BrokenBlade : To perform as crazily as sweeping TES; Bin is also very strong in reality

Q: There are only a few days left until the Swiss round of the S14 World Championship. How do you feel? Are you excited about the first match against PNG?

BrokenBlade : Yes, I am very excited. Usually, in the days leading up to the World Championship, you always get this feeling of excitement. And today, just like in previous years, the excitement is back. Seeing other players in the hotel lobby or hallway gives you a sense of "Oh, it's really happening." I'm glad our first match is against PNG. The last time we played against a Brazilian team, it felt great, especially the game where I used Darius. There were some exciting moments, and I'm very excited.

Note: Refers to the 2023 MSI where G2 played against LOUD in the play-in stage.

Q: The LCK teams have just arrived. Are you looking forward to the first scrims against the Eastern teams?

BrokenBlade : Yes, we have already had a few scrims with one of their teams.

Q: Is everything going well?

BrokenBlade : Yes, everything is going well. I don't want to spoil too much. I just want to get to the matches quickly. The excitement in the hotel room is palpable. We actually arrived a bit late, and we have a training base in Berlin, but it feels different when you have to go somewhere to compete. In previous years, I had to fly over 15 hours for the World Championship. The team had to gather at the airport for long flights, and everyone was exhausted, plus there was the jet lag. But this time is different. This time, other teams, especially the Eastern teams, have to deal with this situation. It's good for us to see how they handle these issues. After all, potential illnesses or jet lag problems don't exist for us, so we can focus on preparing to play against PNG.

Q: Isma (G2 assistant coach) just finished the Berlin Marathon. Now you are about to start your own World Championship marathon. How is G2's energy reserve? Are you ready for the challenge?

BrokenBlade : The World Championship is always a bigger challenge. We have plenty of motivation and energy. We will do our best to utilize what we learned last year and this year. This lineup has been together for almost two years now. We really want to prove that we can go out and beat the Asian teams. We already did it at MSI this year. It's been a long time since our last match, and this time we want to do the same thing, beat more teams, not just one. We almost beat T1, although we got crushed the second time. This time, we want to perform crazily, just like when we swept TES 3-0. We will beat PNG, and hopefully beat an Asian team in the second round of the Swiss round. That would be great.

Q: Given that this lineup has been playing together for two years, do you feel any extra pressure? Because if you fail this time, the lineup might change next year?

BrokenBlade : I don't necessarily feel pressure. In fact, I feel more secure. I've been playing with this team for over a year now. I know how to handle high-pressure moments. We've faced many such moments together, regardless of success or failure, we've had many great experiences. I think if this isn't our best chance, then when is it? I'm very grateful to be a part of G2. I've never seen a team keep the same lineup for two consecutive years and make it to the World Championship. For me, this is a great opportunity for our entire team to prove ourselves.

Q: G2 always starts strong in the Worlds and then falters. What have you done this time to ensure stability?

BrokenBlade : The first important thing is to understand the goal behind all of this. I really like what our coach Isma said, which is that we didn't win the LEC finals on the day of the finals, but through weeks of effort. I hope that before we actually win the match, we can achieve a state of winning before the battle. So this requires a lot of effort, more time, and practice than in previous years.

Starting strong in the Worlds can be exciting, like "oh, we just beat TES," which might affect us. In the past, we did feel this way, for example, we started well at MSI and then got a bit overconfident. But I quickly realized the reality. Some things happen because you are competing with the best players in the world, and you will be punished for mistakes. If you are not prepared, you will quickly fall behind.

For us, it is important to be prepared from day one and be ready to handle high-pressure moments. As the captain, I hope we can maintain a good mindset. Now I am working with Isma to prepare for this.

Q: Compared to last year, how do you think Western teams' chances are this year?

BrokenBlade : I think the chances are better this year than last year. I believe North America will be much stronger than last year. I am not sure what kind of performance FNC will have, but I hope they do well. It is always nice to see European teams succeed. I know they sometimes struggle with momentum, so if they can start strong, they can do well. As for us, we always want to improve, especially after last year. Losing to NRG was unexpected for us. This time we want to go further. Winning the Worlds has never been easy, but we will take it one game at a time and focus on ourselves.

Q: Do you think GEN, HLE, and BLG can be defeated?

BrokenBlade : It's hard to say right now because, as you mentioned, we haven't scrimmed against them much. So far, we've only had one scrim against Asian teams. Compared to previous years, I think the gap between these teams is closer. I can't give a definite answer. I am just very excited to compete against the best top laners in the world. Since 2020, I have always wanted to play against players like Bin and Zeus. For me, returning to the Worlds is a great opportunity to showcase my abilities. I think I played well at MSI and proved that I can compete with such opponents.

Q: Bin agreed to arm wrestle you again after winning last time. Do you have confidence that you can beat him this time?

BrokenBlade :Bin is a very strong guy, not just in the top lane, but in real life as well. I have experienced this firsthand. However, I have been working out a lot over the past year. Many people can see the difference between last year and this year. I have lost a lot of weight and gained a lot of muscle. I think this time it will be more evenly matched. I am not sure if I can match him offline, but I hope he is prepared for the rematch both on and off the stage.

Q: What is the minimum goal for G2 this year, and what would be considered a failure?

BrokenBlade : At the very least, we need to get through the Swiss stage, otherwise, it would be a big failure. Last year we thought we could at least make the quarterfinals, especially after the draw. But this year, no matter who we play against, we want to stay humble. We will do our best. Underestimating our opponents was one of the reasons we failed before, and this cannot happen again. For us, at least making it to the quarterfinals is a must. Of course, we aim to win the championship.