Look, let's be honest, SOOP is about to plunge headfirst into the Round of 16 for the Google Play ASL Season 22. According to the broadcaster, the first week of the Round of 16 will kick off on September 7 at 7:00 PM at the FreecUp Studio in Daechi-dong, Seoul, played entirely on StarCraft: Remastered. The official group nomination ceremony, scheduled for the 31st of last month, is set to lock in the matchups, marking the proper beginning of this brutal race for the championship trophy. Naturally, every single match will be hosted offline right there at the FreecUp Studio with a live audience.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, the fierce battles of the Round of 24 are still shaking out to seal those final spots. Following the Round of 24 Week 2 matches slated since the 24th of last month, the final roster joining the Round of 16 is coming together. Looking at the predictions, Group D is expected to see Kim Kyung-mo (Zerg) and Cho Il-jang (Zerg) pull through, Group E points toward Kim Min-chul (Zerg) and Jung Young-jae (Terran), while Group F is tipped to send Kim Myung-woon (Zerg) and Kim Jung-woo (Zerg) safely into the next stage.

Previously, a dozen players—including Kim Yoon-joong (Protoss), Yoo Young-jin (Terran), Lee Young-han (Zerg), Kim Jae-hyun (Terran), Do Jae-wook (Protoss), and Lee Jae-dong (Zerg)—are set to punch their tickets through the earlier brackets. Toss in four seeded heavyweights like Jang Yoon-chul (Protoss), Park Sang-hyun (Zerg), Lee Jae-ho (Terran), and Shin Sang-moon (Terran), and you get a final Round of 16 breakdown featuring 5 Terrans, 8 Zergs, and 3 Protoss players.

The opening week of the Round of 16 starts swinging on September 7 at 7:00 PM with Group A. Park Sang-hyun (Zerg), Kim Yoon-joong (Protoss), Do Jae-wook (Protoss), and Yoo Young-jin (Terran) will tear into each other for those precious quarterfinal passes. The very next day on September 8, Group B brings together Shin Sang-moon (Terran), Kim Kyung-mo (Zerg), Lee Jae-dong (Zerg), and Kim Myung-woon (Zerg). Week 2 rolls around on September 14 with Group C, featuring Lee Jae-ho (Terran), Jung Young-jae (Terran), Kim Min-chul (Zerg), and Cho Il-jang (Zerg). With three past ASL champions jammed into one single group, Lee Jae-ho, Kim Min-chul, and Cho Il-jang are practically guaranteed to turn Group C into absolute carnage. Finally, Group D wraps up the round on September 15 with Jang Yoon-chul (Protoss), Kim Jae-hyun (Terran), Lee Young-han (Zerg), and Kim Jung-woo (Zerg) locking horns.

As for the rules of engagement, the first and second matches of each group in the Round of 16 will be a swift, single-game sprint on the three-player map 'Aeolus'. For the winners' match, losers' match, and the decisive final match, both players will ban one map each from the remaining pool excluding 'Aeolus', leaving three maps to be drawn for a sweaty best-of-three series. You can catch the live broadcasts and VODs over on the SOOP eSports page, and if you fancy testing your luck, check out the official SOOP ASL broadcasting station for details on match prediction events and more.