Catch Up With SC2 - A WCS Circuit Recap

August 17 2016



With the conclusion of WCS Summer Circuit Championship, the WCS picture is all but complete. Only the last few spots for BlizzCon remain within reach, and everyone is scrambling for points. While the three Circuit Champions, Polt, ShoWTimE and TRUE have booked their tickets, the five remaining spots are theoretically still up for grabs.

Currently, the only known WCS tournament remaining is WCS Copa Intercontinental, to be held in Mexico City from September 10th to 11th. The 4,100 WCS points on the line could be enough for some players to make the year-end spectacle, but prospects aren't too bright for our other Liquid players not named Snute. While the Norse God is mathematically qualified given what we know right now, MaNa, TLO, and Bunny are still playing catch-up.

8th Place Cut Off - Currently at 2610 WCS pts


Snute - 3405 WCS points
Best WCS Result: 2nd Place, WCS Winter ($15,000, 1400 pts)
Best Tournament: 1st Place, NEO Star League 2016 International ($22,500, no WCS points)
Points Necessary: -795 - Snute is basically locked in, unless we see a couple more tournaments out of nowhere. With his 2nd place in WCS Winter and a slew of top finishes in other tournaments, it's been another good year for Snute despite some weak moments. With his Korean Protoss Champion killing reputation, he might just make heads turn—or roll—at the main event.





MaNa - 660 WCS points
Best WCS Result: 9th - 16th Place, WCS Winter and WCS Summer ($4,000, 300 pts)
Best Tournament: 2nd Place, Ting Open ($1,400, no WCS points)
Points Necessary: 1950 - MaNa's had an easy time advancing from the first round of brackets, but the second round—as well as his PvP—has become something of a roadblock for him. He fell to HuK and Welmu in the Ro16 of both his WCS Circuit Championship events, which is tough to see after such a strong end to 2015.


TLO - 615 WCS points
Best WCS Result: 5th - 8th Place, DreamHack Leipzig and Valencia ($2,000, 300 pts)
Best Tournament: same
Points Necessary: 1995 - If only TLO had switched up those DH events, he'd have twice the WCS points and a closer shot at qualification. He narrowly missed out against eventual champion PtitDrogo at Leipzig, while SortOf got the best of him at Valencia. TLO's lack of luck at WCS Circuit Championship qualifiers is quite unfortunate, but the beard has shown that he can still tangle with Europe's best.


Bunny - 330 WCS points
Best WCS Result: 9th - 16th Place, WCS Sprint ($4,000, 300 pts)
Best Tournament: 1st Place, Copenhagen Games Spring 2016 ($600, no WCS pts)
Points Necessary: 2280 - Bunny has been somewhat absent from the WCS landscape, having only received points for one WCS Circuit Championship this year. He did make an appearance at DH in Valencia, but a cruel team kill with Snute meant only one Liquid man could advance to the next round. It's been a quiet year for the great Dane, but all it takes is one good tournament to get back on track.

Even with a win at Copa, it appears to be an unlikely climb for MaNa, TLO and Bunny. However, with 2.5 months still remaining between now and BlizzCon, we could still see a surprise tournament announced that may make up the difference. Hope seems slim, but anything's possible.

Our players will be competing in the European Qualifiers for WCS Copa Intercontinental starting today at 1600 CEST. All of Europe's elite will be in attendance, so don't forget to cheer on your favorite players as they seek a trip to Mexico City a share of the $50,000 prize pool.


Writer // lichter
Graphics: // Ryan Lewart
Editor: // lichter