The Emperor", it is said that "Every fan of Starcraft is a fan of Lim Yo Hwan." Arguably the most prominent Starcraft progamer, and widely considered the best player ever (relative to his time), Boxer has invented and popularized many of the tricks that modern players use today. Boxer is considered to be the player that brought competitive Starcraft to prominence. Has since moved into ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' play with his own team.
** Lee Yun-Yeol ("[=NaDa=]"). While Boxer was the Emperor, [=NaDa=] was the Genius. Holding the highest amount of gold medals to this day, his success is greater than Boxer's though he remains quite a bit less popular. NaDa's success came not so much from brilliant new tactics, but seemingly unstoppable execution of known strategies. Has since moved into ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' play, under compLexity; now retired.

** Lee Young-Ho ("Flash"). Considered to be the "Final Bonjwa" of Starcraft I, winning both the MSL and OSL in the same season, as well as leading his team, KT, over their perennial rivals SKT in the team league finals, Flash is considered to be the strongest player ever to emerge. He also holds, with Nada, the record for the most OSL and MSL victories (3 of each) and the overall highest ELO ever, 2443, as well as the longest winstreak for any player. In 2010, Flash was especially dominant, winning 2 [=OSLs=], 2 [=MSLs=], and the team league, while maintaining an 80%+ winrate, and defeating his rival Jaedong in the finals of 3 consecutive individual leagues. Has begun playing the second game with some success.

!!!''VideoGame/StarcraftII''

** Old Generations (oGs): An ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin team, several old ''VideoGame/{{Starcraft|I}} Brood War'' players who have switched to ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' have created this team. Formerly one of the highest rankest teams in the world, with many top-ranked players who regularly land in Code-S or get into the top 16 of the GSL, and formerly ''the'' strongest Korean team in the beginning. Was one of the first major, established teams to disband.\\

** Prime: Once an inconsistently performing team notable primarily for losing sponsors, slumping ace players, a shrinking roster, and struggling just to keep itself afloat, Prime has transformed itself into a ruthless murder machine and one of the greatest threats in both the GSTL and the Korean ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' scene as a whole in 2012. Runs [[http://primezzang.com/ an online fashion store]], with Prime's own players acting as its models.\\

** MVP: Not to be confused with the player Mvp, MVP is one of the more laid-back, easygoing ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' teams out there. Formerly one of the weakest major teams in Korea, being held up in 2011's team leagues almost solely (if very well) by their ace player and possible deity [=DongRaeGu=], MVP has improved over time to become one that can hold its own against the cream of the crop with a more-than-respectable roster. Currently partnered with Meet Your Makers.\\

** New Star [=HoSeo=] ([=NSHoSeo=]/NS호서): The dark horse team of ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' in Korea. [=NSHoSeo=] lacks any true stars with the exception of Jjakji, but their well-balanced lineup has allowed them to achieve a good amount of success in team leagues, if not so much in individual ones. Sponsored by the Seoul [=HoSeo=] Technical College, the team's players are appropriately characterized by their highly intelligent, reactive play styles.\\

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid`): Probably the most well-known foreign team, they regularly compete in the Korean GSL tournament, with a player in every season. Partner by association of [[http://www.teamliquid.net TeamLiquid.Net]], the most popular ''VideoGame/StarcraftII'' community website. They're partnered with team oGs in their team house in Korea until oGs's disbandment. Like oGs, many of their players come from ''Brood War'' roots: Nazgul, the leader, team captain, and founder of both the team and the website, was one of the most successful foreigner players in the dawn of ''Brood War'', once playing a televised match against ''Boxer'' in his prime. Ret and [=NoNy=] were also two of the strongest foreigners of the "3rd generation" ''Brood War'' era.\\

** [[FanNickname Tastosis]] is the 'official' name for the "casting Archon" duo of '''Tasteless''' and '''Artosis'''. Rarely seen casting without the other (hence the Archon part[[hottip:*:In-game, an "Archon" is a unit created when two High Templar undergo a FusionDance]]), the two are veterans from the ''Brood War'' era as both players and commentators. They serve as the golden example of a caster combo; currently, they are commentating in English for the GSL and living in Korea. Tasteless, the older brother of DayNine, is a more private individual than Artosis, and is the play-by-play component of the team. Meanwhile, Artosis the analyst hosts "The Artosis Hour", is a pillar of the most popular ''Starcraft'' podcast ''State of the Game'', and is the father of a baby girl.

** Lim Yo-Hwan ("Boxer"). Also known as the "Emperor of Terran" or simply "The Emperor", it is said that "Every fan of Starcraft is a fan of Lim Yo Hwan." Arguably the most prominent Starcraft progamer, and widely considered the best player ever (relative to his time), Boxer has invented and popularized many of the tricks that modern players use today. Boxer is considered to be the player that brought competitive Starcraft to prominence. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play with his own team.
** Lee Yun-Yeol ("[=NaDa=]"). While Boxer was the Emperor, [=NaDa=] was the Genius. Holding the highest amount of gold medals to this day, his success is greater than Boxer's though he remains quite a bit less popular. NaDa's success came not so much from brilliant new tactics, but seemingly unstoppable execution of known strategies. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play, under compLexity; now retired.

