From September 26-27, some of the world’s best StarCraft II players will face off at the DreamHack Open in Stockholm, battling for a first-place prize of $10,000 USD and 750 WCS points. This tournament is one of the last stops on the Road to BlizzCon 2014, where the WCS Global Finals will be played in November, so these points could prove invaluable. Let’s take a look at some of the competitors who have a chance to make it into to the finals as part of the top 16.

Among the favorites is Korean powerhouse Eo “soO” Yoon Su, whose current position as 11^th in the WCS standings doesn’t quite reflect his dominance of the competitive StarCraft II scene over the past year. He’s the first player in history to have qualified for the GSL finals (considered by many to be the toughest individual StarCraft II tournament in the world) four times in a row. At the DreamHack Open, soO will fight for his first premier tournament victory—and with it a spot in the WCS Global Finals.

Photo by Helena Kristiansson, esportphoto.com

Another player seeking a chance to compete at BlizzCon 2014 is Norwegian star Jens “Snute” Aasgaard. His determination to make it to the WCS Global Finals is evident: he attended eight tournaments this summer alone, earning 1,625 WCS points. Snute will be aiming to consolidate his current 16^h-place WCS ranking with a great performance in Stockholm in order to earn a trip to finals in November.

Also hoping to represent Europe at BlizzCon is Denmark’s Patrick “Bunny” Brix. Currently ranked in 21^st place, the Terran player will need to put in a top-notch performance at the DreamHack Open if he’s to make it into the top 16 in time for the finals. But Bunny’s recent form suggests he’s a player on the rise, and sure to be a fierce opponent.

Stockholm has an incredible StarCraft II legacy, and more memories are sure to be made in the Globe Arena next week. It was in this very venue that Marcus “ThorZaIN” Eklöf won the DreamHack Open 2012 tournament in front of an adoring home crowd; that Ilyes “Stephano” Satouri was crowned 2012 WCS Europe champion; and that Johan “NaNiwa” Lucchesi proved to the world that he could compete with Korea’s best players in 2013.

Make sure you follow the action live on the WCS Portal. Don’t miss the last stop on the #RoadtoBlizzCon!

Check out what else is happening in Stockholm this weekend: