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StarCraft 2 WCS Europe Season 1 regional finals start tomorrow: we know the place, the times, and the shoutcasters

StarCraft II: a game where the pros are (mostly) polite.

So far, our Rob’s found himself less than whelmed with StarCraft 2’s inaugural World Championship Series. A “bloodless intellectual exercise”, it’s failed to fuel the sort of big personalities you’ll readily find in Riot’s LCS. But the competition has rattled on through its early rounds regardless, at such furious pace that we’re already right on top of the European finals. They happen in Cologne, Germany, this weekend.

Qualifying pros will fight like rude dogs over a yummy steak for the $100,000 prize pool stumped up by Blizzard. First place will walk away with $20,000 of that, as well as 1,500 in WCS points. The points will leave them much better positioned on the 2013 WCS Leaderboard, and dramatically improve their chances of grabbing a place in the Grand Finals at BlizzCon in November.

The top five players in the this weekend’s event will also advance to the cross-region finals in Seoul, South Korea on June 7–9.

For now, though, the action’s in Cologne, at ESL TV Studio One. There, host Paul ’Redeye’ Chaloner and a live studio audience will be joined by shoutcasters James ‘Kaelaris’ Carrol and Shaun ‘Apollo’ Clark.

The games begin at 4am PDT tomorrow, continue at 3am PDT on Sunday, and the very last rounds will play out from 12:15pm PDT on the last day (May 26).

As usual, the whole thing will be broadcast for free. Will you be watching? Let’s hope Stephano makes it through his metaphorical last day before retirement in one piece.