Every professional gamer faces titanic challenges in the quest to turn their passion into a career. Chris “HuK” Loranger knows this better than anyone. In 2005, things looked grim for the future progamer. Not yet 16, HuK’s life had been derailed by family trouble, poverty and run-ins with the law. The bleakest point came when HuK found himself locked up in juvenile prison. For his father it was a wake-up call—the Lorangers moved to Ontario, Canada later that year, looking for a new start in a new country.

The change of scenery proved critical for HuK’s development. In his new home, HuK discovered a passion for real-time strategy titles like Starcraft: Brood War and Company of Heroes. When the Starcraft II Beta was released in 2010, HuK went all-in, dedicating his life to the game.

Since then, HuK has never been far from the spotlight, continuing to try his hardest in the GSL and beating MC yet again in the finals of MLG Orlando. That victory made him both the first player ever to take two MLG titles and the first foreigner to win a championship following the Korean debut in the MLG Pro Circuit. Never one to rest on his laurels, HuK is back in Korea and training for the GSL.