Cloud9 has signed another professional esports player, GuMiho, in an attempt to “dominate a new game”—Starcraft 2. Although it’s a welcome surprise, it would have made more sense 10 years ago, when SC2 was at the height of its popularity.
Usually, when we think of games in esports, we gravitate towards ones like League of Legends, CS:GO, Apex Legends, or even Dota 2. So when C9 announced on Oct. 31 that the org had signed its first-ever Starcraft 2 professional esports player, Koh ‘GuMiho’ Byung-jae, it was surprising and a little confusing.
Unless you’re a huge fan of the Blizzard real-time strategy title, SC2 is not on the radar for many esports enthusiasts, and it’s rarely discussed.
Ever since 2018, when the peak viewers for SC2 Worlds reached its highest at 170,000 viewers, the SC2 esports scene has been dying. Even the SC2 2023 Worlds saw only 73,000 viewers at its peak, which is nothing compared to other esports championships. By comparison, League’s 2022 Worlds viewership peaked at 5,147,701, Dota 2′s TI11 viewership peaked at 1,751,086, and even the 2022 ALGS enjoyed a peak of 632,352.
So, why did the C9 bosses make such a bold move when it would have made more sense over a decade ago when SC2 was at the height of its popularity?
Well, it’s because they want to “dominate” another game. Even if said game is dying.
It’s not to say SC2 is a terrible Blizzard game, by any means. But other games far exceed it in terms of general player base, wider community, and esports competition. Sadly, the number of professional players has continued to dwindle, as have the prize pools. So, it might not be the most viable esports title to dive into in 2024 and beyond.
Despite this, many who follow the SC2 were pleasantly surprised by C9’s announcement this week and are excited to see them enter and hopefully compete.
And with GuMiho, a 13-year SC2 veteran with multiple awards and achievements, C9’s dreams of dominating another esport title may be possible.
