The Axiom Legacy Text by stuchiu Graphics by shiroiusagi



Yesterday,



I have never met nor talked to any of the Axiom team or its members (barring the rare trading of jokes with TB in Live Report threads), so my perspective is that of an outside observer. But I have been blessed with the perspective of someone that had watched the team from its initial creation to its eventual disbandment. To me Axiom’s identity was about struggle and redemption, about love for the game and its players. The inception of the team mirrors this:



“It was just over 3 years ago in September 2012 that a solitary Reddit post about a teamless Korean player named CranK became the catalyst for Genna's idea” - TB on the creation of Axiom







The team was never created with profit in mind. From that standpoint, it was arguably one of the worst times to make a team in SC2’s history. BL/infestor was slowly coming over the horizon and there was an oversaturation of tournaments, players and teams that seemed about ready to burst at any time. The rise of other esports seemed poised to overwhelm the space and steal away the demographic. Yet none of that mattered. This was a team with genuine heart that cared more about their players than staying in the black.







In private I often jokingly called Axiom, “TB/Genna’s Home of Wayward Children.” as they would often pick up players who seemed bound to be squeezed out of the scene. Just look at the players they ended up recruiting: Alicia, Crank, Ryung, Miya, Impact, Heart. Impact was a B-teamer on Woongjin Stars. While Woongjin would make it to the finals of the first Proleague, 7 of its 12 players ended up retiring. Without Axiom, Impact could have well been the 8th. Heart was unjustly maligned in the foreigner scene for years off the basis of consistently eliminating Huk and other fan-favorite Protoss players with the 1-1-1. Jessica tried her hardest to slander and kick out Alicia, Crank, Ryung and Miya from SC2 altogether. Perhaps TB and Genna felt sympathy for these players. After all, the two had spent years fighting to get TB back into the United States and reunite. And here were a bunch of wayward SC2 players, players with the skill and ambition to play but rapidly losing opportunities to showcase those qualities.



The story of Axiom and its players was always one of turning over expectations. In many ways the career of the team’s players mirrors TB’s own entry into the SC2 scene. At the beginning, TB was met with wary hostility as he was considered an opportunist who looked to be cashing in on SC2’s sudden rise in popularity. Eventually that attitude died after the abundance of work, money and passion TB has put into the scene over the years in SC2. Ryung spent years overshadowed by his SlayerS teammates before coming out and nearly reaching a GSL final in the heyday of BL/infestor. Crank made a career for himself in esports after his military service, something which only a handful of Korean players could ever say. Heart overturned his villainous reputation to become one of the most exciting TvZ players in WCS 2014; with a bit more bracket luck, he could've won either WCS S2 or S3. Alicia was considered irrelevant by the end of 2012 but recovered and became a strong force throughout WCS 2013/2014. Impact nearly won Dreamhack and fulfilled his promise of defeating Jaedong in an official match. The only exception to this rule was Miya, a player who had spent years practicing more than 8 hours a day but could never perform on the stage. Despite his lack of results, his dedication and hard work was admired and respected. For Axiom, this all culminated in one final triumph as they teamed up with Acer to claim the final GSTL title of SC2.







Not all fairy tales have a happy ending, and doubly so in this game. The changes in WCS, the dissolution of GSTL, the top-heavy prize purse of GSL/SSL, the retirement of free agents and the decline of premier tournaments across the board (this year had less than half the amount of weekend tournaments compared to last year) meant that Axiom as a team had less exposure than ever. It speaks to the tenacity of the team that they kept going where so many other teams had already folded or moved on to other games.



Axiom won't make it onto the list of the Greatest Teams of SC2. But if you asked me which SC2 team most exemplified the SC2 community, they would be on the shortlist. Axiom’s existence as a team was singular. It was unique in its approach to its players and its philosophy on esports. It was a team with incredible heart made all the more poignant by the constant struggles they faced together. They were a team that put passion before profits. A team that understood that life can be just as much about the journey as it is about the destination.



Farewell, Axiom, Good luck in your future endeavors. All of our hearts go out to you and your players.







