"Most Koreans blindly follow the path their parents set for them:" "Elementary school, middle school, high school and university." "Everyone takes that route." "I chose a different path." "I became a professional gamer." "My name is Lee Jae Dong and I'm a Korean pro gamer." "I belong to the Hwaseung Oz team and I'm number One in the KeSPA ranking." "I made my debut when I was 16." "I had a top score in 2007." "A year later I was making a 135,000 euros a year." "Is it good ?" "Is it good ?" " Are you using your fingers ?" " Yes, I am." "Seriously." "That's fucking awesome." "You have to tweak it like this..." "Yes, that's it." "Good." "I don't know why it still hurts." "Dong-Joon, your hair looks good today." "Your hair gets prettier every day." "I think I'll dye my hair blue-black." "Really ?" "From now on ?" "Yesterday, I won all the games during practice." "Against Ki-Hyun." "I am confident." "The game we play is called StarCraft." "It's a real-time strategy game." "It's already more than a decade old but we're still playing it." "He's going to lose his expansion." "Lee Jae Dong is fighting extremely well." "This expansion is getting harassed." "Lee Jae Dong is playing impressively!" "The match is over." "It's the man himself!" "Lee Jae Dong takes the victory." "Should I do the thing I usually do ?" "Fast hydra ?" "And try that sneaky wall-climbing." "StarCraft is like a mix of chess and poker." "Every game is a battle and I try to outsmart my opponent." "I predict the other player's strategy and then I destroy him." "He's going in." "This is easily taken out." "The game is over." "Byung Koo Song is defeated." "Jeez, I almost thought I'd lost." "Lee Jae Dong!" "Victory!" "At the start of your career, you decide your race:" "Terran, Protoss or Zerg." "I became a Zerg." "The Dark Swarm!" "Thus must be what Jae Dong Lee had in mind." "One more time, one more time." "Wow, Jae Dong Lee, He fights against time." "Multi-tasking and decisiveness are vital." "But so are confidence and bluff." "You don't reach the top without them." "Lee Jae Dong's fighting in the centre of the map tells us all." "Lee Jae Dong wins this game." "Lee Jae Dong clenches his fist." "He's won all of today's games." "He succeeds in his first all-kill of the season." "Truly amazing." "Lee Jae Dong is definitely worthy of the "first ever, and first Zerg"." "He is the first to execute an All-Kill this season." "No matter what, I am always ready for an All-Kill as the first player." "My name is Park Yo Han." "I'm 16 years old and I live in Cheonan." "I don't really like to study." "I want to be successful early in life." "I have comparatively slow fingers." "But still 260 to 270 Actions Per Minute." "I try to improve my APM." "I'm getting better slowly." "I think I can be faster still." "My dream is to become a great pro gamer, just like Lee Jae Dong." "I'm training hard to realise that dream." "Why do you keep opening new bottles of water while the bottle isn't empty ?" "I prepare for the semi-pro competition, an important tournament for amateurs." "I played in the tournament 6 or 7 times and I failed every time." "If I fail again this time, I know I will try again." "Park Che Hyun ?" "I've never heard of this guy." "I was 16 when I left my home town of Ulsan and came to Seoul." "The Team House has been my home for half of my teenage years." "I only go home for the holidays." "The players are my brothers." "We're like a family." "Take a deep breath, and imagine the air goes in at the shoulder and out at the fingertips." "Now you can stretch your arms." "Do you feel the peace in your mind ?" "HWASEUNG...." "GO FIGHT!" "Our training schedule is very rigid." "We practice 10 to 12 hours a day." "We don't really play for fun anymore." "Mostly I play for work." "My work just happens to be a game." "When I was 11, I watched gamers playing StarCraft on TV for the first time." "It was the coolest thing I'd ever seen." "A few months ago I won the semi-pro tournament, the gateway to becoming a pro." "But that's only the beginning." "If I get drafted by a team, then the real challenge starts." "Hello, my name is Lee Gun Hee." "I am hard-working and I guess I have always been desperate." "I am Park Yong Soo, the youngest semi-pro." "I am 15 years old." "Everyone respects Jae Dong as the best Zerg player." "So do I, but I'm sure that the only player who can beat him is me." "I have a dream of reaching the top." "I will train so hard that my wrists will wear out, and if you pick me I will use all the power that I got from my mother's milk." "I will adapt well to life in the Team House and will never give up easily." "Thank you." "So, minors." "You all