Even if StarCraft 2 continues to remain compelling, uncertainty over its next five or ten years could result in younger players choosing different games, which would eventually cause the player base to stagnate more than it already has. While the established professional tournament circuit is being maintained for now, contracts to do so aren't permanent, leading many fans to grow concerned over the game's prospects. While StarCraft's historical impact is well-established at this point in time, its future remains anything but, as Blizzard pulled support for the game in an announcement last year. StarCraft 2 is the popular RTS title from Blizzard that is a sequel to StarCraft: Brood War, one of the first releases to lay the foundation for the esports scene that has developed today for such a wide variety of games. With IEM Katowice 2021 fully underway, StarCraft 2 is once again proving that regardless of its long-term health, its short-term prospects contain some of the most compelling personal narratives in esports.
