Introducing the Korea StarCraft League

Get ready to raise your APM! This summer, StarCraft fans everywhere can expect a substantial game update for StarCraft: Remastered, while fans in Korea can get excited about the introduction of Korea StarCraft League (KSL), an official Blizzard-operated StarCraft league based in Seoul, Korea.

Introducing Korea StarCraft League

Korea StarCraft League will become Blizzard’s flagship esports tournament for the beloved real-time strategy game, which has been viewed by millions around the world across nearly two decades and considered by many to represent the pinnacle of esports competition.

Korea StarCraft League will begin with registrations opening today and online qualifiers starting June 28. Korea StarCraft League will consist of two separate seasons in 2018, with a total prize pool of KRW 160 million (around $150,000 USD).

Anyone who wishes to compete in the tournament is welcome to register, but competitors must be present in Seoul for the offline qualifiers on July 1 to advance further in the tournament. The top 16 players to emerge from the offline qualifiers will advance to the main rounds to compete for the championship.

Starting with the round of 16, all KSL matches will be broadcast live in front of spectators. Details about the venue will be revealed at a later day. All Korean StarCraft League matches will be streamed exclusively on Blizzard Entertainment’s Twitch channels in both Korean and English.

New Ranking System and More Coming with Patch 1.22.0

The world’s most competitive 1v1 game demands an equally rigorous ranking system, so Blizzard Entertainment is proud to unveil details on Patch 1.22.0—the largest content update yet for StarCraft: Remastered. On top of a revamped ranking system, Patch 1.22.0 will introduce the Seasons tab, where players can view detailed stats about their competitive performance, and an upgraded Collections tab where they can access all the cosmetics they’ve acquired.

Players familiar with StarCraft II will feel right at home climbing the new ladder. After completing five matches as unranked competitors, players are assigned a rank and will progress on the ladder based on their wins and losses. Player ratings are tracked after each match, and competitors earn new portrait borders for each rank they achieve. StarCraft is a game of consequences, so competitors should give it their all—demotion is possible, regardless of the highest rank achieved. More information about Patch 1.22.0 is available here.

Stay tuned for more info on both the StarCraft: Remastered 1.22.0 patch and the Korea StarCraft League.