go to school now." "Can you really live in the Team House ?" "Don't hesitate." "Can you do it or not ?" "All of you." "My school has granted permission." "You have permission ?" "Who from ?" "From my class teacher." "So your teacher knows StarCraft ?" "Huh ?" "He knows about this league." "So apparently there is only place for one more Zerg." "We will draft Kim Joon Hyuk." "Woongjin Stars has drafted the last Zerg left:" "Kim Joon Hyuk." "In the 21st century, people like you, who are agile and quick decision makers, will play an important role in society." "And what's the key thing here ?" "Games." "And who is best in the world at games ?" "You guys." "Am I right ?" "People say:" "You work when you work, and you play when you play." "That is an old-fashioned concept." "Nowadays they are converging." "This day and age, there's been a change." "The ones who work more can also play better." "And the ones who play better increase their productivity." "This new concept: the invention of eSports, enjoying an eSport, was a cultural invention of the 21st century." "Who invented it ?" "Yes, us!" "I feel like I can win every game today." "I'm going to win the semi-pro tournament." " Nonsense." "I am serious." "I can feel that I am going to win." "Try to have fun." "Excuse me, but is this chair usually like this ?" "Mom ?" "Oh Mom, this is so unfair." "I almost won but there was a malfunction." "The game was bugged." "This is a Lee Jae Dong Calendar from 2011 and there are autographs from other players and coaches." "This sticker came with the calendar and I got it, because I was among the first fifty people to order it." "And this is everything I have collected relating to Jae Dong..." "I like Lee Jae Dong because of his eyes, when he's playing and because of his performance." "I also like the fact that he trains so hard all the time." "Other gamers told me that Jae Dong always trains hard when he's in the Team House." "He doesn't even see the sunlight." "That's probably why I have a crush on him." "He is my role model." "In the professional league of the popular game StarCraft, players have been discovered to fix matches for profit." "It was a first in professional gaming." "Famous gamers were found to be involved." "The pro gamers of the game StarCraft were fixing matches via betting sites." "Every sport has its scandal, it seems." "But I never thought pro gamers would lose a match just to make money." "A shock-wave went through the industry." "So many fans were disappointed." "The investigation showed that pro gamers told the other player their strategies." "Or they made mistakes and made thousands of dollars by losing their matches." "This scandal has tainted our public image." "StarCraft is not just a game anymore." "For eSports, it's the death of innocence." "To comrades, to fans, to everyone who is involved in eSports." "How can you just stab them in the back ?" "If they were next to me," "I would slap them in the face." "Is a slap enough ?" "If a slap isn't enough, then what is ?" "MATCH-FIXING" "Tattooed on their faces ?" "Corporate sponsors started hesitating and three teams had to close down." "My team was one of them." "All of a sudden, my home of the last five years was gone." "I had no other choice than to move back in with my parents." "Let me help you..." "Isn't it heavy ?" "You look good.." " No..." "I don't, look at my skin." "I have to say, you look calm and composed, compared to before." "Now you are really reaching the spiritual realm." "Well, I'm gaining experience." "Jae Dong is now a senior among the pro gamers." "In my house, I don't let my children play video games." "We don't even have broadband internet in this area to play those games." "But when my child told his friends at school about Jae Dong, they said: "Really ?" "Are you serious ?"" "I don't know much about it, but among gamers he seems a really big name." "I don't know it either..." "But you must be really good, no ?" "By now, you must start thinking of retiring." "In the meantime, you should learn who you are and who your ancestors are." "Having done that, you can have an idea of what you are going to do next." "Yes, I understand." "But what kind of industry on earth makes you retire when you are only 28 ?" "Playing games consumes a lot of your energy and stamina." "How do you deal with the prize money ?" "Jae Dong, do you give everything to your father ?" "Yes, I do." "Hwaseung was the team where I started my career." "People say I should be okay." "That I will find a new team soon." "But this is the first time I'm really worried about my future." "Sometimes I wonder:" ""What is my passion in life ?"" "And when I look at you, I