Whether you spend your days doing what you love or having to do what it takes to get by, we get that no two millennials are alike. For a lot of us, finding what we love and being able to make a decent living off of it isn’t so much an option as it a crowd-funded Kickstarter dream, but for professional gamers Kim “viOLet” Dong Hwan and Choi “Polt” Seong Hun that dream is a very palpable reality.
Individually sponsored by Red Bull, viOLet, 23, and Polt, 25, have spent the past four months continuing to compete in both national and international Starcraft II tournaments and training out of Atlanta in preparation for Red Bull’s Battle Grounds series in partnership Red Bull E-Sports.
Both Polt and ViOLet began playing SCII, a strategic multi-tasking warfare game, in 2011 and have since gone on to be internationally ranked, but that’s about where the similarities stop.
Clearly confident, viOLet’s training days begin around 7am, broken up by visits to the gym and necessary downtime of course. He plays exclusively as Zerg, one of three optional races, and admires the level of skill and adaptability that a game like SCII requires. ViOLet admits that the constant travel can be taxing, but it’s part of what he loves about being so heavily involved in the world of professional gaming.
Polt is the night owl to viOLet’s early bird playing as Terran. Having previously attended one of the best universities in Korea, Polt is an academic at heart. He compares his fascination with SCII to his love for science and experimentation. Polt admits he’s a bit older than some other gamers at 25, but in a slump it has been his fans and his ultimate prioritization of happiness that have kept him going.
The pair discussed everything from strategy to relationship statuses at a Q & A this past Thursday hosted by Atlanta’s Battle N Brew gaming in effort to promote the upcoming Red Bull Battle Ground tournament set to take place July 11-13 at Center Stage Theater.
Up next? A reality competition series hosted by friend and SCII commentator Alex Rodriguez in which 10 other SCII gamers will get the chance to train and learn from the pair themselves. Set to premiere this fall, Rodriguez and his partner Andrew Tomlinson hope that even non-gamers will enjoy tuning in to the show and getting to know the faces behind the controllers. We know we certainly have.
Follow Polt and viOLet on Twitter @CMStormPolt and @viOLetstarcraft. And for more information or to purchase tickets for the Red Bull Battle Grounds Starcraft II Tournament, click here and follow @RedbullESPORTS.
