GTR Profile Blog Joined September 2004 48897 Posts Last Edited: 2012-09-28 17:23:18 #1 NB: This is just speculation from myself. The following is simply my thoughts on the looming situation that may occur.







With the recent announcement of an affiliate of the Woongjin group (owners of Woongjin Stars)



Woongjin Stars was formed in 2001 as Hanbit Stars, operated by Korean Starcraft publisher Hanbitsoft. Fostering talents such as Reach, HOT-Forever, Sync, Junwi, Control and Kingdom, they won the 1st round of the 2004 SKY Proleague, upsetting the heavily favoured SK Telecom T1 in front of a crowd of 100,000 people at Gwangahli beach in Busan. In September 2008 after the collapse of Hanbitsoft,



In normal circumstances, KeSPA would normally entertain offers from other companies in a bid for the team to continue operating under a new owner, but with failed efforts in finding new owners for both eSTRO (disbanded 2010) and the current Team 8, the most likely course of action would be a full disbandment of the team.



This would make the upcoming Proleague season - the first full Starcraft II season - look bleak, with Air Force ACE already announcing they would



You can read more about the impending collapse of the Woongjin group here and here. With the recent announcement of an affiliate of the Woongjin group (owners of Woongjin Stars) declaring bankruptcy , rumours have circulated amongst the Korean community that in order to keep the company afloat, they will have to cut their support of their progaming team, Woongjin Stars.Woongjin Stars was formed in 2001 as Hanbit Stars, operated by Korean Starcraft publisher Hanbitsoft. Fostering talents such as Reach, HOT-Forever, Sync, Junwi, Control and Kingdom, they won the 1st round of the 2004 SKY Proleague, upsetting the heavily favoured SK Telecom T1 in front of a crowd of 100,000 people at Gwangahli beach in Busan. In September 2008 after the collapse of Hanbitsoft, Woongjin was announced by KeSPA to become the new owners of the team. Woongjin would continue to create talented players such as Free, Soulkey and ZerO, but have not yet since reached a Proleague final since Woongjin took over.In normal circumstances, KeSPA would normally entertain offers from other companies in a bid for the team to continue operating under a new owner, but with failed efforts in finding new owners for both eSTRO (disbanded 2010) and the current Team 8, the most likely course of action would be a full disbandment of the team.This would make the upcoming Proleague season - the first full Starcraft II season - look bleak, with Air Force ACE already announcing they would disband once their last member is discharged from the military. Unless new members join the KeSPA committee or a new owner is found for the Stars team, we will most likely see a 6-team Proleague with KT, SKT, STX, CJ, Samsung and the KeSPA-ran Team 8. Commentator Twitter: @GTR1H

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McFeser Profile Joined July 2011 United States 2458 Posts #2 That's horrible. If they did disband would that mean for the next Proleague they would have to let GSTL teams participate (They'd have 7 teams and I'm unaware of a format that could make that work). Promethelax still hasn't changed his quote

Zzoram Profile Joined February 2008 Canada 7070 Posts Last Edited: 2012-09-28 16:45:48 #3



They need to make a deal with GOM to have GSTL and Proleague have all the teams together. This is not goodThey need to make a deal with GOM to have GSTL and Proleague have all the teams together.

Xtreme94 Profile Joined June 2011 Malaysia 276 Posts #4 Wow this is such a huge news...

Lemonayd Profile Blog Joined November 2010 United States 718 Posts #5 Pardon my ignorance, but I thought KeSPA owned the teams, but each team had their sponsors which in this case would be where they got their name?

Black[CAT] Profile Blog Joined July 2010 Malaysia 2569 Posts #6 Not even Team 8 got a sponsorship, so looks like Team 8 gonna disband soon as well. You mean ESPORTS isnt a synonym for SC2? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ -Proud owner of a Filco Majestouch 2 with Cherry Blue Switches- BW or SC2? Why not both?

red4ce Profile Blog Joined January 2011 United States 7302 Posts #7 Wow. Didn't even know Woongjin went bankrupt. Surprised Stars even lasted this long with their company in such dire straights. I feel bad for the Stars fans but all the relevant players will be picked up by somebody I'm sure.

Dodgin Profile Blog Joined July 2011 Canada 38851 Posts #8 Let this not be true, please : (

skyflyfish Profile Joined January 2012 Canada 498 Posts #9 you want more team? invite ESF, as1

CosmicSpiral Profile Blog Joined December 2010 United States 10853 Posts #10 Oh no, this is terrible. Writer Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen.

Talionis Profile Joined November 2010 Scotland 4000 Posts #11 Someone save them

FlukyS Profile Blog Joined August 2011 Ireland 481 Posts Last Edited: 2012-09-28 16:50:25 #12 Well now looks like a good time to allow GOM teams play in pro league although the league would be too big then. So id say having a play off or something to get in would do.

renaissanceMAN Profile Joined March 2011 United States 1707 Posts #13 nooooo



MVP quick give all your winnings to your former team On August 15 2013 03:43 Waxangel wrote: no amount of money can replace the enjoyment of being mean to people on the internet

zefreak Profile Blog Joined December 2011 United States 2730 Posts #14 This is horrible news www.gosu-sc.com - Starcraft News, Strategy and Merchandise

StarStruck Profile Joined April 2010 24097 Posts #15 On September 29 2012 01:48 skyflyfish wrote:

you want more team? invite ESF,



Things don't work that way.



I heard about the bankruptcy and figured they would start cutting things like this.



Here we go. Things don't work that way.I heard about the bankruptcy and figured they would start cutting things like this.Here we go.

HaXXspetten Profile Blog Joined October 2009 Sweden 15716 Posts Last Edited: 2012-09-28 16:51:39 #16 WAT no way T.T



well there is still hope... the Stars just have to align first

ZeromuS Profile Blog Joined October 2010 Canada 12923 Posts #17 Well, there goes that whole exclusivity contract deal. If they keep the kespa exclusivity contracts it might blow up in their face should a bunch of teams lose sponsorship.



This to me seems to be the one major downfall of Kespa teams. They appear to have one major primary sponsor, and without that sponsor they will fall apart. Great for the telecom teams, their sponsors crashing would mean a LOT more to worry about than the loss of a pro team.



However, the other teams like team8 and woongjin, they can't last without sponsors.



The SC2 revolution is gonna be crazy in Korea. With established SC2 teams not all having huge results or sponsorships, and some of the BW turn SC2 teams seemingly floundering as a continuation of the sponsorship issues for BW, we will see a bunch of teams paring down and consolidating soon. Strategy Overwatch is awesome | Support is the best role | @TL_ZeromuS | www.twitch.tv/Zeromus_

L_Master Profile Blog Joined April 2009 United States 7831 Posts #18



That would be shitty news indeed. That would be shitty news indeed. EffOrt and Soulkey Hwaiting!

Zenbrez Profile Joined June 2012 Canada 5957 Posts #19 Damn.. hope Team 8 doesn't face a similar fate. Refer to my post.

smileface Profile Joined September 2011 76 Posts #20 fate is playing into eSF and GOM's hands, it seems...



KESPA power is eroding quickly and eSF is playing hardball.

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