At the close of this year’s Blizzcon, the last StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm tournament was to be a battle between era-defining superstars. For those who follow StarCraft, the final was on the level of a Barcelona vs. Manchester United cup final or an Ali-Frazier duel, where the cold math and ironclad rules of the game gave way to a contest of wills and personality.
Last year's Blizzcon champion—Lee "Life" Seung Hyun—once again managed an unlikely tournament run to make it to the final of the year-long championship, reminding people why he is perhaps the most "clutch" player in StarCraft. He's not necessarily the best player, nor the most strategically insightful or creative—and he's rarely a dominant force in the sport. Other players often spend an entire year owning the competitive circuit with brilliant, innovative play.
But if Life can make it into the bracket stage of a major tournament, when the pressure is at its highest and the crowds are at their largest, clearly his skills are greater than the sum of their parts. With a mixture of daring and unnerving insight into his opponents, Life is a force to be reckoned with in tournaments. This year, he had the chance to become the first back-to-back winner in WCS history, a staggering feat given how long a year is in a StarCraft career.
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