A rookie who was widely regarded for his talent since his academy days, Choi “Zeus” Woo-je, finally debuted in the LCK. On day 16 of the 2021 LCK Spring split, Zeus started for his team against NS RedForce, and aided in the team’s 2-1 victory. He’s shown in-game decision making that was similar to that of a veteran right from game 1 on Gnar, and even though T1 dropped game 2 of the series, he bounced right back in game 3, seemingly unfazed by the loss.

After the match, Zeus joined Inven for an interview to talk about his debut.

This was your debut match in the LCK. How does it feel to take the victory after playing a full best of three?

It wasn’t an easy match, but I’m very happy that I won my debut match with my teammates.

You recently became eligible after your birthday had passed recently. How does it feel to finally be able to play in the LCK?

I felt indifferent about it before, but after I became legal enough to play, I found myself focusing more during VOD reviews, and embraced everything more seriously.

I heard you practiced a lot of Gnar. Is there a reason why you played Gnar in your debut match?

Gnar’s a really good champion in the meta right now because of his strong presence during the laning phase and in teamfights. I also learned a lot from losing to many different Gnars in the past, and I feel that I have a good understanding of that champion. It’s a safe pick as well, so I ended up picking Gnar.

You played another one of your comfort picks, Jayce, in game 2, but lost.

I didn’t realize this during the game, but I realized after that I died a lot. While I wish I hadn’t, I wasn’t super weak throughout the game, so I focused on dealing as much damage as I can.

Were you nervous at all today?

I was nervous when I was laning in game 1. I made some mistakes as well, but things worked out as the game went on.

In your experience, how is the LCK stage different from scrims or academy matches?

I definitely felt the immense pressure. I also felt the pressure that the other nine players were feeling as well, which was a surreal experience.

What has your experience been like working with two world champion coaches?

I felt that they were very knowledgeable about the game. Coach Zefa, especially, gives me a lot of feedback on my laning phase, and his advice helped both in pro matches and in solo queue.

You told Keria that you’re aiming for the ‘Young Player’ Award (LCK Awards) in the Spring split. Is that your goal for this year? What about your goal as a pro gamer?

That’s right. I really hope I get that award. As a pro gamer, my biggest goal definitely has to be winning Worlds.

Lastly, is there anything you’d like to say to your fans?

My fans have very high hopes for me, so I’ll make sure to live up to those expectations.