StarCraft 2
Game Background
The original StarCraft was one that many players sank their childhood hours into, mining minerals and gas. The narrators of the game are so iconic that there are entire series and videos based on them, as they appeal to the player’s sense of nostalgia.
StarCraft 2 is the game that is played competitively around the world and it was released in 2010. The makers of the game, Blizzard, also created other popular games like Warcraft – which then spawned DotA.
The game itself is what’s known as a real time strategy game or RTS, which puts players in control of their own armies. They are divided into three factions, the Zerg, the Terrans and the Protoss, which have distinctly different features. The Zerg are organic aliens, whereas the Protoss are mechanical workers and either of these appeal to certain players. The Terrans are the closest to humans and they resemble marines, just with a Sci Fi twist.
This game is played competitively on a global scale but the top teams and most successful champions come from South Korea. Their initial reception to the game led it to explode into this culture in a huge way, and there are few gamers in the country that don’t use this game. Of course, this means that the competition is fiercer and the matches are more exciting.
Aim of the Game
As with most RTS games, the end goal is to muster up enough strength to kill the enemy. The three races have strengths and weaknesses that can make them more successful in certain situations. This leads to the game sometimes being known as a rock, paper, scissors scenario in which the player is fighting against the odds.
StarCraft 2 is most often played recreationally on a 1v1 scale but in professional competition this can change into team v team. The basic rules remain the same; collect and build, just with more players in the equation. There are solo and team based events, particularly in South Korea, and there are a wealth of possible tournaments to bet upon.
The game is won when one faction defeats another, by wiping out all of their troops on the map. Although there are three available factions there can be only two in play at one time. They must command and conquer with their troops to create rigid defences while maintaining their offensive tactics. The wrong mix of these two elements can be deadly for the team and they can easily find themselves outmatched. Because the player can’t see enemy troops on the map the initial period of the game is usually spent shoring up defences before beginning to explore.
Console Availability
StarCraft 2 can only be played on PC and Mac, because of the intensive graphics and game engine.
League Information
Blizzard sponsors the largest StarCraft 2 league, which is known as the Global Starcraft 2 League. This has expanded in recent years to cover more territories, with a larger number of rounds and heats. This gives more players the chance to qualify for the games and more chances to win their way to the final. As of 2016 the prize pool sat at over $2million for the players who make it furthest in the games.
This is a 1v1 event, so there are no teams within the competition, and every player is welcome to compete. Because of the vast pools of players of this game the competition takes months, with seasonal phases around the year.
The tournament has two distinct levels, one which takes place offline in Korea and another online that invites players from around the world. Eight players earn a place in the latter competition, after months of heats and online rounds.
To encourage more gameplay from countries other than South Korea, Blizzard also sponsor smaller tournaments in other countries. While these are popular they are not always televised or available to bet on.
There are other tournaments not sponsored by Blizzard, which are still renowned in the professional gameplay world. DreamHack is a European based version of competition, which takes place each year in Austria. Eight players from six regions qualify in this competition to fly to Leipzig and attempt to take the title.
How to Bet
Betting on StarCraft 2 is simple, as there are no side bets, it’s just a case of picking the winner of a heat or the outright winner. Spectators can also bet on the nationality that they think the winner will be, but this is done very early on in the global tournaments.
