In the light of the upcoming event in Anaheim, MLG has released information on the pool of casters as well as the the grid of the first KeSPA tournament. This will be the first time for the Brood War pros to present their StarCraft II skill on a foreign stage and outside the Pro League.
Starting Friday, June 8th, MLG Anaheim will return with this year’s installment in order to kick off one of the premier foreign tournaments. To keep up with the huge pool of top tier players, MLG once again hired the cream of the crop of English-speaking casters. After their absence from MLG Spring Arena 2 due to their commitment to the GSL, the casting Archon Artosis and Tasteless make another appearance, as well their previous replacement, the British duo that is Apollo and TotalBiscuit. Joining them will be djWHEAT and internet funnyman Husky and Mr. Bitter (without Rotterdam, as he will be participating in the open bracket) as the more prominent commentators. Also casting will be Rob Simpson, Robin, Gwin, Jorosar, Axeltoss and Kibbelz.
Despite the lack of Day9, most of the staff will return to MLG Anaheim.
Image by: MLG
Image by: MLG
With the observing done by Adebisi and translating by Hwanni and Smix many fans will find all their favourite people in one place that weekend, even though MLG veteran Day9 leaves many stumped by not being on that list.
Unlike the Arenas, this event will feature a free, ad-supported stream, provided by Streamworks, with 6 StarCraft II channels, 4 LoL channles and a single fighting game channel (King of Fighters, Mortal Kombat, Soul Calibur V). To enjoy a full HD, viewers will have to purchase a Spring Season Pass, Gold Membership, or Spring Championship Live Streaming Pass.
Surely, many are hopeful for a Bisu - Jaedong match in round 2.
Image by: MLG
Image by: MLG
Another big announcement that gets fans excited is the KeSPA tournament featuring the very top of the current Brood War scene. With the release of the tournament grid of the 8 players taking part, first assumptions can be made about favorites and promising matches. One of the early highlights will definitely be Flash versus Stork, but with the current grid, interesting matches are bound to happen down the road. Two of the players that showed the most promise in the Pro League, Eff0rt and Lizzy, will not make their way to the US, though.
Links: Event details, KeSPA announcement