Geguri

Geguri
Kim Se-yeon
Status Active
Born June 26, 1999 (1999-06-26) (age 19)
Nationality Korean
Current team Shanghai Dragons
Role Tank
League Overwatch League
Games Overwatch
Professional career
2016 EHOME Spear
2017 ROX Orcas
2018–present Shanghai Dragons

Kim Se-yeon (Korean: 김세연, born June 26, 1999), better known as Geguri, is a South Korean professional Overwatch player for the Shanghai Dragons, a former member of EHOME Spear and Rox Orcas. Geguri received international attention for the precision of her computer mouse movements. Following an incident in 2016 in which other professional players accused her of using aim assist software, she proved her ability in a monitored studio and was signed to a professional team that ultimately disbanded without participation in the first-division APEX tournament. In 2017, upon her signing to ROX Orcas, she was expected to become the first female professional Overwatch player. In 2018, she joined the Shanghai Dragons, and became the first female player of the Overwatch League.

Career

Geguri first became interested in Overwatch, a first-person shooter video game, after watching cinematic trailers for the game before its release date.[1] She developed a reputation in South Korea as a player in Overwatch based on her plays with the Overwatch character Zarya, specifically due to her aim and win ratio. A few weeks after she started playing Overwatch, Geguri became a member of UW Artisan, an amateur Overwatch team, by invitation.[2] Sometime during this period, Geguri was ranked on Overwatch as one of the top Zarya players[3] and developed a reputation for her shooting and win ratio.[2]

In June 2016, Geguri became embroiled in a cheating controversy over her performance in an official tournament.[4] Based on a match in the Nexus Cup Korean qualifiers that took place on June 18[1] Geguri was accused by two other professional players, "ELTA" and "Strobe" from team Dizzyness of using an aimbot based on suspicion that her performance was 'too good' and that her mouse precision was not 'humanly possible.'[4] The controversy began with a post on a forum which suggested that Geguri might be cheating based on footage of her play.[3] After the post was made, members who were from the team Geguri had defeated during the match accused Geguri of using an aimbot.[2] The accusations escalated, and two of her professional opponents said that they would quit Overwatch if Geguri were to be exonerated. Geguri livestreamed proof of her ability from a Korean eSports website's monitored studio, and both players quit, although one of them returned to the competitive scene under a new username. The Korean branch of Blizzard Entertainment, the game's developer, also confirmed that she had not used aim assist software. The incident brought Geguri international fame and anticipation for her professional career.[5][4]

Geguri's next year of play remained low-profile.[4] She joined EHOME in 2016[6] and played professionally with its EHOME Spear team, which did not qualify for the first-division APEX tournaments and ultimately disbanded in June 2017. Two months later, Geguri signed with ROX Orcas. Though the team was not a strong performer in prior series, ESPN wrote that its new lineup was an improvement, and Geguri's signing was a new height for her career, as she was expected to become Overwatch's first female professional player. Her primary Overwatch character, Zarya, had returned to popular rotation in the professional circuit.[4]

In February 2018, Geguri became the first female player in the Overwatch League when she joined the Shanghai Dragons.[7][8] She was chosen among the League's top players to represent the Pacific Division in the League's 2018 All-Star Game.[9] Following the first season, Overwatch League commissioner Nate Nanzer said that Geguri "[has] already inspired millions of girls around the world".[10]

References

  1. 1 2 "[카드뉴스] '오버워치' 게구리 김세연 인터뷰…'게구리가 쓴 핵은 사실 겁나잘핵'" [[Card News] 'Overwatch' Geguri Kim Se-yeon Interview... 'The aimbot used by Geguri was just her being extremely good']. 스포츠경향 (Sport Kyunghyang). Kyunghyang Shinmun. June 28, 2016. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Kimes, Mina (September 15, 2017). "Game: Interrupted". ESPN The Magazine MLB Playoffs issue. ESPN. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  3. 1 2 Ashcraft, Brian (June 21, 2016). "Korean Woman Kicks Ass At Overwatch, Gets Accused Of Cheating [Update]". Kotaku. Gizmodo Media Group. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Jeon, Young Jae (August 7, 2017). "Geguri to become first female competitor in Overwatch APEX". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  5. ↑ Ashcraft, Brian. "Korean Woman Kicks Ass At Overwatch, Gets Accused Of Cheating [Update]". Kotaku. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
  6. ↑ 최희욱 기자 (August 5, 2016). "중국프로게임단 EHOME, UW Artisan 인수… 오버워치 팀 창단" [Chinese pro-gaming group EHOME acquires UW Artisan, Established Overwatch team]. Gamechosun (in Korean). Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  7. ↑ Webster, Andrew (February 14, 2018). "The Overwatch League signs its first female player". The Verge. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  8. ↑ Shanghai Dragons (2018-02-14). "We're excited to welcome He "Sky" Junjian, Kim "Geguri" Seyeon, Lee "Fearless" Euiseok and Chon "Ado" Gihyeon to our #OverwatchLeague roster". Twitter.
  9. ↑ Chalk, Andy (June 21, 2018). "Overwatch League All-Star Game starting lineups revealed". PC Gamer. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  10. ↑ Carpenter, Nicole (August 2, 2018). "OWL commissioner Nate Nanzer: Geguri has inspired "millions of girls" around the world". Dot Esports. Retrieved August 2, 2018.

Further reading

  • Alexander, Julia (June 21, 2016). "Blizzard clears high-ranking teenage Overwatch player in cheating scandal". Polygon. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  • Castello, Jay (July 31, 2018). "What makes an Overwatch MVP?". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
  • D'Anastasio, Cecilia (April 5, 2018). "Geguri's Overwatch League Debut Was A Beautiful Moment". Compete. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
  • Deyo, Nico (February 9, 2017). "D.va From Overwatch Has Become A Symbol of Hope In Real Life". Kotaku. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  • Frank, Allegra (January 26, 2017). "Overwatch's gamer girl hero inspires a feminist movement (update)". Polygon. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  • Grayson, Nathan (January 10, 2018). "No Overwatch League Team Signed The Game's Most Notable Female Pro To Their Roster". Kotaku. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  • Lingle, Samuel (June 21, 2016). "Talented young Overwatch player accused of cheating, Blizzard says 'nope'". Dot Esports. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  • Marshall, Cass (August 7, 2017). "Geguri joins ROX Orcas, becomes first female player in Overwatch's top league". Heroes Never Die. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  • McCarthy, Caty (August 12, 2016). "An ode to D.Va, the sassiest dream girl this side of Overwatch". Kill Screen. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
  • Rand, Emily (April 14, 2018). "Geguri: 'I want to keep trying harder and make all my fans proud'". ESPN.com. Retrieved July 28, 2018.
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