LETTER FROM TLO

Dario Wünsch

The last two years of my life have been filled with changes. I got married, became a step-father, and moved to Canada. I also concluded a 10-year-long professional career with the only team I ever played for professionally. Most recently, I joined Shopify’s esports program.

The last two years of my life have been filled with changes. I got married, became a step-father, and moved to Canada. I also concluded a 10-year-long professional career with the only team I ever played for professionally. Most recently, I joined Shopify’s esports program.

COVID-19 brought even more change. I don’t think there’s been a single three-month period in the last 10 years where I didn’t travel to an esports event in some capacity. I was looking forward to spending time meeting my co-workers and getting to know Shopify in a physical space, but that’ll have to wait a while longer. Nonetheless, I’m happy to have been able to connect, albeit remotely, with a number of talented people here. It’s striking how kind and thoughtful every single person I’ve spoken to at Shopify has been. Universally, each of them offered their support and shared their excitement when they heard about our plans to start Shopify’s own esports team. It feels good to know the company is excited by our vision to not only sponsor esports events, but be a genuine part of the community.

Being given the opportunity to lead a professional team is a dream come true. It’s a role that comes with a lot of responsibility and unknown territory to explore for us as a business, and myself as a person. I suspect many mistakes will be made along the way, and I can’t wait to learn from each and every one of them.

Despite its popularity, esports is still a recent phenomenon. It’s explosive growth is happening in a time where media has shifted from passive consumption to a direct and interactive experience. With that comes a fan base that is more invested, more passionate, and more savvy than fans of other popular entertainment. I believe the only way to truly understand esports and it’s subcultures is to actively engage in it.

We want to take a deep dive into what makes esports so great; the human stories that are told in-game and off-screen. The wit. Discipline. Endless pursuit of mastery. What better way than to begin this journey than with three legendary players, playing a game so historically important for esports. After all, it is arguably the game that started it all.

We are the Shopify Rebellion.

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OUR REBELS

SCARLETT

Sasha Hostyn

There were many times I thought I was done competing in StarCraft, but I always end up coming back. From my start in 2012 until now, I forged countless friendships through StarCraft. I've been lucky to travel the world. In the end I don't think I'll ever truly stop competing until there are no tournaments left to play.

Since Shopify's support of HSC 20, and sponsorship of TSL 5 & 6, they have become increasingly involved in StarCraft's community. I was very excited when Dario approached me to ask if I would join the team they were building. Even before knowing the details I knew my answer would be yes. I'm Looking forward to competing alongside my new team mates Lambo & ByuN, two players I've respected for a long time.

BYUN

ByuN Hyun Woo

I’m happy to join this amazing team so soon after finishing my mandatory military service. It feels good to be able to get right back into full-time professional play with the backing of a great company. The biggest obstacle for me has been my wrist injury, I’m focused on making sure it won’t hold me back again. I'm the 2016 StarCraft 2 World Champion, now that I have returned my goal is to take back that throne. I know everyone expects a lot of me and I’ll do everything I can to fulfill your expectations. Thank you for always supporting me.

LAMBO

Julian Brosig

I am extremely happy to join the Shopify Rebellion. Not only do I have two teammates with a lot of experience who I respect highly, there are people working at Shopify who truly care about StarCraft. With such a prestigious company backing us, I feel in capable hands. Thanks to all their support, my full focus will be on improving my competitive skills, as well as my ability to create content. My goal for this year is clear: qualifying directly into the 2022 World Championships. Additionally, I’ll be working hard towards the personal goals I’ve set. Subscriber and viewer milestones, as well as monthly uptimes for my Twitch/Youtube. I am looking forward to growing together as a team with a new group of people and to help each other improve in multiple aspects.

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