Q: I noticed that towards the end of the European season, G2 seemed to lean more towards traditional compositions. Is there a particular reason for playing more conservatively? Will there be any special picks and bans at the World Championship?
Caps : Well, we did use Gwen, right? (laughs) Actually, innovation is quite difficult, especially for the mid lane, as there are many AD champions. I did try some innovative ADCs, which I could have used in some situations, but it ultimately didn't happen. So... yes, many compositions are similar. However, the current patch is a bit crazy, and it's not fully determined which champions are the strongest for mid lane.
Q: When we talked at MSI this year, you mentioned that Western teams seemed to have lost the dream of winning MSI or the World Championship because we are in a tough time. Do you feel the pressure of bringing hope to the West in this tournament?
Caps : Of course. I think we really need to prove that we still have some room to grow. Actually, TL performed quite well in North America, and some NA teams are starting to believe in themselves more because they performed well against FNC and had a good showing against T1. We also need to stand up for Europe and prove that we can not only win a few games but also take BO5s and make it out of the group stage. I think it's been four years since we made it out of the group stage, right? It sounds crazy, but I think we have a chance this time.
Q: This might be a strange question, but have you ever felt that sometimes you wish to lose more games in the league? Because since around 2018, you've almost always been first or second, and it feels like there aren't many competitors for you in the mid lane in the LEC. Do you wish there was someone in your region who could truly challenge you?
Caps : That's a tough question to answer. Of course, I like winning (laughs), but the main goal should be the World Championship, right? If there was someone in the league from whom I could learn more, that would be great. Like Perkz, I learned a lot from him before. I definitely learn more when facing mid laners from the LPL or LCK compared to European mid laners. I think there's still room for improvement, and it would be great to learn more.
Q: It seems that this year, Eastern teams ( LPL and LCK) only arrived at the World Championship at the last moment, and they don't seem to be in a hurry to scrim against you. Is the gap widening?
Caps : Yes, we haven't scrimmed much against LPL or LCK teams... I think our scrim performance is definitely not the best. We are still trying to get a feel for the patch, testing and figuring out what we really want to do. We have a lot of things to solve, but I believe we can achieve good results.
Q: Caps , you've been playing League of Legends for a long time. I mean, honestly, you could retire now and probably spend a few years creating content or doing whatever you want, right? What makes you so passionate about the League that you still compete at such a high level?
I am also worried about my wrist, so I will do some wrist exercises to maintain a good condition. However, it is indeed a fact—you never know what will happen next year, and you don't know if you will have the opportunity to participate in the World Championship again, so this might be the last time. I must seize this opportunity.