CosmicSpiral Profile Blog Joined December 2010 United States 10853 Posts Last Edited: 2013-11-27 00:26:22 #1 2013 WCS Golden, We Hardly Knew Ye by CosmicSpiral



Jo “ ” Myeong Hwan, a Korean journeyman best known for emigrating to the NA scene, officially retired after being knocked out of the group stage of



It was a bitter note to close out his last tournament. Golden came in as the least accomplished and venerated competitor, best known for winning Training Grounds: Santa Monica earlier in the year. That luster of that achievement was marred by the lackluster competition; it was a NA-centric event with only 2 Koreans and 1 European invited. Meanwhile Golden had only found middling results between then and Battle Grounds. Time and time again he tried and failed to qualify for WCS America; IEM Shanghai ended in disappointment, falling to Huk and Killer in groups; he tore through all NA competition at MLG Spring only to fall flat against Sound and soO. Even with three weeks of extra training it would have taken a miracle to best the likes of Parting, Bomber, and Scarlett.



His



"But seriously, it’s not an easy thing to do. But it’s definitely something worth taking one shot at. It’s better than giving up at something you want to do, just because of the way other people are going to look at you. It’s better to try and regret than not try at all."

- Golden, retirement interview

Originally, his tenure on For Our Utopia and SlayerS was peppered with high points that hinted at possible stardom. He began his career with a near team wipe of Prime in the ZOTAC Team Invitational, followed by good FXO KotH showings and a stellar 12-1 record in IPL Team Arena. But none of this served as a sustainable financial model for the one-man business known as the Korean progamer. Golden could never crack the daunting challenge of the GSL and after losing to Byun in the first season of Code A, he would not return for nine seasons. The online tournament scene in Korea was very small and never got large enough to support those who could not advance through Code B. Golden knew the competition would only get more vicious and that players of his caliber would get little more than scraps. He saw that there was more money in the foreign scene and lots of ways to get access to it. The choice seemed obvious: he left SlayerS and traveled across the ocean.



He spent over a year on LighT and Quantic Gaming before returning to StarTale. This was perhaps the most productive stretch of his year, where his skills translated into high placings. He did not win any big events but he quickly found the consistency that had been missing from his Korean career. Semifinal appearances at HomeStory Cup V and the GIGABYTE eSports Lan Invitational established him as a credible threat in the foreign scene. During that period Golden proved astute at qualifying for big events. He managed to win spots at no less than five major tournaments (HSC V, NASL 4, Iron Squid II, MLG Summer Arena and IEM Katowice) while barely missing out on TSL4. He was Quantic’s ace in the hole in the EG Master's Cup and saved them many times from the wrath of European stars like Nerchio.



Those happy times were punctuated with some bitter disappointments as well. During the 2012



While Golden never publicly leveraged his momentary victories into a personality brand, he was one of the most amiable professionals to come from Korea. Unlike many players Golden was always eager to interact with his fans on an individual basis. He delighted in back-and-forth conversations on his stream, especially when attempting to use English. According to his peers in the industry, he was funny and enthusiastic, eager to make new friends in a strange new industry. When he did get rare opportunities to have some extended time on camera, he could make even the



The life of a progamer is hard to endure. In the top-heavy structure of competitive SC2, anonymity is the norm and proper salaries are exclusive to the richest teams. Only the best of the best can carve out a reputation strong enough to survive the test of time. Fans will forever remember Parting’s braggadocio and daring execution, sOs’ innovative builds, MC chewing up scenery like William Shatner on a sugar binge. Despite all the time and sweat he invested into the game, Golden will not be part of that company. In all likelihood he will fade into obscurity once StarCraft 3 comes out in 2027. Yet in his last interview he seemed perfectly content with the way things turned out. He had finally won his big tournament and in doing so, he had accomplished everything he wanted. Golden was fortunate enough to find his moment in the game he loved to play. He leaves with no regrets.



"Whether it’s Korean fans or international fans, thanks to everyone who cheered me on. If I come back somehow, I hope we can meet in a good way. But I think it will be unlikely you see again in esports.



If I do, see you then!



