A member of Team EnVyUs’ Starcraft 2 organization, has departed North America and will not be competing in the upcoming StarCraft 2 World Championship Series (WCS) Global Playoffs. These playoffs will ultimately conclude with the Finals being held in Anaheim, California on November 4th-5th at BlizzCon. Throughout the 2016 season in the WCS Circuit, Polt placed in the top eight players and was therefore invited to compete in the World Championship Tournament, a significant and impressive feat for competitors of the RTS (Real-Time Strategy) game.
Polt has announced that the reason for his withdrawal is due to a sudden beckoning from his home nation of South Korea to return to the country in order to fulfill mandatory military service. In a press release posted on Team EnVyUs’ website, the Starcraft 2 veteran had this to say: I have been really happy for the past six years. Playing StarCraft 2 and meeting a lot of people in the world gave me plenty of unforgettable memories. I have been able to [accomplish] a great achievement and I appreciate all of the support from [manager Andrew Tomlinson] and Team EnVyUs. Unfortunately, the time has come to say goodbye. However, remember that every ending is a new beginning. I am looking forward to seeing you again soon.”
Although Polt had just joined EnVyUs this past May, he had secured honors in the Starcraft 2 community long before with his first place finish in Poland at the WCS Winter Circuit Championship at IEM (Intel Extreme Masters). As a member of EnVyUs, he racked up high placings in tournaments such as DreamHack Austin along with a second overall finish in Montreal for the WCS Summer Circuit Championship, among others.
Not only has he proven himself as one of the top eSports competitors internationally, he has also been a pioneer of sorts for the industry. Polt was only the second player in history to have been granted a P1-A athletic visa by the United States. Mike “HastrO” Rufail, the CEO of the Team EnVyUs organization, said this regarding the departure of Polt: Today, our entire organization is saddened that Polt must depart from competitive play. Polt has been one of the most iconic and fiercest competitors throughout his career in electronic sports. He will be remembered as a champion. We know he will take that success into whatever the future holds for him and we hope to see Polt back in esports as soon as possible.”
Marquard Enterprises 