One of StarCraft 2’s most storied franchises is in disarray, as a series of star players have left Incredible Miracle, reports Korean esports new site Inven.
The departures of Jeong “MVP” Jong Hyeon, Park “Squirtle” Hyun Woo, and Cho “Trap” Sung Ho have left questions about the team’s future as an organization in their wake.
Jeong was a founding member of Incredible Miracle, and one of the key players that gave the team a legitimate claim to the title of most successful team in StarCraft 2 history. The Terran legend has earned $390,490, second all-time in StarCraft, in a prolific career that’s included four Global Starcraft League titles and six GSL finals appearances, more than any other player.
His departure seems like the nail in the coffin, after former partner in crime, three-time GSL champion Lim “NesTea” Jae Duk, left the team in March of this year.
Incredible Miracle has traditionally kept a smaller roster of players than their peers, but its quality was nearly unrivalled, with multiple GSL Team League championships and dozens of top individual tournament placings. When Ahn “Seed” Song Won won 2012 GSL Season 3, Incredible Miracle became the first team to host a GSL champion in all three StarCraft races. Their players had won 8 of 15 GSL championships at that point.
The Incredible Miracle StarCraft team seems be in a downward spiral after losing their title sponsor LG in October of 2013. Since then, the team has acquired three players and lost nine.
The departures leave an already depleted StarCraft roster nearly empty, with only three active players remaining.
Since the introduction of Korean Esports Association (KeSPA) teams into the StarCraft 2 environment, many former members of the Esports Federation, the union of original StarCraft 2 teams in Korea, have struggled to stay afloat. Rumors are swirling that Prime, the last ranked team in the recent Proleague season, may soon be the next casualty.
The moves could simply be part of the typical roster shuffling that occurs at the end of a KeSPA Proleague season. Incredible Miracle missed the Proleague playoffs by placing sixth. But the departure of a signature player like Jeong, who has played his entire career under the Incredible Miracle banner, must leave fans wary.
The organization still hosts two League of Legends squads competing in OnGameNet competition, with requisite sponsors to boot.
What this news means for the future of the StarCraft side of the operation, or the team as a whole, remains to be seen. But whatever the future holds, it’s a sad day in StarCraft.
H/T Inven | Photo by Deiby/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Published: Jul 24, 2014 10:34 am