As the year wraps up, Blizzard is already preparing for WCS 2017. IEM Gyeonggi takes place less than a month from now at the Goyang Sports Complex in South Korea and marks the first official WCS Korea event of 2017.

The top 4 StarCraft II players from BlizzCon - ByuN, Dark, Zest, and Stats - have already accepted their invitations to IEM. Twelve other Korean players will battle their way through the online qualifiers starting on November 26th to take their place alongside the BlizzCon finalists and start accruing points for next year.

Armed with back-to-back premier titles after a meteoric rise to fame, ByuN is undeniably the most dangerous contender at the moment and the player to beat. Following in his shadow is Dark, the best Zerg in the world. Dark has tasted some victory in his slow and steady path to victory this year but has been blunted by ByuN’s tactical precision time after time in recent events. There’s no doubt Dark is looking for revenge and the chance to cast a shadow of his own in 2017.

Perhaps the most consistent player in the HotS era, Zest is looking for another trophy to add to his collection, but in contrast to ByuN and Dark, Zest has lain dormant throughout the last half of 2016. While his skills are no doubt formidable, they have been wholly inadequate against the rise of Terran and several other Protoss players. Among those Protoss is Stats. He has yet to lay hands on a premier title, but his steady improvement in 2016 has him poised for success in the coming year.

Apart from these superstars, many will be seeking to gain the throne and earn the respect of their peers. Patience, Solar, Dear, and TY - all mechanic and strategic monsters in their own right - are on the prowl. Expect to see them clear a war path through the qualifiers in order to challenge the status quo at IEM Gyeonggi and begin their own legacy.

As a Korean StarCraft II event, IEM Gyeonggi will likely be the most skillful and exciting IEM event to date. More information concerning the tournament can be found on IEM’s website.