** Old Generations (oGs): An ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin team, several old ''{{Starcraft}} Brood War'' players who have switched to ''StarcraftII'' have created this team. Formerly one of the highest rankest teams in the world, with many top-ranked players who regularly land in Code-S or get into the top 16 of the GSL, and formerly ''the'' strongest Korean team in the beginning. Was one of the first major, established teams to disband.\\

** Prime: Once an inconsistently performing team notable primarily for losing sponsors, slumping ace players, a shrinking roster, and struggling just to keep itself afloat, Prime has transformed itself into a ruthless murder machine and one of the greatest threats in both the GSTL and the Korean ''StarcraftII'' scene as a whole in 2012. Runs [[http://primezzang.com/ an online fashion store]], with Prime's own players acting as its models.\\

** MVP: Not to be confused with the player Mvp, MVP is one of the more laid-back, easygoing ''StarcraftII'' teams out there. Formerly one of the weakest major teams in Korea, being held up in 2011's team leagues almost solely (if very well) by their ace player and possible deity [=DongRaeGu=], MVP has improved over time to become one that can hold its own against the cream of the crop with a more-than-respectable roster. Currently partnered with Meet Your Makers.\\

** New Star [=HoSeo=] ([=NSHoSeo=]/NS호서): The dark horse team of ''StarcraftII'' in Korea. [=NSHoSeo=] lacks any true stars with the exception of Jjakji, but their well-balanced lineup has allowed them to achieve a good amount of success in team leagues, if not so much in individual ones. Sponsored by the Seoul [=HoSeo=] Technical College, the team's players are appropriately characterized by their highly intelligent, reactive play styles.\\

** [=StarTale=] (ST): Headed by old Brood War legend and 3-time OSL champ Park Sung-Joon ([=JulyZerg=]), [=StarTale's=] culture of strong work ethic and discipline has allowed them to develop a formidable roster, spearheaded by nerdy Protoss monsters Squirtle and [=PartinG=] and backed by the Zerg Curious and Terran Bomber. This work ethic has paid off, as on November 18, [=PartinG=] won the Blizzard-sponsored Battle.net World Championship, officially claiming the title of "World's Best ''StarCraftII'' Player." In the meanwhile, the team is currently partnered with Quantic Gaming and has had problems with sock theft.\\

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid`): Probably the most well-known foreign team, they regularly compete in the Korean GSL tournament, with a player in every season. Partner by association of [[http://www.teamliquid.net TeamLiquid.Net]], the most popular ''StarcraftII'' community website. They're partnered with team oGs in their team house in Korea until oGs's disbandment. Like oGs, many of their players come from ''Brood War'' roots: Nazgul, the leader, team captain, and founder of both the team and the website, was one of the most successful foreigner players in the dawn of ''Brood War'', once playing a televised match against ''Boxer'' in his prime. Ret and [=NoNy=] were also two of the strongest foreigners of the "3rd generation" ''Brood War'' era.\\

** [=WhiteRa=]. He is a bit of an anomaly in the ''StarCraftII'' scene: he's not signed with any prominent team, he's married, he was [[CompetenceZone born in 1980]]. Known for "Special Tactics" (unconventional and sometimes downright-hilarious strategies), particularly his [[DropShip Warp Prism]] harrassment, for being an incredibly NiceGuy, and for being a FountainOfMemes, due to being Ukranian and having an imperfect command of English.

** '''HuskyStarcraft''' is a shoutcaster who does commentary at live tournaments and of user-submitted matches on his Website/YouTube channel, which has more subscribers than any other ''StarCraftII''-oriented channel. While he quite clearly loves ''StarCraft'', he claims that his play is not the best (by which we mean, he's "only" in Master League, the top 2% of the region). One funny series of videos on his channel is a best-of-3 match between him and professional player Spanishiwa; Husky lost, despite piling handicaps on his opponent.
** '''DayNine''' is a commentator and educator. In addition to casting at competitions, he runs a web-TV show, the "Day[9] Daily, [[CatchPhrase where we learn to be a better gamer]]," in which he evaluates current play and highlights new trends in the ''StarCraftII'' metagame. He is the younger brother of Tasteless, and played competitively during the ''Brood War'' days; he has three "[[SockPuppet smurf]]" accounts which are all in the Grandmaster league.

** Stephano (formerly team Millenium, now Evil Geniuses). A Zerg player hailing from France, Stephano is one of the youngest ''SC2'' players, born in '93. He is one of only ten people (as of June '12) to win more than $100,000 in tournaments, and the ''only'' non-Korean on that list. He plans to be a doctor after he resigns from pro-gaming, and competes primarily for MoneyDearBoy, which leads to both NervesOfSteel and a casual, sometimes unsportsmanlike demeanor.

