SOOP announced on the 24th that it will kick off the esports league 'ASL Season 19' featuring Blizzard Entertainment's science fiction RTS game 'StarCraft®: Remastered' starting March 24.
The round of 24 group stage will be held from March 24 to April 2, divided into six groups (A through F), starting at 7 p.m. The matches will take place offline with a live audience at the 'FreakUp Studio' in Daechi-dong, Seoul. In the opening match of Group A, Byun Hyun-jae (P), Yoo Seung-gon (T), Kim Yoon-jung (P), and Kim Yoon-hwan (Z) will compete, with Byun Hyun-jae and Yoo Seung-gon playing the first game.
Group B (March 25) will feature Yoo Young-jin (T), Ko Seok-hyun (Z), Kim Ji-sung (T), and Lee Young-woong (T), while Group C (March 26) will include Do Jae-wook (P), Bang Tae-soo (Z), Park Sung-kyun (T), and Hwang Byeong-young (T). Do Jae-wook and ACS champion Bang Tae-soo, who is making their ASL debut, will face off in the first match, followed by Park Sung-kyun and Hwang Byeong-young.
Group D (March 31) will see Lee Jae-ho (T), Park Ji-hoon (P), Kim Taek-yong (P), and Park Joon-oh (Z) clash, while Group F (April 2) features Jo Il-jang (Z), Yoon Su-cheol (P), Kim Sung-dae (Z), and Choi Ho-seon (T).
Group E will take place on April 1, where Lee Jae-dong and Song Byung-gu will face each other for the first time in an official match in 7 years and 5 months, generating anticipation among fans. The two players will reunite on the league stage for the first time since the round of 16 in ASL Season 4, with Lee Jae-dong having the advantage in their official match history.
The 12 players who pass the round of 24 will hold the group selection ceremony on April 7 alongside Kim Min-cheol (Z), Jo Gi-seok (T), Jung Yoon-jong (P), and Jang Yoon-cheol (P), and the round of 16 matches will begin on April 14.
Tickets for on-site viewing will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 5 p.m. every Thursday through TicketLink, and there will also be a prediction event for users watching the matches.
Meanwhile, SOOP changed the tournament name from 'ASL' to 'SSL' last autumn, but returned to the original league name 'ASL' in consideration of fan requests and the significance of ASL.