Perseverance to the Pinnacle

Back in January this year, Byun Hyun-woo was awarded the 2016 Player of the Year by ESPN E-sports. As a “moderate” fan of the StarCraft 2 (SC2) scene (although moderate is relative to each person), this recently caught my attention, not just as a follower of the game but also the story behind it.

Byun Hyun-woo, better known by his in-game ID ‘ByuN’ has been a long time professional gamer since the early days of SC2. While unquestioningly a very skilled player, his name was not among the list of giants such as MC, Life or INnoVation. ByuN was a person people would give a nod to, but not someone you would expect to make it to the pinnacle. Simply put, he was good but never the best.

ByuN is a bit unique among the SC2 pro scene, yet probably more relatable to a typical nerdy avid gamer or otaku. Not only does he look the part, his history as a player also reflects this. While noted to play very well in online ladder (ranked) matches, he is prone to nervousness and occasionally fumbles during offline tournaments in front of crowds. His agitation is quite visibly noted especially when a situation does not play out well for him.

ByuN disappeared from the radar in 2014 and did not appear in major tournaments until late 2016. At the time when SC2 scene was suffering due to scandals, the economic slowdown, and a gradual decline in interest, ByuN re-emerged in the year’s second season of the Global StarCraft League (GSL), the top premier tournament in South Korea. Teamless and alone, all odds were against him, and most did not expect him to advance far into the tournament. Yet ByuN defied all expectations and went on to be the first teamless player to win this prestigious tournament. Later in the year, he would proceed to win the 2016 global World Championship Series (WCS), this time sponsored by Team Expert.

This man literally got his fairy tale, from being some person on the street to a shining ray in the turbulent SC2 scene. Had he failed then, ByuN would have quietly dropped off the SC2 scene, unremembered among the hundreds of players who had potential but never manage hit their break.

Sometimes we fall short of the goals we set upon ourselves. Perhaps we did not put in enough effort, we do not have the opportunity, or there is just simply someone more talented/passionate than us. Whatever the case, we have yet to hit the gold behind the wall of rock.

It is okay to fail. It is okay to cry, to feel depressed when we do. But never give up, never let it drag you down even when the world seem to be against you. No prize is worth winning unless we work hard for it. No real satisfaction is felt unless we put in effort to make it happen. ByuN made it to the peak alone in a room in front of his PC, but we have the backing of the greatest team comprising of angels, saints and God Himself.

“If God is for us, who is against us?”

(Romans 8:31)

RFG always.

Reference

Erzberger, T. (2017). Why Byun is the 2016 ESPN Esports Player of the Year. Retrieved from ESPN: http://www.espn.com/esports/story/_/id/18445829/byun