On the heel of Starcraft match scandal, Blizzard and Korean e-Sports Association has severed its ties with Blizzard looking for new partner in Korea. The breaking point was not the cheating scandal but the overall strain developed between the two entities over the years. The latest blow came about because of Blizzard’s decision not to include LAN support for their upcoming Starcraft 2 game. In Korea, Starcraft rivals any national sports in terms of viewership and popularity. Blizzard’s decision to limit online play through their Battle.net might cause some problem with the local matches. Both sides are not budging on this topic. While Blizzard seems to be worried about piracy and share of E-sports profit, KeSPA is focusing on the eventual match and how to get around the lack of LAN support. More than likely, both sides will come to some term.
According to Yonhap news, Blizzard has ceased any further talks with KeSPA in continuing their relationship. The main problem is the intellectual property right about broadcasting Starcraft game. With the impending release of Starcraft 2, Blizzard is seeking bigger share of the broadcasting licensing fees. Currently, Blizzard is not compensated for the broadcasts. With KeSPA holding some of the biggest players and teams, this could result in some nasty fight between Blizzard and KeSPA.
In the past, Blizzard tried to circumvent KeSPA by sponsoring their own tournament via GOMTV. However, KeSPA blocked their members from participating in any Blizzard sanctioned tournaments. With talks going nowhere, Blizzard will be looking for new partner ahead of the Starcraft 2 launch. I’m not sure who will come out on top but, Korea is important market for Blizzard and they would like to see more profit from the tournaments.