see it must be really tough to work so hard." "I mean, it just feels so comfortable to lie down and watch TV." "Because I didn't go to school, my passion was even stronger." "All of my friends go to school... and they have girlfriends." "I mean, I can't do any of that." "Correct." "It really upsets me." "So I told myself I have to work harder in what I do because I can't enjoy the things that everyone else can." "Maybe I am just wasting my time." "When you are 20, everyone should enjoy those things in life." "Being 20 is like the best moment of your life, with so much drive." "Instead, I'm cooped up in the Team House training every single day." "The day I entered the Team House, I was very excited." "But now, after 3 months, I'm lonely." "I miss my parents and friends." "I have to work harder than my team mates." "That's the hardest part:" "I have to play and still go to school." "My team, Woongjin Stars, currently has about 15 enlisted players." "There's a big difference between Team A and Team B." "We still have to prove ourselves so we help in the kitchen." "We clean up, do the laundry, all those things." "We don't have separate rooms either." "When I've been through all this I can become a Team A member." "With enough effort I think I can make it in 1 or 2 months." "Aren't you swapping these too ?" "How can you play like this ?" "'O' should be here." "Yes, swap them." "It is really confusing." " And this is also wrong." " Shouldn't the "I" be here ?" "Take a look at my keyboard." "'O', 'I'." "I told you!" "'O' and 'I'..." "See, I told you!" "We were almost screwed because of you." "Today are the qualifications of the Elite School League." "I've persuaded some of my classmates to make a team." "If we win, we will get the Semi-Pro license." "Last year we came very close, but I was the one who lost the decisive game." "I don't want to make the same mistake again." "Check out his nose." "He has no bone there." "You really don't ?" "How is that possible ?" "I have a bone here." "It's here." "I do have a bone there but it is very flexible." "Your nose won't break even if it's punched." "Maybe you just like to play video games and you are a bit better than others." "In a way, your dream might be impossible to achieve, so I am a little bit worried about that." "I'd better put a bit more effort into my studies, like not dozing off in class, and to get better grades." "Maybe I go to high school first and then I can decide what to do." "I agree with you." "Life in High School and with your friends has its own beauty." "But if you just decide to skip that entirely, as you get older, you might regret it." "It's true, you might regret it." "By following your dream to be a pro gamer, your life might be slightly different." "I also think it's better to go to high school, and to finish your education." "When I was still at my parents' home I got a phone call from KeSPA." "They were going to form a new team with only top players." "A dream team made from the 3 teams that were disbanded." "Coming from the Hwaseung Team with me there's my old friend Baxter." "Coach Han joined the Team as well." "Then there's Yum Bo Sung." "He's loud, tough and a real team player." "Jae Hoon is the team's captain." "Because he sweats a lot during the game, some people call him Sweatoss." "The youngest player is Jun Tae Yang." "His nickname is Baby." "He was only 12 when he became a pro." "Finally, there's Park Soo Bom." "As his nickname suggests, he plays heavy-weight like Tyson." "They will call us the 8th Team." "Son Yejin or Han Chaeyoung ?" "Of course I go for Son Yejin." "Why do you even bring up Han Chaeyoung ?" " Son Yejin or Lee Minjung ?" " Son Yehin." "Son Yejin or Moon Chaewon ?" " I go for Moon Chaewon!" "I go for Moon Chaewon too." "Don't agonize over it." "You're not going to meet her." "I like Lee Hana much more than Son Yejin." "Son Yejin is like a goddess, really." "When I first saw Lee Hana, I was astonished." "How can you be so pretty ?" "And she also acts well." "Hey, Lee Hana is not pretty at all." "I really like Lee Hana." "She's just attractive, nothing more." "Lee Hana was my neighbour when I was in elementary school." " Really ?" " Her father taught in the middle school." "It's already 21 past." "We should hurry." "We can't be late on the first day." "Wow!" "Look at that player." " What a cool uniform, man!" " Take a picture of that uniform!" "Oh damn!" "Compared to them, we look like Sunday-afternoon shoppers." "Their Team uniform is so damn stylish!" "And look at us." "Tae Yang... we can win this today." "Hi, thank you all for being at the opening of the SK Planet StarCraft Proleague." "I am your game caster