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IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League Premier
Overview
The IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League Premier (also known as ISSL Premier) is a StarCraft II 1v1 invitational tournament series organized by IntoTheTV (led by caster and organizer iNu, also known as IntoTheiNu or Park) in partnership with the Korean streaming platform SOOP (formerly AfreecaTV). It serves as the flagship premier-tier event within the broader IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League (ISSL), which also includes open weekly tournaments and monthly finals. Classified as a B-Tier event on Liquipedia (with some databases rating the series higher), it features top professional players from Korea and internationally competing for a prize pool of ₩3,000,000 KRW (approximately $2,267 USD). The series emphasizes regular high-level competition on the Korean server, supporting the SC2 esports ecosystem through accessible online play and multi-language broadcasts.
The organizer IntoTheTV operates via the community site intotheclan.com and streams primarily on SOOP at https://www.sooplive.com/station/zodiactv. Official tournament brackets and registration are handled through SOOP's GGGL platform (e.g., https://esports.sooplive.com/gggl/tournament/zodiactv/2931 for Premier). Discord support is available at https://discord.gg/zDA5H77bfm.
History
The broader IntoTheTV x SOOP SC2 League launched in mid-2026 as a partnership between IntoTheTV and SOOP to provide consistent weekly and monthly StarCraft II competition. Announced around July 23, 2026, the initial phase featured four open weekly single-elimination tournaments (starting August 7, 2026) awarding points toward a Monthly Finals event. Weeklies had prize pools around ₩400,000 KRW each, open to amateurs and pros.
The first Monthly Finals (#1) ran September 17–18, 2026, as an 8-player single-elimination event with a ₩1,400,000 KRW prize pool, won by herO over Percival. This built momentum for the Premier invitational, announced in early October 2026 as a larger 16-player event. The Premier represents an evolution toward higher-prestige invitationals with stronger fields, including world-ranked players, while remaining fully online. The series uses StarCraft II patch 5.0.17 PTR (or stable equivalents unless bugs arise) and focuses on 1v1 format. As of late October 2026, only one Premier edition has been held (ongoing).
Format
The 2026 Premier edition (the current and first) is a fully online 16-player invitational held on the South Korea server. It features a group stage followed by playoffs.
- Field size: 16 players (6 Protoss, 5 Terran, 5 Zerg), invited with one replacement (Cure forfeited and was replaced by GuMiho).
- Group Stage: Four groups of four players each in Dual Tournament (GSL-style double-elimination) format. Matches 1, 2, winners' match, and losers' match are Best-of-3 (Bo3); the decider is Best-of-5 (Bo5). Top 2 from each group (8 players total) advance to playoffs. Groups were scheduled: A (Oct 20), B (Oct 22), C (Oct 27), D (Oct 29), all starting ~20:00 KST.
- Playoffs: Single-elimination bracket. Quarterfinals (Ro8) are Bo5 on November 7, 2026. Semifinals and Finals (November 8) use a Best-of-3 Sets format: Set 1 Bo3, Set 2 Bo3, and if needed Set 3 Bo1 (first to win 2 sets).
- Location: Fully online (South Korea); no LAN component.
- Prize distribution: 1st ₩1,500,000; 2nd ₩700,000; 3rd–4th ₩200,000 each; 5th–8th ₩100,000 each. Total ₩3,000,000 KRW.
Group A results (completed October 20, 2026): 1st herO (2–0), 2nd Solar (2–1), 3rd Krystianer (1–2), 4th Percival (0–2). herO and Solar advanced.
Notable Editions
As a new series starting in 2026, the inaugural Premier 2026 stands out for assembling a strong international field including world #1 herO, Clem, Reynor, Classic, Solar, ByuN, Rogue, MaxPax, Neeb, and others. It marks the expansion from open weeklies/monthlies to a dedicated invitational, played on the 5.0.17 PTR during a period of balance changes. The preceding Monthly Finals #1 was notable for herO's dominant run (his 60th career title per some trackers) and Percival's strong runner-up performance as an underdog. The series has quickly integrated English co-streams, boosting global accessibility.
Past Champions
- 2026 Premier (October 20 – November 8, 2026; ongoing as of late October): No champion yet. Group stage in progress; herO and Solar advanced from Group A. Prize pool ₩3,000,000 KRW (~$2,267 USD). Online, South Korea. Runner-up and full placements TBD.
- Related prior ISSL event (not Premier): Monthly Finals #1 (September 17–18, 2026): Winner herO (₩600,000 / ~$434), runner-up Percival (₩300,000 /
$217), 3rd–4th SHIN and ByuN. Prize pool ₩1,400,000 KRW ($1,012 USD). Online. herO defeated Percival 4–1 in a Bo7 grand final.
No prior Premier editions exist, as 2026 is the debut year.
Viewership & Impact
Specific peak/average concurrent viewership figures for the Premier or broader ISSL are not widely published in major trackers as of late October 2026, consistent with its B-tier status and focus on the Korean community. Broadcasts air primarily on SOOP (Korean cast by organizer iNu/Park at https://www.sooplive.com/station/zodiactv), with English co-streams by CranKy Ducklings (Twitch: https://twitch.tv/CranKy_Ducklings; YouTube: https://youtube.com/@CranKyDucklings) featuring casters such as Light_VIP (Lloyd Sanchez) and occasional others like Wardi. Additional language support has included Chinese (Rex) and others.
The series contributes to the SC2 ecosystem by providing regular mid-tier prize money and competitive opportunities amid a landscape dominated by larger events like GSL. It leverages SOOP's platform strength in Korea (home to major Brood War and SC2 content) and IntoTheTV's community roots (intotheclan.com, associated with past pro clan successes). By combining open weeklies for accessibility with invitationals featuring top talent (e.g., multiple top-10 world-ranked players), it helps sustain player activity, ranking points, and fan engagement between major seasons. English casting expands its reach beyond Korea, supporting the global SC2 scene. Total series prize money across early events exceeds $3,000 USD.