** [=StarTale=] (ST): Headed by old Brood War legend and 3-time OSL champ Park Sung-Joon ([=JulyZerg=]), [=StarTale's=] culture of strong work ethic and discipline has allowed them to develop a formidable roster, spearheaded by nerdy Protoss monsters Squirtle and [=PartinG=] and backed by the Zerg Curious and Terran Bomber. Has had problems with sock theft. Currently partnered with Quantic.\\

*** [=PartinG=]

** Lee Young-Ho ("Flash"). Considered to be the "Final Bonjwa" of Starcraft I, winning both the MSL and OSL in the same season, as well as leading his team, KT, over their perennial rivals SKT in the team league finals, Flash is considered to be the strongest player ever to emerge. He also holds, with Nada, the record for the most OSL and MSL victories (3 of each) and the overall highest ELO ever, 2443, as well as the longest winstreak for any player. In 2010, Flash was especially dominant, winning 2 [=OSLs=], 2 [=MSLs=], and the team league, while maintaining an 80%+ winrate, and defeating his rival Jaedong in the finals of 3 consecutive individual leagues.

** Lee Jae-Dong ("Jaedong"). The top Zerg player of the era, he holds the 3rd most amount of titles for any modern player, behind Nada and Flash. Considered by many to be an "unofficial bonjwa" (ThereCanBeOnlyOne in an era).

** Stephano (team Millenium). Stephano, a Zerg player hailing from France, is one of the youngest ''SC2'' players, born in '93. He is one of only ten people (as of June '12) to win more than $100,000 in tournaments, and the ''only'' non-Korean on that list. He plans to be a doctor after he resigns from pro-gaming, and competes primarily for MoneyDearBoy, which leads to both NervesOfSteel and a casual, sometimes unsportsmanlike demeanor.

** Choi Yun-Sung ("Iloveoov"). Boxer's Protege, he came out onto the scene destroying everyone with a massive army of units. Nicknamed the cheater terran for being able to produce so many units (due to his impeccable macro, or production and economy management), he dominated the scene for quite some time.

** Lee Young-Ho ("Flash"). Considered to be the "Final Bonjwa" of Starcraft I, winning both the MSL and OSL in the same season, as well as leading his team, KT, over their perennial rivals SKT in the team league finals, Flash is considered to be the strongest player ever to emerge. He also holds, with Nada, the record for the most OSL and MSL victories (3 of each.) and the overall highest ELO ever, 2443, as well as the longest winstreak for any player. In 2010, Flash was especially dominant, winning 2 [=OSLs=], 2 [=MSLs=], and the team league, while maintaining an 80%+ winrate, and defeating his rival Jaedong in the finals of 3 consecutive individual leagues.

** Lee Jae-Dong ("Jaedong"). The top Zerg player of the era, he holds the 3rd most amount of titles for any modern player, behind Nada and Flash. Considered by many to be an "unofficial bonjwa" (as naming two in an era would not particularly make sense)

The premier tournaments of the ''[=StarCraft II=]'' scene are the Korean [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/GOMTV_Global_Starcraft_II_League GOMTV Global StarCraft II League]] (GSL) and the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/GOMTV_Global_Starcraft_II_Team_League GOMTV Global StarCraft II Team League]] (GSTL), with [=KeSPA's=] [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Proleague Proleague]] gradually making the transition over from ''Brood War'' to ''[=StarCraft II=]'' and the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/OnGameNet_StarLeague OSL]] soon to follow as of June 2012. Major international events to watch out for include the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/MLG MLG]], the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Intel_Extreme_Masters IEM]], [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/DreamHack DreamHack]], [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Iron_Squid Iron Squid]], the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/IGN_ProLeague IPL]], and the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/North_American_Star_League NASL]].

*** Boxer (Of course! Still a competitor, though a fairly mid-tier player, and is the primary coach of the team and talent finder).er

*** Alicia (Actually a male protoss player)Currently the SlayerS "Ace"

** [[FanNickname Tastosis]] is the 'official' name for the "casting Archon[[hottip:*:In-game, an "Archon" is a unit created when two High Templar undergo a FusionDance]]" duo of '''Tasteless''' and '''Artosis'''. Rarely seen casting without the other (hence the Archon part), the two are veterans from the ''Brood War'' era as both players and commentators. They serve as the golden example of a caster combo; currently, they are commentating in English for the GSL and living in Korea. Tasteless, the older brother of DayNine, is a more private individual than Artosis, and is the play-by-play component of the team. Meanwhile, Artosis the analyst hosts "The Artosis Hour", is a pillar of the most popular ''Starcraft'' podcast ''State of the Game'', and is the father of a baby girl.
** '''HuskyStarcraft''' is a shoutcaster who does commentary at live tournaments and of user-submitted matches on his Website/YouTube channel, which has more subscribers than any other ''StarCraftII''-oriented channel. While he quite clearly loves ''StarCraft'', he claims that his play is not the best (by which we mean, Master league). One funny series of videos on his channel is a best-of-3 match between him and professional player Spanishiwa; Husky lost, despite piling handicaps on his opponent.

