Looking for the best StarCraft players out there can be tricky, there’s a ton of incredible talent in this game. Being objective is difficult, there’s always a degree of opinion in here. We’re basing our rankings mainly on the prizes these players have earned, the top earning StarCraft 2 players. Along with their tournament wins.
| #Rank | ID | Name | Race | Prize Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serral | Joona Sotala | Zerg | $1,507,081 |
| 2 | Maru | Cho Seong-ju | Terran | $1,317,000 |
| 4 | Dark | Park Ryung-woo | Zerg | $1,103,700 |
| 3 | Rogue | Lee Byeong-yeol | Zerg | $1,061,971 |
| 5 | INnoVation | Lee Shin-hyung | Terran | $811,251 |
| 6 | Reynor | Riccardo Romiti | Zerg | $777,519 |
| 7 | TY | Jeon Tae-yang | Terran | $691,427 |
| 8 | Zest | Joo Sung-wook | Protoss | $683,274 |
| 9 | sOs | Kim Yu-jin | Protoss | $644,860 |
| 10 | Solar | Kang Min-soo | Zerg | $639,379 |
The Best StarCraft Players of All-Time
Let’s take a closer look at the players.
10. Kang ‘Solar’ Min-soo
Solar is one of the best-known StarCraft players out there. He’s a Korean player currently with Team Vitality. He’s taken the win at three different DreamHack opens in the past, and the 2023 Global League.
Solar is one of the top players who is still on the rise. His recent results across the end of 2023 and 2024 include some impressive feats, like winning the Winter World Team League. He could definitely rise further up this list in the future.
- Prize Earnings: $639,379
- Best Achievements: 3-Time DreamHack Open Winner
9. Kim ‘sOs’ Yu-jin
As the only StarCraft II player to have more than one WCS Global Finals win, the retired Kim “sOs” Yu-jin is next on our list. Between his 2013 and 2015 WCS Global Finals victories, he also walked away as the champion of IEM Season VIII World Championship. Basically, for three years straight, he was the best StarCraft 2 player without a doubt. His two WCS Global Final feat especially has stood for quite a while, he might end up the only player to ever hit this height in the game.
- Prize Earnings – $644,848
- Best Achievements – 1st at 2013+2015 WCS Global Finals, 1st at IEM Season VIII World Championship
8. Joo “Zest” Sung-wook
There aren’t many players like ‘Zest’, who every year had claimed at least one Premier Tournament win between 2014 and 2017. Having since retired, the peak of his career came in these years, when he earned his World Championship to cement himself as one of the best of all time. His earnings over these years still rank him as one of the top players.
- Prize Earnings – $683,274
- Best Achievements – 1st at IEM Season IX World Championship, 1st at 2014 GSL Season 1
7. Jeon “TY” Tae-yang
Commonly referred to as one of the “Four Horsemen of Terran” (a race not so commonly played), TY’s playstyle is rather particular. Moreover, his long career took a while before it started taking off, with his first tournament win recorded after competing for eleven years. His time spent grinding definitely paid off though.
This built up to a deadly few seasons, such as in 2017 when the veteran netted his very own IEM Season XI World Championship trophy. He’s gone on to win two of these World Leagues, as one of the best StarCraft 2 players.
- Prize Earnings – $691,427
- Best Achievements – 1st at World Electronic Sports Games 2016, 1st at IEM Season XI World Championship
6. Riccardo ‘Reynor’ Romiti
As one of the few Europeans on the list, ‘Reynor’ from Italy was a breath of fresh air when he stormed into the scene. Now developed into a veteran, his career features several European victories together with his own IEM Katowice 2021 win which is highly celebrated. Moreover, he’s earned a spot here thanks to his victory at Gamers8 2023, with a massive prize on the line.
Reynor is one of the most decorated StarCraft 2 players. He’s also living proof that players that aren’t Korean can still manage to play StarCraft 2 competitively! He’s a trend setter and a prodigy, having played since he was under 11. In that time, he’s amassed tons of earnings at some of the biggest tournaments.