for today!" "Welcome!" "No devices ?" "Go and get them!" "Go Jae Hoon!" "Go Sea !" "Go out there and nail it!" "Him, get him!" "That high-templar." "For the 8th Team, the short term goal is making the sponsorship deal!" "In that sense, Jae Dong has to do his job." "He is the highest-paid player, right ?" "If they win today's match, it might be possible." "Ok, stop what you are doing and gather around for a minute." "Did you all receive the text message ?" "We have to make a U-turn in the second round and get better results." "That way we will have some leverage to negotiate with sponsors." "Right now, if I try to contact sponsors, we are stuck." "We have to show them something, if we want to negotiate." "Telling them we will do better in future is not enough." "Professionals show results first and then make demands for what they have shown." "That's being a pro." "Do you understand ?" "Where is the confidence, guys ?" "I understand it wasn't easy." "It hasn't been easy." "Soon I'm going to graduate from middle school and go to high school." "It's going to be hard to keep training, because high school life is so busy." "We all have dreams, right ?" "I wish we could have more time searching for what we really want to do, instead of staying in school that long." "He should think of it as a career but he is doing it just for fun." "That is what you think." "I will tell you what I think." "He needs to control his mind at all times, but he doesn't." "People who study well play games well." "They are good at everything." "You started playing games because you don't like to study." "That's not true!" "Only people who are very smart can play those games." "So I'm not smart ?" "Your brain is not very good." "I once saw you gaming with your feet on your desk." "What was that all about ?" " When did I do that ?" " All the time." "How can I put my feet on my desk and play ?" "He sits like this." "I never do that when I game." "I was probably just chatting." "He has a wrong mind." "Just wrong." "No, while I was chatting." "I said you are okay." " That's what I mean." " I know what you mean ..." " I'm on your side." " You don't have to be on his side." "To be honest." "It's right." "Yes." "When I'm playing a game, I sit straight." "How could I put my foot on the desk when I game ?" "Attitude is not the point." "Tell us your plan." " It's a simple one." "Very basic." " Basic or not, that's not the point." "Tell me what you are thinking, Yo Han." " Like what ?" " Your plan for the future." " Like what I'm going to do ?" " In the future." "Can you make it by April ?" "Okay, I've thought about this." "I'm going to go to high school." " In high school I will have to study." " Right." " You'll be bottom of the class." " That is not the point, right now!" "I will have to study, right Dad ?" "Why do you even say that ?" "So until February or March I will keep doing my best to make it." "There will be a draft in April." "So until then, I should keep trying." "And then if I fail, I will study seriously." "So if you fail you will give up ?" "Can you really do that ?" " Seriously ?" " Really." " I can barely believe you." " Why not ?" " Are you sure ?" " Of course." "Giving up means you'll quit playing games forever ?" "Yes." "I should study." " Pinky swear ?" " All right." " Seal it and copy." " Alright, I get it." "Finish copying!" "I think that is a wise decision." "I told you that if I fail, I'll study to find another dream, right ?" "I'm looking forward to that." "What was that dream again ?" " The one about the bank." " That's right, the bank." "Are you going to be a teller or the chief of the bank ?" "Somewhere in the bank, I guess." "The security guard ?" "What are you talking about ?" "Today is a decisive day for the team." "If we win today, we could go to the playoffs and make it to the finals." "If we lose today, the season is over and that would be a disaster." "Okay, there are important moments ahead of us." "In the next games, what are the 8th team chances to make it to the postseason ?" "Well, I don't think we can calculate that in percentages." "We still have hope, so I believe we can make it for sure." "And I really want to show you what a miracle is." "Okay, just from watching that last match, I believe that miracles can happen!" "Baby and I won the first two games." "Bridge and Baxter lost their games." "So it's a draw." "Sometimes the fate of an entire team is in the hands of one single person." "Today, that person is Jae Hoon." "The game has started." "First, let's take a look at Kim Jae Hoon." "A two Gate rush." "Kim Jae Hoon has to scout this out fast." "The fate of his team's 1st season is at stake." "Now, Kim