** [[FanNickname Tastosis]] is the 'official' name for the "casting Archon" duo of '''Tasteless''' and '''Artosis'''. Rarely seen casting without the other (hence the Archon part), the two are veterans from the ''Brood War'' era as both players and commentators. They serve as the golden example of a caster combo; currently, they are commentating in English for the GSL and living in Korea. Tasteless, the older brother of DayNine, is a more private individual than Artosis, and is the play-by-play component of the team. Meanwhile, Artosis the analyst hosts "The Artosis Hour", is a pillar of the most popular ''Starcraft'' podcast ''State of the Game'', and is the father of baby girl.

* {{compLexityGaming}}

** '''HuskyStarcraft''' is a shoutcaster who does commentary at live tournaments and of user-submitted matches on his YouTube channel, which has more subscribers than any other ''StarCraftII''-oriented channel. While he quite clearly loves ''StarCraft'', he claims that his play is not the best (by which we mean, Master league). One funny series of videos on his channel is a best-of-3 match between him and professional player Spanishiwa; Husky lost, despite piling handicaps on his opponent.

** Lim Yo-Hwan ("Boxer"). Also known as the "Emperor of Terran" or simply "The Emperor", it is said that "Every fan of Starcraft is a fan of Lim Yo Hwan." Arguably the most prominent Starcraft progamer, and widely considered the best player ever, Boxer has invented and popularized many of the tricks that modern players use today. Boxer is considered to be the player that brought competitive Starcraft to prominence. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play with his own team.
** Lee Yun-Yeol ("[=NaDa=]"). While Boxer was the Emperor, [=NaDa=] was the Genius. Winning the most amount of gold medals to this day, his success is greater than Boxer's though he remains quite a bit less popular. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play, under compLexity; now retired.
** Choi Yun-Sung ("Iloveoov"). Boxer's Protege, he came out onto the scene destroying everyone with a massive army of units. Nicknamed the cheater terran for being able to produce so many units, he dominated the scene for quite some time.

** Lee Young-Ho ("Flash"). Considered to be the "Final Bonjwa" of Starcraft I, winning both the MSL and OSL in the same season, as well as leading his team, KT, over their perennial rivals SKT in the team league finals. He also holds, with Nada, the record for the most OSL and MSL victories (3 of each.) and the overall highest ELO ever, 2443, as well as the longest winstreak for any player. In 2010, Flash was especially dominant, winning 2 [=OSLs=], 2 [=MSLs=], and the team league, while maintaining an 80%+ winrate, and defeating his rival Jaedong in the finals of 3 consecutive individual leagues.

** Lee Jae-Dong ("Jaedong"). The top Zerg player of the era, he holds the 3rd most amount of titles for any modern player, behind Nada and Flash.
** Kim Taek-Yong ("Bisu"). The revolutionist who reversed the Zerg>Protoss imbalance for a short while, ending Savior's bonjwa run in the process.

*** Boxer (Of course! Still a competitor, though a fairly mid-tier player, and is the primary coach of the team and talent finder).

*** Alicia (Actually a male protoss player)

** [=IdrA=] (team Evil Geniuses). An American Zerg player with excellent macro and a strong late-game style (the exact opposite of what Zerg are supposed to be good at, which tells you how good ''he'' is), [=IdrA=]'s play tends to be overshadowed by his {{Rage Quit}}s and general poor etiquette.

** '''HuskyStarcraft''' is a shoutcaster who does commentary at live tournaments and of user-submitted matches on his YouTube channel, which has more subscribers than any other ''StarCraftII''-oriented channel. While he quite clearly loves ''StarCraft'', he claims that his play is not the best, and one funny series of videos on his channel highlights a best-of-3 match between him and professional player Spanishiwa, which Husky lost, despite piling handicaps on his opponent.

*** CoCa

*** Genius (Former, teamless as of June 2012)

*** [=TaeJa=] (Former, now Liquid)

*** Mvp (Winner of ''4'' GSLs)
*** [=NesTea=] (Winner of the other 3 GSLs and the "Nestea" award for [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XutGG7cuWpE 10 consecutive seasons]] in Code S!)

*** Jinro (Two-time Code-S semifinalist, ''still'' holds the title as "historically best-performing foreigner" with not just one, but two semifinal appearances)

*** Sheth (People still can't decide if he or WhiteRa is nicer)

*** [=TaeJa=] (Former Slayers)

** HuskyStarcraft is a shoutcaster who does commentary at live tournaments and of user-submitted matches on his YouTube channel, which has more subscribers than any other ''StarCraftII''-oriented channel. While he quite clearly loves ''StarCraft'', he claims that his play is not the best, and one funny series of videos on his channel highlights a best-of-3 match between him and professional player Spanishiwa, which Husky lost, despite piling handicaps on his opponent.
** DayNine is a commentator and educator. In addition to casting at competitions, he runs a web-TV show, the "Day[9] Daily, [[CatchPhrase where we learn to be a better gamer]]," in which he evaluates current play and highlights new trends in the ''StarCraftII'' metagame. He is the younger brother of "Tasteless," a commentator who now lives in Korea, and played competitively during the ''Brood War'' days; he has three "[[SockPuppet smurf]]" accounts which are all in the Grandmaster league.

