The era of Zerg continues.
Kim Min-chul, known as "The Iron Wall," who previously set a monumental record of four consecutive titles, captured the championship once again after three seasons, achieving the milestone of seven consecutive Zerg victories and five career ASL titles. It was a hard-fought grand final against Yoo Young-jin that went all the way to Game 7, where Kim ultimately overpowered Yoo using Ultralisks in the deciding set to claim the title.
In Game 4 with Yoo Young-jin leading 2-1, Yoo opened with a Barracks Double while Kim Min-chul opted for a standard natural expansion, leading into a conventional macro battle. As Yoo gathered a bionic army and attempted his first push, Kim devoured the bionic force with a swarm of Mutalisks and Zerglings. Kim continuously rallied offensive units, taking control of the Terran main base to tie the series at 2-2.
In Game 5, Yoo Young-jin walled off his ramp and prepared a 2-Starport Wraith strategy. Kim Min-chul took minimal damage from the Wraiths while securing three gas bases, taking early control of the game. Because Yoo had committed heavily to 3 Starports, he had to micro his Wraiths flawlessly. However, leveraging his 3-gas economy, Kim seized control of the Terran rear expansion with a swarm of Mutalisks and Scourges to inflict heavy damage, then overwhelmed Yoo with Hydralisk and Lurker attacks to reach match point at 3-2.
In Game 6 on Odyssey, Yoo Young-jin opened with a bold No-Barracks Double, while Kim Min-chul chose a greedy 3 Hatchery build rather than a gamble. Though in a tight spot, Yoo calmly executed his strategy, dismantling Kim with a fast and powerful Marine, Medic, Tank, and Valkyrie push before Zerg could transition into Hive tech, tying the series at 3-3.
The battleground for the deciding Game 7 that would determine the Season 22 champion was Attitude. In the final game, Yoo Young-jin opted for an 8 Barracks build. Fortunately, Kim Min-chul's Overlord scouted vertically on its first path, discovering his opponent's intent even before Drone scouting. Kim pulled Drones early to defend, shutting down Yoo's bunker rush almost completely and seizing the upper hand.
Already low on resources, Yoo Young-jin even pulled SCVs to defend, severely delaying his natural Command Center. Meanwhile, having lost almost no Drones, Kim Min-chul gathered gas and teched up to Lair. While momentum heavily favored Zerg, Yoo remained calm and executed his play patiently. Securing the center map with his bionic forces, Yoo launched a hit squad that dealt significant damage to Zerg's 11 o'clock expansion.
Kim Min-chul focused on stabilizing his position by restoring the 11 o'clock expansion and preparing for potential Dropship raids, while Yoo Young-jin kept his main army active to secure a mineral expansion. Yoo's primary objective was to delay Zerg's 4th gas for as long as possible. As Kim sought to transition to Ultralisks, he desperately needed that 4th gas. Yoo kept delaying the 4th gas while managing his Science Vessels effectively, continuously hunting down Lurkers and Defilers.
However, Kim Min-chul actively utilized Defilers to hold the line, successfully transitioning to Ultralisks and wiping out nearly all the pesky Science Vessels with Plague. Gaining breathing room, Zerg reached a point where he could harass Terran expansions, and the supply count reversed in his favor. Ultimately, Kim defeated Yoo 4-3 to become the first player in ASL history to win five individual titles.
