Q: Thoughts after the match?
Kim Jung-soo: I didn't expect to win 3-0, but it feels great to win cleanly. Also, being able to go to Gyeongju is very exciting. Next, we need to prepare well for the winner's bracket match. Although there's not much time, we will prepare seriously.
Chovy : I'm also very happy to win without dropping a game against DK. Next, we will focus on the remaining matches and prepare well to perform well in the upcoming games.
Q: You let Nasus through?
Kim Jung-soo: Currently, the teams in the playoffs are performing similarly in scrims. Everyone has been letting Nasus through and practicing a lot. We have practiced this champion to the point of being a bit tired of it, so whether we let the opponent pick it or we pick it ourselves, it doesn't feel particularly challenging. We didn't place special importance on this champion because it's common for either the opponent or us to pick it.
Q: You successfully countered the opponent's Nasus with mid-lane Garen?
Chovy : When looking for a counter to Nasus, we thought Garen was a good choice, so we did some research. Whether Garen will appear in the future depends on the BP situation, but this champion is harder to master than expected, so picking Garen doesn't necessarily mean a win. Most mid-lane champions don't have this kind of mechanic, but Garen has the ability to directly kill opponents, so he has a lot of operational space and is quite fun to use.
Q: Peyz performed well with Ziggs today?
Kim Jung-soo: Ziggs is very strong, so we chose this champion. As seen in today's match, we think he performs well in lane. Since we have a certain laning advantage, we try to leverage this strength.
Q: How much of your preparation did GEN show today?
Kim Jung-soo: Today's BP didn't change much, so we couldn't showcase a lot of our preparation. Not just us, but there are many strange champions appearing in scrims now. Everyone is using various champions, so it's not surprising to see any champion picked now.
Q: Is it difficult to train due to the different version of LPL?
Kim Jung-soo: Yes, due to the different version, we couldn't train with LPL teams this time. However, even if we meet them in the playoffs, we will prepare diligently, so we continue to train to give our best in crucial matches. Even so, we still need to revise our strategies and keep training.
Q: How did you find Garen to counter Nasus?
Chovy : We didn't get the inspiration from the European region. When looking for a counter to a certain champion, we refer to some websites that provide data and find a large sample there. We filter out the champions that might be effective in team matches and practice to confirm if they are really viable.
Q: What do you think of Garen as a melee champion?
Chovy : Usually, people think that simple champions are easy to operate, but in reality, the simpler the champion, the more precise the operation needed to perform well. Simple champions are actually harder to master and require a certain level of proficiency to operate properly.
Q: How do you practice Garen?
Chovy : We didn't delve deeply into the playstyle but referred to some Garen experts' item choices. Also, in solo queue, whenever I saw an opportunity to pick Garen, I would practice him, even if I lost a few solo queue games. What's important is winning the official matches. Through such practice, I improved my proficiency.
Q: What aspects of T1 do you find challenging?
Kim Jung-soo: Whether it's playing a BO5 against T1 or their diversity in BP, these are the challenges.
Q: Which team do you think you will face in the winners' bracket finals?
Kim Jeong-soo: As the head coach, I don't really care which team we will face. We will only prepare BP and matches against the winning team, so I haven't specifically thought about which team we will encounter.
Q: Do you think GEN is at the stage where as long as you do your own thing well, you can win?
Kim Jeong-soo: Of course, you can think that way, but I think this is more about mindset management. We talk about these things for a positive effect.
Q: Do you have anything to say at the end of the interview?
Kim Jeong-soo: We won the playoff match today, and I feel very good. We will work hard to prepare for the winners' bracket matches and hope to win the championship in Gyeongju. Thank you, everyone.
Chovy : Although we won today's match, there are still many matches to play. We will continue to work hard and strive to win the final championship.