*** Eve (First female SC2 pro-gamer)

*** ForGG (Moved to Millennium)

*** Gerrard (Coach)

*** Polt (Former, now TSL)

*** Heart (Former, now [=compLexity=])

*** Killer (Former, now [=compLexity=])

*** Rain (Former, now Fnatic)
*** [=TricksteR=] (Former, now [=StarTale=])

*** [=sC=]
*** [=TAiLS=]

*** Seal
*** Tassadar

*** [=FruitDealer=] (Former, now ''LeagueOfLegends'' coach)

** [=ZeNEX=]: Created by a merger of the clans Zenith and [=NEX=], [=ZeNEX=] is a team that started out strong but fell far due to money issues: a [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=308715 desperate lack of sponsorship]] until just recently was responsible for a gradual exodus of the team's most skilled players. A partnership with and sponsor transfer from Team Legion helped improve the situation, and [=ZeNEX=] is starting to look somewhat up once again with Life as their own world-class player.\\

*** [=SuHoSin=] (Captain)

*** Byun (Former, now Prime)

*** Mvp
*** [=NesTea=]

*** [=HerO=] (Former oGs member)

*** Zenio (Former oGs)
*** Taeja (Former Slayers)

* The Bonjwas (The undisputable best of their era):

** Prime: Once an inconsistently performing team notable primarily for losing sponsors, slumping ace players, a shrinking roster, and struggling just to keep itself afloat, Prime has transformed itself into a ruthless murder machine and one of the greatest threats in both the GSTL and the Korean ''StarcraftII'' scene as a whole in 2012. Runs an online fashion store, with Prime's own players acting as its models.\\

*** [=MarineKing=] (Three-time GSL runner-up, two-time MLG champion, and main model)

*** [=HongUn=] (Former)

*** [=BitByBit=] (Now retired)
*** Check (Now retired)

** Team SCV Life (TSL): A team splintered off of Old Generations, founded by Lee Woon-Jae, a former coach for the now-disbanded ''Brood War'' team ''[=MBCGame=] HERO'', along with [=FruitDealer=], [=TricksteR=], Clide, and Happiness. A subject of a good deal of controversy surrounding the team's structuring and its coach, TSL is just as well-known for losing top-class talent as it is for fostering it.\\

** Incredible Miracle (LG-IM): A team formed in 2010 by a band of five ex-''Brood War'' pros. Chiefly notorious for its powerhouse duo of [=NesTea=] and Mvp, who have won ''seven out of fourteen'' GSL titles between themselves as of June 2012, succeeding in an extremely competitive environment where many players struggle to even continue to qualify, let alone win a single championship. Currently partnered with SK Gaming.\\

Notable members:
*** [=LosirA=]
*** Mvp
*** [=NesTea=]
*** Fenix (A Peruvian, one of only two non-Koreans on a major Korean team)
*** [=GanZi=] (Moved to [=SlayerS=], now in [=compLexity=])

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid`): Probably the most well-known foreign team, they regularly compete in the Korean GSL tournament, with a player in every season. Partner by association of [[http://www.teamliquid.net TeamLiquid.Net]], the most popular ''StarcraftII'' community website. They're partnered with team oGs in their team house in Korea until oGs's disbandment. Like oGs, many of their players come from ''Brood War'' roots: Nazgul, the leader, team captain, and founder of both the team and the website, was one of the most successful foreigner players in the dawn of ''Brood War'', once playing a televised match against ''Boxer'' in his prime. Ret and [=NoNy=] were also two of the strongest foreigners of the "3rd generation" ''Brood War'' era.\\

** Prime: Once an inconsistently performing team notable primarily for losing sponsors, slumping ace players, a shrinking roster, and struggling just to keep itself afloat, Prime has transformed itself into a ruthless murder machine and one of the greatest threats to both the GSTL and the rest of the Korean ''StarcraftII'' scene in 2012. Runs an online fashion store, with Prime's own players acting as its models.\\

''[=StarCraft II=]'' is far more internationalized when compared to the insular, [=KeSPA-controlled=] ''Brood War'' scene, with Koreans and "foreigners" (Western players) freely competing alongside and against each other in the same teams as well as in tournaments both inside and outside Korea, although Korean players continue to firmly dominate its highest tiers.\\

** Prime: Once an inconsistently performing team notable primarily for losing sponsors, its slumping ace players, bleeding members, and struggling just to keep itself afloat, Prime has transformed itself into a ruthless murderhouse and one of the greatest threats to both the GSTL and the rest of the Korean ''StarcraftII'' scene as of 2012. Runs an online fashion store, with Prime's own players acting as its models.\\

*** Byun, a.k.a. [=GhostKing=]

** Team SCV Life (TSL): A team splintered off of Old Generations, founded by Lee Woon-Jae, a former coach for the now-disbanded ''Brood War'' team ''[=MBCGame=] HERO'', along with [=FruitDealer=], [=TricksteR=], Clide, and Happiness. A subject of a good deal of controversy surrounding the team's structuring and its coach, with TSL being just as well-known for losing top-class talent as it is for fostering it.\\

