Protoss powerhouse Kim Jun-ho has been crowned champion of the 2026 GSL Season 1, held at the FreecUP Studio in Daechi-dong, Seoul, after defeating Shin Hee-bum 4-2 in the finals.
스타크래프트2 Starcraft2
GSL Official Broadcast Image ©SOOP

In the first set, Shin Hee-bum successfully defended against Kim Jun-ho's early Adept attack and prepared a counter-attack with Queens, Roaches, and Ravagers. Kim Jun-ho, who had taken his third base, was not yet fully defended; Shin destroyed the expansion and added Hydralisks to his composition to secure the first win.
In the second set, Shin Hee-bum took control by utilizing a Zergling, Baneling, and Hydralisk composition to execute a pincer attack against Kim Jun-ho’s High Templar, Zealot, and Stalker army. Shin consistently secured additional expansions while denying his opponent the same, bringing the score to 2-0.
Kim Jun-ho used Oracles to scout the Zerg's composition and smoothly secured his third base. Shin Hee-bum also opted for a late-game focus rather than an all-in, successfully defending against the Oracle harassment. Kim seized the initiative when the Zerg only had Zerglings, using Archons, Zealots, and Adepts to destroy a base. He pressed his advantage to take the third set, marking his first win of the series.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern. This time, however, Shin Hee-bum prepared Roaches and Hydralisks instead of Zerglings and Banelings. Shin quickly massed units to hit a 200-supply army first and launched a simultaneous two-pronged attack. It was a major crisis for the Protoss, but Kim Jun-ho utilized his Oracles and High Templars effectively to repel the attack and level the series at 2-2.
The momentum shifted to Kim Jun-ho. Shin Hee-bum prepared another all-in attack with Roaches and Hydralisks, but this time, Kim produced Void Rays to survive the timing window before his main army composition was complete. After successfully defending, Kim secured his third consecutive win after being down 0-2.
In the sixth set, Shin Hee-bum attempted to create a variable by building a Hatchery at his opponent's natural expansion. Kim Jun-ho responded calmly, dealing damage with Zealot and Adept harassment while securing his own back-door expansion first. In a tense situation, the game devolved into a chaotic series of base trades rather than direct army engagements. As the game stabilized, the Protoss held the advantage. Kim Jun-ho successfully induced a chaotic multi-pronged battle to gain an edge, eventually repelling Shin Hee-bum's final attack to claim the championship.