Jae Hoon, he needs to be really calm here." "He can defend this." "Kim Jae Hoon Kim can't afford to lose anything, not even a pylon." "They have to fight till the end." "Kim Jae Hoon Kim has more... he has a little more." "Kim Jae Hoon mustn't lose focus." "Shin Jae Wook needs to finish it here." "Ah, this has backfired." "But Kim Jae Hoon is short on minerals." "He can't make additional Zealots." "It looks like Shin Jae Wook will be the man to give his team the victory." "Indeed." "The main base has been dominated." "If the last Gateway is destroyed, it's over." " The other is unpowered." " Builds go round and round." "Whether you're a man or a woman..." "these are the tears of a real man." "Especially on a big and important stage like this.." "We see how much this means to him, especially as he is the team captain." "In such a situation, I don't know what to say." "Guys, take your rubbish with you." "Today's defeat was not just down to one person." "Individually, we are all outstanding players." "But we lacked one thing and that's teamwork." "Today we failed as a team." "Do any of your friends ever call you ?" "Your school friends or church friends ?" "No, they don't." "So you are alone ?" "Very sometimes they do." "The ones from your present high school ?" " Anyone from your middle school ?" " Some." "They really do ?" "You know that the most important thing for a pro gamer is his performance, right ?" "Most pro gamers show good results in the 2nd year after they joined the team." "You've now been with us for a year and 3 months." "If I look at you objectively, there hasn't been much change." "If you really want to be in the competition and grow faster, you have to invest everything from your daily life into the game." "If you can do that, I believe you can be the Ace of our team, and make hundreds of millions a year." "Kim Joon Huyk as the symbol of Zerg!" "That day can come in less than a year." "Make it happen, okay ?" "Let's go practice now!" "Losing the Proleague luckily didn't mean the end of the 8th Team." "We are moving again, to a bigger place but quite far away." "It's the first time for me to be at Blizzcon." "It's also the first time that StarCraft I is not an official tournament game." "It's all StarCraft II now." "Some Korean players have already made the transition." "Foreign teams are being established and eSports tournaments pop up everywhere." "I knew StarCraft I was a dying breed, but now it's official." "KeSPA has announced that this will be the last season of StarCraft I." "I suppose you are all worried about the future of Pro-Gamers." "What will you do ?" "Why is the future of Pro-Gaming so dark ?" "You are the generation facing the biggest crisis but also with the most opportunities." "How's the StarCraft II training going ?" "Is it going well, sleepy Baxter ?" "We are being given a hard time now, but you have to keep your courage up." "Change is good, they say." "But a lot of the team members are confused." "With the new game, everyone plays from the same starting point." "Previous skills don't help you now and that makes us all feel uncomfortable." "Lee Jae Dong, how old are you now ?" "I'm 24 years old." "Twenty-four and already a great one." "But you are not young anymore." "In 5 years, when you are 30, you should give advice to juniors." "You should then be a role model that they will look up to." "Lee Jae Dong, his 4th victory has collapsed by Lee Young Ho." "And after 2 times of failures from the round of 16, the 4th victory is the only thing that is left for him to revive." "The E group of On Game Net Star League Dual 2012." "When I was a child, my generation saw Lee Jae Dong and others win the Star League." "It made us dream of becoming a pro gamer." "This is the last Star league with StarCraft I. I have such good memories of it." "I wonder if it will be the same for StarCraft II." "People say Lee Jae Dong is not playing as well as before." "So I definitely worry about his future." "Those were the qualifiers." "What does Shin Dae Gun have to say ?" "Congratulations!" "Thank you..." "You really didn't want to go for the consolation match." "What happened ?" "I gathered as much armed forces as possible." "I needed to gather the armed forces in order dominate." "I played calmly but Lee Jae Dong is good at pressurizing." "I thought I was going to lose." "So I stayed calm while playing." " It's okay.." " Okay, I'm sorry.." "Let's get going everyone." " I don't know what to do now!" " Let's give the presents and go home." " Thank you for your effort." " Thank you." " See you at the next league." " Thank you so much." "Jae Dong always says to his fans that he is all right." "But