** Incredible Miracle (LG-IM): A team formed in 2010 by a band of five ex-''Brood War'' pros. Chiefly notorious for its powerhouse duo of [=NesTea=] and Mvp, who have won ''seven out of fourteen'' GSL titles between themselves as of June 2012, succeeding in an extremely competitive environment where many players struggle to even qualify, let alone win a single championship. Currently partnered with SK Gaming.\\

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid): Probably the most well-known foreign team, they regularly compete in the Korean GSL tournament, with a player in every season. Partner by association of [[http://www.teamliquid.net TeamLiquid.Net]], the most popular ''StarcraftII'' community website. They're partnered with team oGs in their team house in Korea until oGs's disbandment. Like oGs, many of their players come from ''Brood War'' roots: Nazgul, the leader, team captain, and founder of both the team and the website, was one of the most successful foreigner players in the dawn of ''Brood War'', once playing a televised match against ''Boxer'' in his prime. Ret and [=NoNy=] were also two of the strongest foreigners of the "3rd generation" ''Brood War'' era.\\

** [=WhiteRa=]. He is a bit of an anomaly in the ''SC2'' scene: he's not signed with any prominent team, he's married, he was [[CompetenceZone born in 1980]]. Known for "Special Tactics" (unconventional and sometimes downright-hilarious strategies), particularly his [[DropShip Warp Prism]] harrassment, for being an incredibly NiceGuy, and for being a FountainOfMemes, due to being Ukranian and having an imperfect command of English.

** Grubby. Yes, ''the'' Grubby, the ''VideoGame/{{Warcraft}} 3'' Orc legend. Like [=WhiteRa=], he is a bit of an anomaly: after leaving Evil Geniuses during his ''Warcraft'' years, he struck out as an independent player. Currently, he plays Protoss at a high level, is married, and occasionally casts events, showing his excellent game knowledge compared to more traditional casters.

** HuskyStarcraft is a shoutcaster, who does commentary at live tournaments, and of user-submitted matches on his YouTube channel. That YouTube channel has more subscribers than any other ''SC2''-oriented channel. While he quite clearly loves ''StarCraft'', he claims that his play is not the best, and one funny series of videos on his channel highlights a best-of-3 match between him and professional player Spanishiwa, which Husky lost, despite piling handicaps on his opponent.
** DayNine is a commentator and educator. In addition to casting at competitions, he runs a web-TV show, the "Day[9] Daily, [[CatchPhrase where we learn to be a better gamer]]," in which he evaluates current play and highlights new trends. He is the younger brother of "Tasteless," a commentator who now lives in Korea, and played competitively during the ''Brood War'' days; he has three "[[SockPuppet smurf]]" accounts which are all in the Grandmaster league.

Side-by-side with popular teams, several tournament circuits have emerged. These include:
* IEM (IntelExtremeMasters)
* {{Dreamhack}}
* MLG (MajorLeagueGaming)
* IPL ({{IGN ProLeague}})

The premier tournaments of the ''[=StarCraft II=]'' scene are the Korean [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/GOMTV_Global_Starcraft_II_League GOMTV Global StarCraft II League]] (GSL) and the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/GOMTV_Global_Starcraft_II_Team_League GOMTV Global StarCraft II Team League]] (GSTL), with [=KeSPA's=] [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Proleague Proleague]] gradually making the transition over from ''Brood War'' to ''[=StarCraft II=]'' and the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/OnGameNet_StarLeague OSL]] soon to follow as of June 2012. Major international events to watch out for include the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/MLG MLG]], [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/DreamHack DreamHack]], [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/Iron_Squid Iron Squid]], the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/IGN_ProLeague IPL]], and the [[http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/North_American_Star_League NASL]].

*** [=FruitDealer=] (Former, now a League of Legends coach for [=StarTale=])

With player salaries ranging between $20000 and $200000 and games routinely broadcast over three television channels, Starcraft is far and away the most glamorous form of professional gaming. The most noteworthy Starcraft tournaments are organized under the Korean E-Sports Players' Association ([=KeSPA=]) in the form of the [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=75487 OSL]] and [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=75488 MSL]] individual competitions and the [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=75489 ProLeague]] team competition.

