Q: It's been a while since you stepped away from your player career, how do you feel now? What have you been busy with lately?
Deft : Actually, there isn't any special feeling, it feels like just taking a short break after the season ends, and I don't have many thoughts at the moment.
Q: The "Last Dance" since winning the 2022 World Championship is coming to an end. Has your mindset changed over time?
Deft : Before winning the championship, I always thought that once I got the championship, everything would be over, and I felt there wouldn't be anything left to pursue after winning, and I might not have motivation anymore. But when I actually won the championship, I felt an immense joy that motivated me to pursue that feeling again. It is precisely because of this motivation that I have been able to keep working hard until now, practicing continuously, and not letting myself feel ashamed.
Q: There are actually quite a few negative voices from the outside world, what do you think about that?
Deft : To be honest, I think what I see is the most accurate. Regarding my own strength, I still feel competitive. If I weren't competitive, the team wouldn't choose me, after all, they are not fools, so I haven't paid much attention to the outside voices.
Q: Professional players are considered "veterans" at 30 years old, but there are many players in their 30s in FPS games. What are your views on age and experience?
Deft : The history of e-sports is not long, and there haven't been many players before, so there aren't many precedents. I think if e-sports had a longer history like traditional sports, there would probably be more players in their 30s, and this stereotype wouldn't exist.
Q: What kind of player do you hope to be remembered as by your fans?
Deft : Although it's a bit vague, the term "good player" encompasses a lot of meanings, and I hope to be remembered as a good player.
Q: So as an ordinary person, what kind of person does Jin Hee-kyu want to be?
Deft : Just... a person who works hard at life. I think people who work hard at life, like my parents, are very charming, so I want to be a person who works hard at life.
Q: If you had to describe the ordinary person and professional player Jin Hee-kyu in one word, what would you say?
Deft : When I was a child... it might be a bit hard to describe, maybe like a "rascal." As a professional player, there are ups and downs, but overall it's not bad. As for the future as an ordinary person, I'm not quite sure, but I do feel a bit anxious inside.
Q: Do you have any regrets about your professional career?
Deft : Right now, it's not about regretting achievements or anything like that, but rather feeling that I worked so hard and enjoyed the process, and some regrets might come from missing that lifestyle. Being supported by so many people and sometimes criticized, this kind of life is actually rare. So I feel a bit regretful about whether I will be able to experience this unique life again in the future.
Q: If you could go back ten years with these memories, would you still choose this path?
Deft : If I could go back to the past with these memories, I would choose to become a professional player again, but I don't think the outcome would be better than now. Because going back to the past might not allow me to give my all like I did back then, and I might not be able to achieve better results or show better performance.
Q: Have you ever thought about giving up during your professional career?
Deft : Although there have been moments when I thought about giving up, in the long term, I don't think I ever truly wanted to give up. It's just that I am a very emotional person, and occasionally I have had such thoughts in fleeting moments.
Q: What has kept you going until now?
Deft : I think it’s because whenever I fail to perform at my best or achieve good results, I always think, "I'll try again next time, I'll work hard once more," and that's how I've persisted little by little until today without realizing it.
Q: If you could live again, would you still choose the path of a professional player because of those precious memories?
Deft : Although I don't know if I have reached the end now, I believe I have left behind many things. Not just achievements or money, but many people have remained by my side. Not only my teammates, head coach, and coaching staff, but also the fans. In the past, because I didn't go to school much, I often felt that I was not as good in interpersonal relationships as my peers, and I even had some regrets. But now I feel that I have a richer network of relationships than my friends, especially the special relationship with fans, which friends cannot experience. These are very precious experiences.
Q: Among your bottom lane partners, who do you think is the best match?
Deft : In fact, this issue should be viewed separately.In the laning phase, I think I work best with Meiko and Keria. Rather than saying we have a special synergy, it’s that both of these players have strong laning abilities, so we can coordinate well, especially with TusiN, the three of us should be the most in sync during the laning phase.As for commanding, I feel I work best with Mata and BeryL.
Q: What has been your most memorable moment during your two years at EDG?
Deft : There are many memorable moments. When I first arrived at EDG, the house I lived in wasn’t bad, but it was relatively old. However, that time was very interesting; it felt very homely, not just a pure office environment, but truly like playing games and eating together at home, which made that time unforgettable for me. Later, we moved to a new e-sports base, and the environment became very nice, which I also enjoyed a lot. Additionally, the most impressive moment for me was the award ceremony I attended upon my return.
Q: What does " Meiko " mean to you?
Deft : He is a friend I am grateful for. Although Meiko has become a veteran now, back then he was just starting out and didn’t understand many things, but he always took good care of my feelings, and we had a lot of fun playing together, so I am very thankful to him.
