SOOP announced that Kim Jun-ho claimed the crown at the '2026 GSL (Global Starcraft 2 League) Season 1' grand final, held at the FreecUP Studio in Daechi-dong, Seoul, on the 17th. Kim Jun-ho secured the trophy by defeating Shin Hee-beom with a set score of 4 to 2, marking a historic achievement as the sole record holder for the most championships as a Protoss player.

The GSL, played on StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void, has been a flagship esports staple for SOOP for 17 years since its inception in 2010. It has solidified its status as a long-standing league built hand-in-hand by fans and players, notably through fan-led crowdfunding. Intel served as the main sponsor for this season, with Onside also joining as a supporting partner.

Leading up to the final, the semi-finals saw Kim Jun-ho dispatch Kim Do-wook 3 to 1 to punch his ticket to the main stage. Meanwhile, Shin Hee-beom edged out Cho Seong-ju in a nail-biting 3 to 2 victory. Shin initially dictated the pace of the grand final, deploying aggressive Zergling and Hydralisk compositions to take the first two sets, leaving the score at 2 to 0.

However, the tides turned in the third set as Kim Jun-ho mounted a fierce comeback. He began by harassing with Oracles, followed by a perfectly timed assault using a blend of Archons, Zealots, and Adepts. By the fourth set, he masterfully deployed Oracles and High Templars to dismantle Shin’s aggression, levelling the playing field at 2 to 2.

In the fifth set, despite Shin attempting a push with Roaches and Hydralisks, Kim Jun-ho’s early Void Rays proved decisive in both harassment and skirmishes, handing him a 3 to 2 lead. The final sixth set descended into a frantic slugfest as both players desperately probed for weaknesses, but Kim Jun-ho kept his cool, repelled the final onslaught, and secured the championship.