A year filled with regrets in 2024, but also a year of valuable experience
During the break after the season ended in August, Cuzz took the time for a short trip to relax and recharge. After the break, he calmly reflected on his performance in the summer split. Regarding his performance in the second round of the summer split, he said: “From the results of the matches, losing to Fox and DRX was very critical. However, in reality, we gradually revealed some signs of instability from previous matches and training. I felt a lack of certainty, which is what I regret the most.”
He also expressed that after watching the World Championship, he felt regret once again: “Seeing T1 win the championship again made me think about whether accumulating more experience in major tournaments is really important, and because of this, I feel more regretful about this season. Although we stopped in the playoffs, if we could have continued moving forward, it would have been valuable experience for me and my teammates. However, we ultimately missed that opportunity, which is really regrettable.”
Despite reflecting on the regrets of the past season, Cuzz also shared wonderful memories with his teammates, smiling as he did so. Especially when talking about his cooperation with AD players like Taeyoon , Bull , and Leaper, he recalled many interesting moments: “I have played with many bot lane combinations, and I remember not having many opportunities to play with Taeyoon ; I feel there is still much to understand. When cooperating with Bull , we had a period of consecutive wins, which was also very beautiful. Overall, collaborating with many AD players has left me with great memories.”
For Kwangdong Freecs and Cuzz , 2024 has both regrets and joys. Looking back on this year, Cuzz said: “This season was not completely satisfactory for me personally, but I still regard these experiences as valuable and strive to draw strength from them to prepare for the next time.”
This year as the big brother and captain of the team
Cuzz spent this year as the captain and big brother, and he talked about his feelings about being a captain for the first time: “I have never been a captain in any team before; taking on this role has allowed me to feel many things. Moving forward, I hope to draw experience from this and better hone my commanding abilities in matches.”
Cuzz , as a solid veteran and captain, has always stabilized the team's focus. The head coach and teammates have repeatedly stated that Cuzz played a crucial role during the season. However, looking back on his year as captain, Cuzz also showed some regrets. He admitted: “As a veteran, my role is clear, but to be honest, there were times when I did not fully fulfill these responsibilities, so I feel some regret, and I am truly sorry to my teammates.”
Nevertheless, when he talked about the time spent with teammates like DuDu , BuLLDoG , Taeyoon , Bull , Leaper, Andil , and Quantum , Cuzz showed deep affection for his teammates: “ DuDu is a very versatile player, giving a hexagonal impression, truly excellent. BuLLDoG 's mechanics are very good; I believe he has great potential and is worth looking forward to in the future. Andil has strong commanding abilities and excellent game understanding; he will definitely have a bright future. Bull has rich experience and a deep understanding of the situation. Leaper's mechanics and team fight awareness are excellent. Although I did not work with Taeyoon for long, he performed very well during training and has a great personality. Quantum is a very diligent player who often seeks our advice; I have gained a lot of inspiration from his thirst for knowledge.”
Inspired by the 2024 World Championship, hoping to participate in the future
This year's S tournament ended with T1 winning the championship. Although T1 advanced to the S tournament as the fourth seed from LCK with difficulty, they ultimately succeeded in defending their title and won their fifth championship trophy. Cuzz once fought alongside faker in T1 , and seeing this former teammate standing on the highest podium again, he felt deeply: “I feel like I can do anything at any time; before trying, I don't know what will happen. It feels like everyone has a chance, making it even more interesting to watch.”
The sparkle in his eyes seems to indicate that he has gained new motivation from this. This may be the source of his answer when discussing next year's goals. When asked about his goals for 2025, Cuzz answered without hesitation: “I hope to compete in the World Championship.” This brief yet firm response is filled with his undeniable determination.
As Cuzz summarized 2024, he looked forward to a new future, placing greater emphasis on preparation: “As time goes by, I find that the current team is becoming more balanced in terms of operation, so team fighting and skirmishing abilities are becoming particularly important. I will pay more attention to improving these aspects to be better prepared for 2025.”
