![]() ![]() Those almost-triumphs had haunted him for a while, but the immediate lead-up to IEM Katowice 2023 was especially discouraging. Similarly, he pushed Serral at the peak of his powers to an unthinkable game five, but that ultimately ended in a loss. His 3-2 victory over Maru in the group stages of BlizzCon 2019 seemed like it could be a watershed moment-instead, Maru took a 3-0 sweep in the rematch, and Oliveira never showed that level of play in a world championship event. Yet, every now and then he'd tantalize fans with a glimpse of what he was capable of. But unlike his peers, he never fully realized his potential, topping out as a regional powerhouse who couldn't make a serious impact in the biggest international events. His background was similar to Europe's next generation trio of Serral, Clem, and Reynor, where he received attention from a young age due to his tremendous talent. Prior to Katowice 2023, Oliveira (playing under the ID "TIME") had been a tricky player to rate. But, more than anything, it will forever go down in the history books as the moment when Oliveira brashly disproved everything we thought we knew about professional StarCraft II and announced himself as the best player in the world. The 2023 IEM World Championship was going to be remembered for many reasons-Spirit's brawl with Cure, Creator's recall into despair, and Serral's IdrA moment all come readily to mind. In the present era of StarCraft II, the players who return home with the trophy are almost invariably highly decorated veterans who have long been recognized as being a cut above the rest.Īt least that was the case until this year, when something very different happened. We simply do not get new champions all that often, especially at events like the IEM World Championship. ![]() Their ascents were an organic part of their growth as players. Fans sometimes labeled Clem and Reynor prodigious newcomers, but they had actually been playing StarCraft II for nearly half their lives. Yes, veterans like Creator and Cure can have late-career renaissances, but they've been around since the nascent days of StarCraft II. Since the last KeSPA draft in 2013, the influx of championship caliber pros has slowed to a trickle. It has long been used to describe Brood War, and it has also been applicable to StarCraft II for quite some time. It's used to describe old games where the best of the best have been playing for so long that it is virtually impossible for anyone to rise through the ranks and actually win a tournament. There's a term in Korean gaming called Go-in mul (고인물), which roughly translates to stagnant water. A Tidal Wave in Still Water - Oliveira at IEM Katowice 2023 by: Mizenhauer ![]()
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