Yesterday, Totalbiscuit announced the disbandment of his SC2 team Axiom . In the announcement he gave a heartfelt post about his experiences of the team, its collective failures, triumphs, struggles, and ultimate legacy.I have never met nor talked to any of the Axiom team or its members (barring the rare trading of jokes with TB in Live Report threads), so my perspective is that of an outside observer. But I have been blessed with the perspective of someone that had watched the team from its initial creation to its eventual disbandment. To me Axiom’s identity was about struggle and redemption, about love for the game and its players. The inception of the team mirrors this:- TB on the creation of AxiomThe team was never created with profit in mind. From that standpoint, it was arguably one of the worst times to make a team in SC2’s history. BL/infestor was slowly coming over the horizon and there was an oversaturation of tournaments, players and teams that seemed about ready to burst at any time. The rise of other esports seemed poised to overwhelm the space and steal away the demographic. Yet none of that mattered. This was a team with genuine heart that cared more about their players than staying in the black.In private I often jokingly called Axiom, “TB/Genna’s Home of Wayward Children.” as they would often pick up players who seemed bound to be squeezed out of the scene. Just look at the players they ended up recruiting: Alicia, Crank, Ryung, Miya, Impact, Heart. Impact was a B-teamer on Woongjin Stars. While Woongjin would make it to the finals of the first Proleague, 7 of its 12 players ended up retiring. Without Axiom, Impact could have well been the 8th. Heart was unjustly maligned in the foreigner scene for years off the basis of consistently eliminating Huk and other fan-favorite Protoss players with the 1-1-1. Jessica tried her hardest to slander and kick out Alicia, Crank, Ryung and Miya from SC2 altogether. Perhaps TB and Genna felt sympathy for these players. After all, the two had spent years fighting to get TB back into the United States and reunite. And here were a bunch of wayward SC2 players, players with the skill and ambition to play but rapidly losing opportunities to showcase those qualities.The story of Axiom and its players was always one of turning over expectations. In many ways the career of the team’s players mirrors TB’s own entry into the SC2 scene. At the beginning, TB was met with wary hostility as he was considered an opportunist who looked to be cashing in on SC2’s sudden rise in popularity. Eventually that attitude died after the abundance of work, money and passion TB has put into the scene over the years in SC2. Ryung spent years overshadowed by his SlayerS teammates before coming out and nearly reaching a GSL final in the heyday of BL/infestor. Crank made a career for himself in esports after his military service, something which only a handful of Korean players could ever say. Heart overturned his villainous reputation to become one of the most exciting TvZ players in WCS 2014; with a bit more bracket luck, he could've won either WCS S2 or S3. Alicia was considered irrelevant by the end of 2012 but recovered and became a strong force throughout WCS 2013/2014. Impact nearly won Dreamhack and fulfilled his promise of defeating Jaedong in an official match. The only exception to this rule was Miya, a player who had spent years practicing more than 8 hours a day but could never perform on the stage. Despite his lack of results, his dedication and hard work was admired and respected. For Axiom, this all culminated in one final triumph as they teamed up with Acer to claim the final GSTL title of SC2.Not all fairy tales have a happy ending, and doubly so in this game. The changes in WCS, the dissolution of GSTL, the top-heavy prize purse of GSL/SSL, the retirement of free agents and the decline of premier tournaments across the board (this year had less than half the amount of weekend tournaments compared to last year) meant that Axiom as a team had less exposure than ever. It speaks to the tenacity of the team that they kept going where so many other teams had already folded or moved on to other games.Axiom won't make it onto the list of the Greatest Teams of SC2. But if you asked me which SC2 team most exemplified the SC2 community, they would be on the shortlist. Axiom’s existence as a team was singular. It was unique in its approach to its players and its philosophy on esports. It was a team with incredible heart made all the more poignant by the constant struggles they faced together. They were a team that put passion before profits. A team that understood that life can be just as much about the journey as it is about the destination.Farewell, Axiom, Good luck in your future endeavors. All of our hearts go out to you and your players. Moderator