even if he says so, we still worry about him." "Today is the last time I take part in the Semi-Pro Tournament." "For weeks I practiced night and day." "I don't think I could do more." "I haven't given up my dream of becoming a pro gamer yet." "But whatever happens today, I can say I gave it my best shot." "I will have no regrets." "You weren't going to try anymore should I defeat you again ?" " It's impossible to lose to you" " Why is that ?" "I have one, but it is dirty." "I will fail if I wear that thing." "Mom ?" "We were almost late so he had to go in straight away." "This is your last tournament, right ?" "Good luck." " So are you going to win ?" " Why not ?" "What should I do ?" "I'm facing Huang Jin Ha in the first round!" "Wait, I'm going to warm my fingers up." "Hey brother, let's go to the bathroom." "I'm getting nervous." "Park Yo Han...number 214." "I'm screwed." "I have to study now." "So you are going to be a bank clerk and travel around the world ?" "What about it ?" "I want to travel around the world." "I almost died laughing..." "Ah, I'm so pissed off." "Ah, so pissed off." "It's over." "The new Proleague season has started." "The first time we play StarCraft II in public." "Ever since I made my debut, I kept on winning." "365 days a year I dashed on, non-stop." "No breaks." "This year was different." "I started losing." "There was no special reason for it." "I was just personally cooled off." "I lost my passion." "I felt like a cog in a machine." "Because I am a pro, a public figure, people have expectations of me." "And sometimes that makes me feel very tired." "But in fact, I feel that I am blessed." "I'm lucky to have the love of so many fans." "I am a man of great self-pride and I really hate losing." "It's been ages since I tasted victory." "Now I want to rise again and hear people shout: "That's Lee Jae Dong!" "I really want to rise again." "I owe it to my fans and I owe it to myself." "That was the match that earned you all this loud cheering." "I just feel very touched." "Touched by your own game!" "Can you tell us what touched you so much ?" "I just never knew winning a game could feel so great." " Were you surprised ?" " I really thought I was going to lose." "So did we!" "Seeing you so touched by a single victory reminds me how important a victory is for every player." "Now that you are so touched, maybe you could speak to your fans from the heart ?" "What do you have to say to them ?" "Be confident!" "Maybe he's too..." "It must have been really hard for you, Jae Dong." "To be the Ace of your team and not make good results..." "Oh, Jae Dong, I can't imagine how tough that must be." "Hey you, what was the crying for ?" " Shit, that was awesome." " Let's go for the third win." "Jae Dong, nail the interview!" "When I was chasing my dream, I practiced even on school days." "Now, I just hang out with my friends, go to PC Bang with them or play pool." "For the last 2 to 3 years I didn't work hard enough." "I could have worked harder." "And I feel sorry for myself that I didn't." "Pool or PC Bang ?" "Are you sure you don't wanna go to PC Bang ?" "I can do anything if I work hard." "I can always do better by working hard enough." "The effort is what counts." "If you still want to play and you are not good enough, play it as a hobby." "At least, that's my experience." "You think you are good, but if you go out there, there are always better players." "I suggest you start being serious once you are certain about how good you are." "StarCraft and football are the same." "It's great when you win and it's upsetting when you lose." "People with a strong sense of rivalry always want to win and I'm one of them." "But you can't win all the time." "Losing is just part of the journey." "I know now that it takes patience and hard work to reach the top." "Even if I didn't get to play a single game this year, the other players accept me." "Many gamers who joined the team after me have given up and left the house." "But I wanted to show I have as much endurance as the senior players." "For the first time, I feel that I am where I belong." "Since I was young, I thought I should hide my emotions." "I shouldn't show any weakness, I'd been taught." "That's how a Korean man should act." "So every time I walked onto the stage, I put on my game face." "The other day was different." "I didn't think about it." "It just happened." "When it did, I felt a very positive vibe going through the room." "People seemed happy to see a part of me they normally wouldn't." "Even if some teased me about it afterwards." "Winning the game the other day felt good." "But what I'm feeling now, that's the real victory."