** Lim Yo Hwan ("Boxer"). Also known as the "Emperor of Terran" or simply "The Emperor", it is said that "Every fan of Starcraft is a fan of Lim Yo Hwan." Arguably the most prominent Starcraft progamer, and widely considered the best player ever, Boxer has invented and popularized many of the tricks that modern players use today. Boxer is considered to be the player that brought competitive Starcraft to prominence. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play with his own team.
** Lee Yun Yeol ("[=NaDa=]"). While Boxer was the Emperor, [=NaDa=] was the Genius. Winning the most amount of gold medals to this day, his success is greater than Boxer's though he remains quite a bit less popular. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play, under compLexity.
** Choi Yun Sung ("Iloveoov"). Boxer's Protege, he came out onto the scene destroying everyone with a massive army of units. Nicknamed the cheater terran for being able to produce so many units, he dominated the scene for quite some time.
** Ma Jae Yoon ("sAviOr"). The Maestro dominated the universe for an entire year, and was a favourite against everyone. Winning four titles, his dominance was undisputed up until 2007. [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=125601 Was one of the players implicated in a matchfixing scandal in 2010]] that rocked the progaming scene and destroyed the reputations of many other pro-gamers, including Hwansin and [[FanNickname (Fake) Yellow]].
** Lee Young Ho ("Flash"). Considered to be the "Final Bonjwa" of Starcraft I, winning both the MSL and OSL in the same season, as well as leading his team, KT, over their perennial rivals SKT in the team league finals. He also holds, with Nada, the record for the most OSL and MSL victories (3 of each.) and the overall highest ELO ever, 2443, as well as the longest winstreak for any player. In 2010, Flash was especially dominant, winning 2 OSLs, 2 MSLs, and the team league, while maintaining an 80%+ winrate, and defeating his rival Jaedong in the finals of 3 consecutive individual leagues.

** Lee Jae Dong ("Jaedong"). The top Zerg player of the era, he holds the 3rd most amount of titles for any modern player, behind Nada and Flash.
** Kim Taek Young ("Bisu"). The revolutionist who reversed the Zerg>Protoss imbalance for a short while, ending Savior's bonjwa run in the process.

The new generation of pro-gamers, unlike the original scene, "foreigners" or Western players are making a much larger impact into Korean territory.

* Prominent teams:
** [=SlayerS=]: Remember Boxer from the preceding paragraph? This is his team. Emerging with a roar to win ''two'' Global Starcraft Team League (GSTL) titles in a row, [=SlayerS=] remains a powerful threat for other GSL teams, and were the first team to exceed oGs in GSL players. Currently partnered with EvilGeniuses.\\

** Prime: Once an inconsistently performing team notable primarily for losing sponsors, its slumping ace players, bleeding members, and struggling just to keep itself afloat, Prime has transformed itself into a ruthless murderhouse and one of the greatest threats to both the GSTL and the rest of the Korean ''StarcraftII'' scene as of 2012. Runs an online fashion store with Prime's own players acting as models.\\

** [=SlayerS=]: Remember Boxer from the preceding paragraph? This is his team. Emerging with a roar to win ''two'' Global Starcraft Team League (GSTL) titles in a row, [=SlayerS=] remains a powerful threat for other GSL teams, and were the first team to exceed oGs in GSL players. Currently partnered with EvilGeniuses. Notable members:

** Old Generations (oGs): An ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin team, several old ''{{Starcraft}} Brood War'' players who have switched to ''StarcraftII'' have created this team. Formerly one of the highest rankest teams in the world, with many top-ranked players who regularly land in Code-S or get into the top 16 of the GSL, and formerly ''the'' strongest Korean team in the beginning. Was one of the first major, established teams to disband. Notable faces (Out of over ''15'' total members, 10 of which have gotten into the top 16 of the GSL at least once):
*** [=NaDa=] (Moved to compLexity)

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid): Probably the most well-known foreign team, they regularly compete in the Korean GSL tournament, with a player in every season. Partner by association of [[http://www.teamliquid.net TeamLiquid.Net]], the most popular ''StarcraftII'' community website. They're partnered with team oGs in their team house in Korea until oGs's disbandment. Like oGs, many of their players come from ''Brood War'' roots: Nazgul, the leader, team captain, and founder of both the team and the website, was one of the most successful foreigner players in the dawn of ''Brood War'', once playing a televised match against ''Boxer'' in his prime. Ret and [=NoNy=] were also two of the strongest foreigners of the "3rd generation" ''Brood War'' era.\\

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid): Probably the most well-known foreign team, they regularly competes in the Korean GSL tournament, with a player in every season. Partner by association of [[http://www.teamliquid.net TeamLiquid.Net]], the most popular ''StarcraftII'' community website. They're partnered with team oGs in their team house in Korea until oGs's disbandment. Like oGs, many of their players come from ''Brood War'' roots: Nazgul, the leader, team captain, and founder of both the team and the website, was one of the most successful foreigner players in the dawn of ''Brood War'', once playing a televised match against ''Boxer'' in his prime. Ret and [=NoNy=] were also two of the strongest foreigners of the "3rd generation" ''Brood War'' era.\\

*** Sheth

** WhiteRa. He is a bit of an anomaly in the ''SC2'' scene: he's not signed with any prominent team, he's married, he was [[CompetenceZone born in 1980]]. Known for "Special Tactics" (unconventional and sometimes downright-hilarious strategies), particularly his [[DropShip Warp Prism]] harrassment, for being an incredibly NiceGuy, and for being a FountainOfMemes, due to being Ukranian and having an imperfect command of English.
** Stephano (team Millenium). Stephano, hailing from France, is one of the youngest ''SC2'' players, born in '93. He is one of only ten people (as of June '12) to win more than $100,000 in tournaments, and the ''only'' non-Korean on that list. He plans to be a doctor after he resigns from pro-gaming, and competes primarily for MoneyDearBoy, which leads to both NervesOfSteel and a casual, sometimes unsportsmanlike demeanor.

