Q: How do you feel about securing a playoff spot with a 2-1 victory over KDF?
Zeus : Every recent match has been intense, and there were no easy wins. Although it was tough, we still won, so I'm happy and feel pretty good.
Q: Today, Zeus used Aurora for the first time in his career, surviving with precise maneuvers and excelling in team fights with his ultimate. Some have commented, "Zeus even plays Aurora like an AD champion." What do you think of Aurora?
Zeus : Aurora has some disadvantages in the laning phase, but I think he is very advantageous in team fights. A few days ago, Kingen used a setup with Comet and Sudden Impact, maxing E skill, which made me feel that he could be strong in lane as well. Although I'm not sure about the mid lane, he performs well in the top lane and isn't weak in the late game, so I think he's a good choice. In today's match, the opponent swapped lanes. I felt that the bot lane duo was very strong and thought it would be hard for them to lane normally, so when I was supposed to teleport back to the top lane, I tried to ambush. However, compared to the loss in the top lane, the bot lane didn't seem to gain much advantage. Of course, it's not that the bot lane played poorly; my judgment was a bit off. As a result, the opponent's Gnar had teleport and was about 0.6 levels ahead of me in experience. He got a lot of resources in the side lane, and I didn't teleport initially, so I felt that Aurora's advantages weren't fully utilized in this game.
Q: You just mentioned that you are not very familiar with mid lane Aurora. Can you share your thoughts on the differences, advantages, and disadvantages of top lane and mid lane Aurora?
Zeus : I think top lane Aurora is a strong laning choice and can gain an advantage against any champion. However, in the mid lane, Aurora might be weaker during the laning phase.
Q: Kiin said Aurora is very similar to Neeko, with similar laning mechanics and a significant impact with his ultimate. If you had to compare, which champion do you think Aurora resembles more?
Zeus : I also think he resembles Neeko. Aurora, as a short-ranged mage, has strong initiation abilities. From a top lane perspective, I think Aurora is a more advanced version of Kennen.
Q: Speaking of Kennen, you've frequently used this champion throughout the season and have tried many different champions, like Zeri in the top lane. What are your thoughts on the current top lane meta this season? What kind of top lane meta do you personally prefer?
Zeus : I personally prefer a playstyle where I can take the lead in the side lanes. Regarding Kennen, although he has good value, his laning ability is too strong, making it difficult for opponents to handle him when they pick Kennen. He's a tough champion to deal with. For this reason, I've used Kennen many times, although he doesn't appear as much now. However, in situations where Kennen can shine in team fights, I think it's when our team has longer range, forcing the opponent to engage, or when we have a complete composition to apply pressure. In these cases, Kennen has a lot of room to shine in team fights. Otherwise, Kennen is a very passive choice. His short range makes it easy for tank supports to limit him with just an Exhaust or Alistar's W, so I think Kennen is very passive in team fights. If the composition isn't complete, Kennen is more of a champion that drives the early to mid-game. That's roughly my view.
Q: After today's match, T1 has secured a playoff spot. As you mentioned, T1's recent schedule hasn't been smooth, especially after losing 0-2 to NS, making the playoff qualification uncertain. After that match, Gumayusi and head coach Kim Jeong-gyun stated in a press conference that the players have regrouped and are working hard. What are your thoughts on this, Zeus?
Zeus : This season is particularly... In the matches, the game feels more difficult. Although there could be many reasons, I personally feel that the difficulty has increased a lot. I don't know if it's because my form has declined or the frequent lane swaps have caused instability. So this season, there has been more communication between our team members, trying to find the best solutions.
Q: Actually, Zeus is the defending champion of the last World Championship, known as T1's "Thor" and also the MVP of the finals. Expectations for you are very high. Some people, just looking at recent performances, feel that Zeus's form has declined. Chovy once said a famous quote, that the one who performs well in the finals is the winner. The remaining playoffs are very important. What do you think of these statements? What do you think of your own form?
Zeus : I very much agree with Chovy's viewpoint. As for my form... actually, this season I have also used champions like Yone a few times. Those champions that I am good at, which can be more proactive in the sidelane phase and have more freedom, I think I perform better in such situations. This season, I have used Kennen many times. Kennen is not easy to play alone in the sidelane, which makes me feel constantly in a passive state. What the audience might see is that I didn't do much, so they might have this feeling. But I think, if given the chance, I can still perform well. For example, today's Aurora, although I made some mistakes, it was very difficult to do anything after using teleport and being a level behind in the lane. This kind of situation has been happening frequently recently, it feels like encountering huge obstacles that cannot be solved by personal ability, such as lane swaps causing greater losses, etc. These situations overlap, making the performance less than ideal.
Q: Before the playoff finals, is it possible to overcome these obstacles?
Zeus : I think these problems are mainly related to champion selection, so they should gradually improve.
Q: Finally, please talk about T1 and Zeus's goals for the rest of the season.
Zeus : For the fans, this season might be very tough, our match performances have been inconsistent, and I also feel that this season is very difficult. But the regular season is almost over, and I have gained a lot of insights and experiences. I hope to communicate well with my teammates and gradually improve our match level like last year. I will also try my best.
Q: What do you think is the probability of T1 winning the championship?
Zeus : Hmm... I would say 25%.
