Jeff Kim interviews his buddy viOlet from Korea's prestigious MVP Starcraft 2 team.

Today's guest here at Cadred is none other than Dong Hwan Kim, better know as MVP_viOlet. His team tag alone should be familiar enough, being arguably the best Starcraft 2 team in the world. Today we look at what viOlet has planned for his near and distant future, what his expectations are personally for the 2011 season, and what he plans on doing after gaming. Enjoy!


viOlet, it's a pleasure finally to interview you. How have you been lately and what's been happening for you as far as Starcraft 2 goes?

Well as some may know, I used to play Warcraft 3 back in the day as most newbies to the Starcraft and Starcraft 2 scene in general have done. As the scene sort of died in my eyes for WC3, I decided the only decision logically was to pick up SC2 and become lucky in that and hopefully get to the level where I could compete -- I was blessed enough to have that ability to transfer and maintain a good level of skill so I'm just making a name for myself in the SC2 scene for now.

I'd just like to point out that you aren't KT violet, you're a different person. Why did you choose the alias viOlet?

Yeah, I don't know KT violet personally, but have heard very awesome stories about the guy and wish him the best with his health, regarding his situation earlier this year. Violet is my favorite color, and my name mainly came from the movie called Coyote Ugly. There's this quite attractive woman in it named Violet, and she caught my eye so I decided to make my alias Violet, that's about all there is to it, haha!

You qualified for GSL May, but you were knocked out by Mvp in Ro8. What are your thoughts on this, and do you think if you had a rematch you could defeat him?

Haha, me and Mvp have a good in-game relationship and whatnot, we like practicing with each other. My keyboard had some problems early on, and I mis-clicked my Queen's production and whatnot. Let's just say this, next time I play him and I can click my Queen properly, I can win 100%!

MVP_viOlet focusing in.

How did you initially start playing games? You're now a very known professional gamer, but where did this all start?

It all started when I tried out Warcraft 3. I loved the mod DotA, and I couldn't stop playing it! As I played a Scout, my awareness in-game had to be very keen, and it eventually led to me being apart of a professional team. From then on, it's just been unfolding faster than I can comprehend. It's been a truly interesting journey.

Do you regret selecting Starcraft 2 over a different game? Why or why not?

I don't regret one bit of it, to say it simply. I'm Code S right now, and couldn't be happier with my current accomplishments.

Who is your gaming idol? Why?

Nestea. He is amazing, haha!

Who is your inspiration in life? Why?

My father for sure. He's a sports enthusiast and has always been there for me. I respect him a ton as both a parent and friend, and he's really inspired me to "take that extra step" to get to where I've gotten to today.

Exclusive screenshot of HotS' newest unit: The Rainbow Snail-ling.

If you could pick a single person to be considered your worst fear of facing in a tournament, who would you choose?

There's not really a single person that I'm afraid of -- although it may be worse than a single person, I really am intimidated by mirror matches versus Zerg opponents. Against Terran and Protoss, I'm fine. If I ZvZ, I get a bit nervous but really enjoy playing Zerg mirror matches because it always adds a bit of unique strategy to the game at hand.

You've won not one, not two, but ELEVEN WarCraft III ZOTAC Cups, making you the 4th all-time leader in cup wins for ZOTAC. Do you miss WC3 at all?

Yes, every day I miss WC3, but I don't regret moving. Although I was very successful in the ZOTAC cups and I respect them, I've moved on from them. The eleven cups that I won didn't come free -- many hours of dedication and practice went into each and every cup. Practice makes (near) perfect!

You won Korea's XP League Season 6 a few months ago. Do you think you can take a few more titles in the future?

I am confident that I can secure more titles when more leagues open up, as the XP league is closed for now. I'm excited to see how Starcraft 2 grows in the near future, as all of these tournaments and events have been announced recently including NASL and whatnot.

The man himself looking a bit on the pouty side. Lose a game there, bro?

You're a Zerg, a popular choice among aggressive players such as yourself. Why choose Zerg over Terran or Protoss?

I like Protoss, but I just feel better with Zerg. Terran never really was a favored race with me, I'm not sure why. I just feel like my fingers move more smoothly when I play Zerg, and it was the logical choice for me because of that.

What is your favorite overall strategy in the game of Starcraft 2?

Zergling rush, because they're so fast just like the strat itself. They're like Warcraft 2 Blademasters, but they're bugs, haha!

You joined the MVP team after leaving SK Gaming a while back. Why did you not stick with SK?

Well there were many issues I don't really feel comfortable discussing, but I will have enough opening towards my readers and (few) fans and say that there was some situations that occurred in my life which forced this to be, and there was a long period in which I couldn't play the game, but am very happy with my team MVP, and wish to succeed beyond expectations in the future.

There's been many people saying Terran is imba, and now after the recent patch, they're moaning about tons of imbalance in the game -- do you see this to be accurate? Why or why not?

Terran IS imba. I don't think there's much more to say bro! Haha.

How confident are you that you will walk away from Starcraft 2 with at least one GSL win in your gaming career?

I really feel like I'm at my prime now and that anything is possible. Hopefully with the support of my team, fans, and practice partners and family, I can achieve this.

"I caught a fish THIS big!

How is it facing top level players on the Korean ladder opposed to the supposed "easier" ladder here in North America or Europe?

Well I wouldn't consider myself a top player by any means, give it some time before we come back to that question, and it might change! As for the ladders, Koreans are very dedicated to gaming as we look at it sort of like a lifestyle, so it's nice knowing that I'm playing on the better of the three ladders presented, although I have massive respect for both US and EU.

If you didn't play Starcraft 2, what game would you choose instead (other than WC3)?

I'm really not sure how to answer that question. As some may know, military in South Korea is mandatory, so I don't think that I'd be playing a game due to this if I didn't play Starcraft 2.

What do you plan on doing later in life as a job? Do you plan on being a gamer for a bit and retiring as a caster, or leaving gaming altogether once you quit (however distant in the future that may be)?

To be honest I'll have to see how far I go in the Starcraft 2 scene. Once I retire later in life from this scene, I will attend University and get a degree and go from there. As for leaving gaming altogether or coming back to it later in life, time will tell.

viOlet waves goodbye to Cadred, until next time.

Just very quickly, a vital question -- what is your favorite Korean dish to eat?

Bulgogi. I don't think there's any argument here, we both know that dish is pro!

Thank you for your time, I really appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to do this. Is there any shoutouts you'd like to give or anything on your mind you'd like to wrap this up with?

Thank you to my fans, sponsors, family, team members, practice partners, and all of my friends for supporting me. My name is viOlet, and remember my name when you see it on a Starcraft 2 game or GSL tournament. Wait for me at the top, as I'll be there in due time. <3

There you have it folks, MVP_viOlet's interview, doing it with style 2K11. Keep your eye open on Cadred for a ton of coverage over the upcoming summer months as I attempt to interview many more famous gamers from around the world. Jeff Kim, out.