Some of the more popular teams with multiple branches:

*** [=TheWinD=]

Members:

*** Jinro (Two-time Code-S semifinalist, ''still'' holds the title as "historically best-performing foreigner" with not just one, but two semifinals)

*** [=HayprO=]

* The current stars:
** Lee Young Ho ("Flash"). Considered to be the top Terran player of his time, he shows a dominant performance in his games despite not winning a large amount of titles.
** Lee Jae Dong ("Jaedong"). The top Zerg player of the era, he holds the most amount of titles for any modern player.
** Kim Taek Young ("Bisu"). The revolutionist who started the current era of numerous top players.

!!!Starcraft

!!!StarcraftII

* compLexityGaming

** SlayerS: Remember Boxer from the preceding paragraph? This is his team. Emerging with a roar to win ''two'' Global Starcraft Team League (GSTL) titles in a row, SlayerS remains a powerful threat for other GSL teams, and were the first team to exceed oGs in GSL players. Currently partnered with EvilGeniuses. Notable members:

** Lim Yo Hwan ("Boxer"). Also known as the "Emperor of Terran" or simply "The Emperor", it is said that "Every fan of Starcraft is a fan of Lim Yo Hwan." Arguably the most prominent Starcraft progamer, and widely considered the best player ever, Boxer has invented and popularized many of the tricks that modern players use today. Boxer is considered to be the player that brought competitive Starcraft to prominence. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play.
** Lee Yun Yeol ("[=NaDa=]"). While Boxer was the Emperor, [=NaDa=] was the Genius. Winning the most amount of gold medals to this day, his success is greater than Boxer's though he remains quite a bit less popular. Has since moved into ''StarcraftII'' play.

** Ma Jae Yoon ("sAviOr"). The Maestro dominated the universe for an entire year, and was a favourite against everyone. Winning four titles, his dominance was undisputed up until 2007. [[http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=125601 Was one of the players implicated in a matchfixing scandal in 2010]] that rocked the progaming scene and destroyed the reputations of many other progamers, including Hwansin and [[FanNickname (Fake) Yellow]].

The new generation of progamers, unlike the original scene "foreigners" or Western players are making a much larger impact into Korean territory.

** Team Old Generations (oGs): An ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin team, several old ''{{Starcraft}} Brood War'' players who have switched to ''StarcraftII'' have created this team. One of the highest rankest teams in the world, with many top-ranked players who regularly land in Code-S or get into the top 16 of the GSL. Notable faces (Out of ''15'' total members, 10 of which have gotten into the top 16 of the GSL at least once):
*** [=NaDa=]

*** Zenio

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid): Probably the most well-known foreign (IE non-Korean) team that regularly competes in Korean events, and the eponymous pro-gaming team of the [[http://www.teamliquid.net TeamLiquid.Net]] ''StarcraftII'' community site. They've practiced with team oGs in their team house in Korea. Members:

*** Jinro

*** Tyler (aka [=NoNy=], from ''{{Starcraft}} Brood War'')

*** MC (GSL winner, 2010 & 2011)

** Team Liquid (TLAF-Liquid): Probably the most well known Western team that regularly competes in Korean events, and the eponymous pro-gaming team of the TeamLiquidNet ''StarcraftII'' community site. They've practiced with team oGs in their team house in Korea. Members:

*** NaDa

*** TheWinD

*** HerO (Former oGs member)

*** HayprO

*** Tyler (aka NoNy, from ''{{Starcraft}} Brood War'')

** Lim Yo Hwan ("Boxer"). Also known as the "Emperor of Terran" or simply "The Emperor", it is said that "Every fan of Starcraft is a fan of Lim Yo Hwan." Arguably the most prominent Starcraft progamer, and widely considered the best player ever, Boxer has invented and popularized many of the tricks that modern players use today. Boxer is considered to be the player that brought competitive Starcraft to prominence.
** Lee Yun Yeol ("[=NaDa=]"). While Boxer was the Emperor, [=NaDa=] was the Genius. Winning the most amount of gold medals to this day, his success is greater than Boxer's though he remains quite a bit less popular.

** Ma Jae Yoon ("sAviOr"). The Maestro dominated the universe for an entire year, and was a favourite against everyone. Winning four titles, his dominance was undisputed up until 2007.

<<|UsefulNotes|>>

** Lee Yun Yeol ("NaDa"). While Boxer was the Emperor, NaDa was the Genius. Winning the most amount of gold medals to this day, his success is greater than Boxer's though he remains quite a bit less popular.

** Ma Jae Yoon ("sAviOr"). The Maestro dominated the universe for an entire year, and was a favourite against everyone. Winning four titles, his dominance was undisputed up til 2007.