2021’s third season of Starcraft 2’s most competitive league, the Global Starcraft 2 League, is set to kick off on August 30.
It’s the last time this year that players will have a shot at the prestigious league and marks the end of the Korean competitive season. As usual, players will be competing over a $118,000 prize pool, ESL Pro Tour points and a claim for being crowned the best SC2 player in the world.
Make sure to check out our guide on How to Bet on Starcraft 2 and let’s take a look at the event in more detail.
Who’s Playing in GSL Season 3?
There will be a total of 16 participants in the Code S stage of GSL. This is the final stage where all of the best players are present and the one that matters for most wagers. Of these 16, four are seeded directly from last season’s competition, four made their way through a direct qualifier, and the remaining eight advance from Code A, which is essentially another qualifier.
So far, just eight players are confirmed, with most of the big names like Dark, Maru, Rogue and PartinG. They’ll likely be joined by the usual suspects, as the likes of Zest, Classic, Special, Byun and Gumiho still have to secure their spot – although we may very well see some upsets in the final qualifying phase.
When it comes to the event itself, it’s set to be played in four GSL-style groups, with the top two of each group advancing to the playoffs. Meanwhile, the playoffs will be played in a single-elimination format, which means just one loss spells elimination for a player.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dark | +330 |
| Maru | +375 |
| Rogue | +375 |
| Trap | +400 |
| Zoun | +1000 |
| Cure | +1000 |
| Zest | +1400 |
| PartinG | +1500 |
| Bunny | +1500 |
| DongRaeGu | +1500 |
| Byun | +1500 |
| Dream | +2000 |
| sOs | +3500 |
| Solar | +3500 |
| Ragnarok | +3500 |
| Classic | +5000 |
| Creator | +5000 |
| Gumiho | +6600 |
| Armani | +6600 |
| Keen | +8000 |
| Percival | +10000 |
| Ryung | +10000 |
| Special | +10000 |
| Leenok | +10000 |
Odds as of August 12 at Sportsbook
Dark Looks For Back-to-Back GSL Trophies
Dark enters as a slight favorite for GSL and is definitely the player to watch, being in the best form of the lot at the moment.
He completed a dominant victory in season 2, taking home the trophy with just a handful of map losses, and an incredible showing in the grand final against Trap. Not much has changed in the game since then, so it’s very possible Dark could win it all again.
However, players very rarely make it back-to-back GSL victories. In fact, it’s only happened a handful of times in the history of the tournament, which spans back to 2010 and over 60 seasons.
Sportsbook
Can Rogue Bounce Back After Rough Season 2?
Rogue has been touted as the best player in the world in 2021 and started the year strong, winning GSL season 1. However, his last few months have been rough, as he dropped to Dark to finish eighth last season and has seen mixed results elsewhere.
August has been a relatively quiet period for the Zerg player, as his early elimination meant he could take an extended break.
Therefore, Rogue will be back and refreshed for GSL season 3, however, the question is if he can get back to winning ways.
Is It Finally Maru’s Time to Shine?
Maru is known as the “wonder kid” of Starcraft 2. He started competing at the highest level when he was just 13 and now, 11 years later, he remains at the top.
However, 2021 has not been kind to him so far. Maru normally manages at least one trophy a year, be it a GSL victory or a small cup like DreamHack. So far this year, though, he’s without a win.
He has come close multiple times, securing second in GSL season 1 and DreamHack Summer, as well as multiple third-place finishes. This is one of his last chances this year for a trophy – will he finally get to shine, or will he complete one of the worst years of his career?
