2016 is in full swing, and with it comes the return of the StarCraft II World Championship Series Global Finals at BlizzCon. There, the world’s best players will take the stage to battle for the title of WCS Global Champion and the $200,000 first place prize that comes with it.
Last year, in front of a global audience reaching into the millions, Kim “sOs” Yoo Jin became the first ever repeat StarCraft II WCS Global Champion, etching his name onto the Gosu Trophy for a second time. This year, a new champion will be crowned, and the journey to find them has only just begun.
Across the globe, players have started to battle for a chance to compete at this final event, and the first of 16 seats at the prestigious Global Playoffs has already been awarded to the victor of the WCS Winter Championship: Polt.
In the coming months, six more slots will be awarded to players who secure major tournament victories, while the remaining nine invites will be granted to those players who accrue the most WCS Points in their system.
Players can accrue points for performing well in any official WCS Tournament. These tournaments include the Global StarCraft League (GSL), the StarCraft II StarLeague (SSL), and all events in the WCS Circuit. The four players who earn the most points from the GSL and SSL will be granted a seat at the Global Playoffs, while the top five point earners in the WCS Circuit will be invited as well. Points for each system are constantly tracked and can be viewed at any point in the WCS Standings.
The Global Playoffs are a more forgiving round of 16 this year, with double-elimination groups that advance players to the Global Finals. The ability to prepare and study is crucial for this event, after which half of the players will be eliminated. From there, the eight most elite players will move on to the Global Finals at BlizzCon, where they will compete in a single-elimination bracket over two days for the chance to be crowned the WCS Global Champion – the title belonging to the best StarCraft II player in the world.
While the Global Finals are the pinnacle of StarCraft II competition, the story is already beginning through these initial events. Across the year, over $2 million USD is up for grabs, and players from around the world are flocking to show their skill and claim their share.
Review the full rules of the WCS Global competition in 2016 here (note: partner and third party tournaments designated WCS events will still maintain their own rulesets and administration).