- Prize Earnings – $777,519
- Best Achievements – 1st at Gamers8 2023, 1st at IEM Katowice 2021, 2nd at 2019 WCS Global Finals
5. Lee ‘INnoVation’ Shin-hyung
When he made his name in competitive StarCraft, INnoVation was one of the youngest players on record. However, it wasn’t until StarCraft II came around that INnoVation began scoring victories all over the landscape.
As one of the best SC2 players of all time, his main claim to fame is a plethora of regional victories in South Korea between 2013 and 2017, with the highlights being an IEM Season XI Gyeonggi victory together with a dominant showing at WESG 2018. Now 30, he’s still competing at the top level of the game. He’s won multiple IEM finals, Global StarCraft Leagues, and a WCS.
- Prize Earnings –$811,251
- Best Achievements – 1st at World Electronic Sports Games, 1st at IWM Season XI Gyeonggi
4. Lee ‘Rogue’ Yeol
Recently dethroned from being the highest-earning StarCraft II pro, his career between 2017 and 2021 boasted eight Premier victories, two Major victories, and more than forty minor wins.
Most recently, his crowning moment was defined by a massive $150k win at the IEM Katowice event in 2020 and his World Championship in 2018.
There can be no doubt that Rogue is one of the best StarCraft players of all time – and certainly one with the most titles. The StarCraft betting sites quite simply love him. He stepped away from the game in 2023, but is coming back. Now back in the fold, we might see Rogue rise back up this list across coming tournaments this year.
- Prize Earnings –$1,061,933
- Best Achievements – 1st at 2017 WCS Global Finals, 1st at IEM Katowice 2020, 1st at IEM Season XII World Championship
3. Park “Dark” Ryung-woo
Crowned as Rookie of the Year back in 2015, Park ‘Dark’ Ryung-woo is anything but a rookie in 2024. As one of the most influential players in all of StarCraft 2, his approach to the Zerg race popularized the race throughout the entire community.
Performing exceptionally both locally and internationally, his extensive career is still running wild, with a recent signing to Talon Esports, hoping to return to his dominant form of 2019.
- Prize Earnings –$1,103,700
- Best Achievements – 1st at 2019 WCS Global Finals, 2nd at 2016 WCS Global Playoffs and Finals
2. Cho ‘Maru’ Seong-ju
There are many who will happily claim that Maru is the best StarCraft 2 players of all time. He’s certainly one with impeccable achievements, claiming the title of the youngest GSL player of all time.
When he was just thirteen years of age, he competed in a televised event, making history in one of his first competitions.
At the time of writing this piece, Maru boasts over $1.3 million in StarCraft earnings. In the eleven years he has been competing, Maru has claimed a huge number of wins. Throughout 2023, the veteran earned a few more GSL victories.
Maru definitely deserves a spot on this list, with some suggesting that when he plays, it isn’t TvT, but TvM.
- Prize Earnings –$1,316,463
- Best Achievements – 1st at WESG 2017, 2nd at IEM Katowice 2023
1. Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala
In a competitive scene dominated by South Korean talent, the best StarCraft 2 player of all time is Joona ‘Serral’ Sotala, a veteran from Finland.
Dominating a variety of StarCraft 2 tournaments in his decorated career, naming them all here would certainly be a tall order.
The defining moment of his career came in 2018, when he scored the grand victory in the 2018 WCS Global Finals, landing a massive $280k in one sweep. However, that certainly wasn’t the end of the line for Serral, who would go on to win many more victories, such as winning IEM Katowice 2022.
Today, he remains one of the best in the world and is still motivated to stay on top.
- Prize Earnings –$1,507,081
- Best Achievements – 1st at 2018 WCS Global Finals, 1st at IEM Katowice 2022, 1st at WCS Fall
Our list and information could contribute to you identifying the best StarCraft betting odds when used appropriately.
