Rumours have failed to dwindle away with forum trolls constantly discussing about ReprisaL using disc-hack programs on the Kalimdor ladders. The fast-nurturing precocious talent from Korea have managed to turn heads recently by upstaging players like MYM]FoCuS and MYM]Shy in the third season of AWL.

Yet, ReprisaL was bafflingly released by Clan Go even before he had his chance to debut in the WC3L. myMYM.com’s Press Access examines the situation with an interview with the 18-year-old whom aspires to earn as much as MYM]Moon.


Hello ReprisaL, please introduce yourself and how you started Warcraft 3.

Hello, my name is Jong Seok Lee and I am from Iksan, Korea. Dayfly was my idol and inspired me to become a progamer. I started Warcraft 3 in December 21, 2003.

Can you tell us about your clan, A.1st? Did it groom any notable players?

It’s not A.1st, but A.one. We were formerly known as PGIT, but we changed the name after some members left. Our team’s leader is Junior. PGIT is also known for grooming players like FiveStar, Guardian, eastlegend and Terrys-

How did you get to acquainted with Clan Go? And why did you start playing for them in leagues like WPL?

I got to know Clan Go’s manager, Drum through Junior (A.one’s leader). From there, I wanted to know more about European leagues, practice on GGC as well as participate in European tournaments.

And what happened after that? Why were you released from the team?

In the beginning, I used to play for the second squad of Clan Go in leagues like TGL. But to be part of Go’s WC3L roster, it is mandatory that I have to practice with the first team. Unfortunately, my practice style involves laddering with smurfs, micro maps and watching lots of replays. This led to them believing that I don’t practice at all, which explains why I was released from the team.

Besides, both the team’s and my mentality are totally different as well.


What really happened with that disc-hacking issue? Was it a regular ladder abuse?

First of all, let me explain that I ladder with several IDs and it’s not disc-hacking, but ladder abusing. I don’t even use any hack programs at all. Why should I hack if I am a pro-gamer in the first place, anyway?

I guess Europeans have never heard of this abuse. Since I ladder with a few IDs, whenever I meet my clanmates on ladder, they’ll leave the game instantly to give me a free-win. This allows all my ladder accounts to have high ELL so that I can play against high level players.

Do you have any teams that you plan to join now that you are released from Clan Go?

I don’t want to join any other team at the moment. Right now, I want to concentrate on winning ACB Season 10 (All-stars Clan Battle) with A.one. After that, I will try to find another team for myself.

But SK-Gaming and MeetYourMakers are my dream teams. I guess it goes the same for every WC3 player out there.

You are 18 years old. How do you balance studying and playing Warcraft 3 competitively at the same time?

I have just graduated from high school, so I’m not studying at the moment. Right now my life involves playing Warcraft 3 or hanging out with friends over a drink.

How does it feel to be a late bloomer in the scene? Do you have any regrets not playing the game earlier?

Sure, I’m a late bloomer. As I started Warcraft 3 a long time ago, I guess I have made a name for myself in the Korean scene for quite awhile already. But since there aren’t much Korean tournaments, nor do I compete in European leagues, I am not that popular on an international scale.

Nonetheless, I have confidence that I will be able to catch up with the other pro-gamers.

ReprisaL - Not planning to join any other team for now

Why are you only playing in AWL and not in other online leagues like ZOTAC or xLocup?

It’s not that I don’t want to play in those tournaments, but I can’t. I don’t know the rules of those events, and I don’t have a manager to help me with that. I really want to play in those tournaments, though.

Who are your usual practice partners and how often do you practice?

I don’t have a regular practice schedule. In fact, I don’t practice a lot; I just watch lots of replays. But before tournaments, I practice with players like WinNers, Guardian and FiveStar.


What are your personal thoughts about the Korean Warcraft scene? Too many good players, too little tournaments?

I hope that the Korean gaming television channels like MBCGame or OnGameNet will start organizing Warcraft 3 events again. I would also like to see NiceGameTV growing bigger to break the StarCraft trend.

But when it comes to players’ skill levels, I believe that Korean, Chinese and European players are all equal.

What do you think about your performance in AWL season 3, compared to season 1 and 2?

I feel really good because my objective was to reach top 8, and I failed to reach that in the earlier 2 seasons. I guess you have also noticed my improvement this season.


Do you have any targets you want to achieve with Warcraft 3? How much money do you plan to earn with this game?

Well, I wanted to play against DayFly at the Grand Finals of a tournament. But since he retired, my goal is changed to the best human player in the world. Money-wise, I want to earn as much as MYM]Moon. Hopefully, that will come true.

Translation with the help of Hongs

An exclusive replay pack of ReprisaL can also be downloaded here