Busy week for amateur and professional Starcraft Remastered players

Starcraft BroodWar fans are having a lot of fun since the Remastered version came along. In August and September, there are several tournaments for both amateur and professional players, with decent prize pools. The StarLadder Pro Series started on August 11 and two weeks later it is about to enter the fourth stage. The quarterfinals are scheduled to start at the beginning of September, yet 16 players are still fighting for a place in the elimination bracket.

StarCraft: Remastered Pro Series is a Springboard for Amateurs

What makes this competition organized by StarLadder special is that it provides amateur players with the chance to prove their skill. To advance to the playoffs, one has to win three matches, while those who were defeated on three occasions were automatically eliminated. During the main stage of the tournament, the matches were played in a best-of-five series. At the end of the first three rounds the playing field was surprisingly balanced, with 5 Terrans, 5 Protoss and 6 Zergs.

Before playing in the quarterfinals, they are scheduled to go through Rounds 4 and 5. An interesting detail about the StarLadder Pro Series is that no series in the first three rounds required a decisive match. The most games played were four and the winner advanced by 3:1, while many clean sweeps were recorded. The prizes pale in comparison to what major tournaments have to offer, as the guaranteed prize pool consists of only $1500.

Favorites Reach the 2018 KSL Season 1 Semifinals

At the opposite end of the spectrum, the best players in the world compete in the 2018 Korea StarCraft Remastered League. At the end of the group stage, four Protoss players made the quarterfinals but only one is still standing. Rain has swept BeSt and will meet the best Zerg player left in the competition. Jaedong staged an incredible comeback against Snow and eventually defeated the Protoss player after losing the first two matches.

In the other quarterfinals, Last was on the verge of finding himself on the wrong end of another impressive comeback. Horang2 leveled the score after dropping back-to-back games but lost steam in the decisive match. Last prepares for a difficult match against a Zerg player who just dispatched a fellow Terran in four matches. Soulkey and Last will meet on August 31, one day after the other finalists will be decided. The Grand Final is scheduled for September 8 and it will be broadcasted live.

All the playoffs matches are streamed and Tasteless and Artosis provide the English coverage. The tournament has a guaranteed prize pool of ₩80,000,000 and half of the amount will be awarded to the top two players. The winner will walk away with the equivalent of $27,000, while the runner-up will collect a bit over $9000. There’s a big difference between the prizes offered to the winner of the 2018 Korea StarCraft Remastered League and the one who prevails in the StarLadder Pro Series. However, both tournaments have gained a lot of traction and brought StarCraft BroodWar back into the spotlight.

This article has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

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