“The goal is of course to win the championship, actually making it to the finals would make me very happy.”
The veteran jungler Peanut expressed his desire for the final "long-cherished wish" of winning the World Championship.
Peanut said, “I am increasingly feeling that the World Championship has already begun, and I am very excited. This is my first time competing in Europe since the 2018 MSI, and the venues and accommodation are similar to back then, so it keeps bringing back memories. The knockout stages in Paris and London are places I've been to before, so it should be interesting to relive those memories while climbing to a higher stage.”
The HLE team arrived in Germany late on the night of the 29th, where the weather is a bit colder than in Korea. Peanut said, “After arriving, I had a deep sleep for 7 hours, and I am very satisfied with my condition adjustment. However, the weather is a bit dry, but as long as that is resolved, there are no issues with living here.”
The Swiss Round starts on October 3rd, and the players don't have much preparation time. Peanut said, “Since we arrived in Europe relatively late, we indeed feel that the preparation time is short. But I think everyone's conditions are the same, and it's important for the team to grow stronger while playing matches. I will consider this as the core and play the matches accordingly.”
Having experienced the Swiss Round for the second time last year, Peanut said, “The Swiss Round allows you to face more teams, and watching the draw every day is very interesting. If you can win, this is the best format. The Swiss Round is more interesting.”
The Swiss Round features a BO1 format that has never been experienced in the LCK. Regarding this, Peanut said, “I do feel uneasy about BO1, but the World Championship is a stage where you have to overcome everything.”
Peanut also showed caution towards the Western teams, which are considered dark horses in this tournament. He said, “This year, we have only practiced with LCK and LPL teams, so we still don't know the competitiveness of teams from other regions. I have always felt that anything can happen at the World Championship. We cannot take Western teams lightly.”
Peanut said that version 14.18 will bring significant changes to the mid lane but will not have much impact on the jungle. He said, “Due to the nerfs to mid-lane AD champions and Fleet Footwork, we need to reorganize the priority of champions. Only Lillia has been nerfed in the jungle, so there are not many changes, similar to the latter stages of the Summer Split.”
This is the veteran Peanut's seventh World Championship, and thanks to his rich experience, he has accumulated his own unique skills. Peanut said, “There has always been a 'winning champion of the day' at the World Championship, and the Swiss Round version is constantly changing every week, every day. After reaching the knockout stage, the version will change again. The important thing is to sensitively capture those changes.”