Jo “ Golden ” Myeong Hwan, a Korean journeyman best known for emigrating to the NA scene, officially retired after being knocked out of the group stage of Red Bull Battle Grounds . He was 19.It was a bitter note to close out his last tournament. Golden came in as the least accomplished and venerated competitor, best known for winning Training Grounds: Santa Monica earlier in the year. That luster of that achievement was marred by the lackluster competition; it was a NA-centric event with only 2 Koreans and 1 European invited. Meanwhile Golden had only found middling results between then and Battle Grounds. Time and time again he tried and failed to qualify for WCS America; IEM Shanghai ended in disappointment, falling to Huk and Killer in groups; he tore through all NA competition at MLG Spring only to fall flat against Sound and soO. Even with three weeks of extra training it would have taken a miracle to best the likes of Parting, Bomber, and Scarlett.His unexpected announcement (to outsiders anyway) introduced the fickle element of pride into the equation. What kind of swan song would Golden choose? Eclipsed by the sheer pedigree of his opponents, could he summon the internal fortitude to pull off a monumental upset? As it turned out there would be no opportunity for a dramatic ending. Bomber and Scarlett sent him packing with a 0-4 record in mostly one-sided games.Originally, his tenure on For Our Utopia and SlayerS was peppered with high points that hinted at possible stardom. He began his career with a near team wipe of Prime in the ZOTAC Team Invitational, followed by good FXO KotH showings and a stellar 12-1 record in IPL Team Arena. But none of this served as a sustainable financial model for the one-man business known as the Korean progamer. Golden could never crack the daunting challenge of the GSL and after losing to Byun in the first season of Code A, he would not return for nine seasons. The online tournament scene in Korea was very small and never got large enough to support those who could not advance through Code B. Golden knew the competition would only get more vicious and that players of his caliber would get little more than scraps. He saw that there was more money in the foreign scene and lots of ways to get access to it. The choice seemed obvious: he left SlayerS and traveled across the ocean.He spent over a year on LighT and Quantic Gaming before returning to StarTale. This was perhaps the most productive stretch of his year, where his skills translated into high placings. He did not win any big events but he quickly found the consistency that had been missing from his Korean career. Semifinal appearances at HomeStory Cup V and the GIGABYTE eSports Lan Invitational established him as a credible threat in the foreign scene. During that period Golden proved astute at qualifying for big events. He managed to win spots at no less than five major tournaments (HSC V, NASL 4, Iron Squid II, MLG Summer Arena and IEM Katowice) while barely missing out on TSL4. He was Quantic’s ace in the hole in the EG Master's Cup and saved them many times from the wrath of European stars like Nerchio.Those happy times were punctuated with some bitter disappointments as well. During the 2012 IEM World Championship group stage he posted one of the most deceiving 1 - 4 records ever, barely missing out on advancement. Most of the time, he earned his way into a major tournament just to get eliminated in the Ro16-Ro32 by another Korean. His hard work rarely resulted in more air time or community recognition. In the public consciousness he was a lesser version of Alive, doomed to be overshadowed by more popular Koreans who had also went to the NA scene for better prospects.While Golden never publicly leveraged his momentary victories into a personality brand, he was one of the most amiable professionals to come from Korea. Unlike many players Golden was always eager to interact with his fans on an individual basis. He delighted in back-and-forth conversations on his stream, especially when attempting to use English. According to his peers in the industry, he was funny and enthusiastic, eager to make new friends in a strange new industry. When he did get rare opportunities to have some extended time on camera, he could make even the oldest veterans of the esports scene break out in laughter. Sadly, Golden’s animated character is not well-documented not due to his infrequent bursts of success.The life of a progamer is hard to endure. In the top-heavy structure of competitive SC2, anonymity is the norm and proper salaries are exclusive to the richest teams. Only the best of the best can carve out a reputation strong enough to survive the test of time. Fans will forever remember Parting’s braggadocio and daring execution, sOs’ innovative builds, MC chewing up scenery like William Shatner on a sugar binge. Despite all the time and sweat he invested into the game, Golden will not be part of that company. In all likelihood he will fade into obscurity once StarCraft 3 comes out in 2027. Yet in his last interview he seemed perfectly content with the way things turned out. He had finally won his big tournament and in doing so, he had accomplished everything he wanted. Golden was fortunate enough to find his moment in the game he loved to play. He leaves with no regrets. Writer Wovon man nicht sprechen kann, darüber muß man schweigen.