Getting a third place on the very first split in a foreign league is no small feat, as players rarely perform right off the bat when they transfer overseas. Dong-hyeon “Arrow” Noh proved to be an exception to the rule. Along with his old teammate Ryu from the KT days, Arrow joined Phoenix1 and went on to be one of the best ADCs in NA. Yet, spring came and went like it was never here in the first place.

As to undo everything P1 has shown in the previous split, the team soon found themselves in 0-6 record in the first 3 weeks of the summer. It was an abysmal stat, to say the least, but P1 did not relent. Armed with MikeYeung and Xpecial, P1 took down Echo Fox with a clean 2-0 sweep to secure the first win in Week 4. It was at this exact moment when the faces of P1 players lit up.

After the match, we sat down with Arrow since he must have gone through trials and tribulations for the underwhelming performance compared to last split’s. As we started talking, I couldn’t help but be truly happy for his victory and felt that he was ready to finally put down the burden which has been weighing him down from the beginning of the split.

Congratulations on the first win of the split. I’m sure it wasn’t easy going winless for six matches. How do you feel?

I’m pretty happy to get the first victory, but I don’t consider it to be anything too special either. Early in the split, we often lost without putting up much fight and lost scrims without any redeeming qualities. As the time went on, though, we picked up momentum and were so close to taking some of the recent games. In any case, it goes to show that we’re steadily improving. That’s why I think I can see this week’s matches with more optimism.

What do you think prompted the team’s steady improvement?

I think it started with the addition of MikeYeung and Xpecial. Actually, we still lost after they joined. Then we were dragging on a game one time, and I realized after the match that we made like five mistakes. I thought to myself that if we can more or less maintain a game with so many mistakes, we might win by minimizing those shortcomings. I think that’s how we were able to improve.

Though you finished in a respectable third place last split, why do you think the team got on an especially bad foot this split?

First off, I often got frustrated. I don’t know how Ryu felt, but he was probably in the same boat as I was. Support and top lane meta also shifted a lot this split, and we failed to adapt. So, games didn’t go the way we wanted them to because I got impatient and tried to take matters into my own hands. I believe I was a major part in the team’s sluggish start, and I’m reflecting on my mistakes.

How do you feel about playing with the veteran support player, Xpecial?

Frankly speaking, I wouldn’t exactly say he has crazy mechanical skills or otherworldly talents. However, he excels in vision and objective controls. Additionally, he has an amazing insight on what the team needs to focus at the moment in time. He’s very good with macro game management, down to delicate details, and I also appreciate his type of playstyle. Though he doesn’t outshine other big name players in terms of mechanical skills, he can hold his own against the best in terms of being a pro League player.

The new jungler, MikeYeung, also made some waves. How do you feel about him as a colleague and a player?

I don’t know much about him yet because I haven’t played with him that long. What I can say is that he’s got incredible mechanical skills. Coaching staffs thought highly of his ability to effectively communicate using pings in solo queue and brought him to the team. It’s rare to see solo queue players who try to communicate with their teams at his level. He’s confident and has the talent to back it up. At the same time, he’s humble and plays as a part of the team. I think he’s conscious of the fact that League is a team-based game.

There’s this interesting thing about him, though. As some people know, I stream a lot, and Mike always puts on my stream on TV whenever we eat together. It feels odd watching yourself play video games while eating with your teammates. One time I changed the channel, but he came back at some point to put my stream back on. I wouldn’t say I know him very well yet, but I think he’s becoming a better player and a colleague the more I get to know him.

You kept your sense of humor even during the losing streak as evidenced by your tweet. How did you manage to stay hopeful when most people would despair?

I guess it got better as the time went on. I try not to show personal emotions when I’m sad or depressed. Wouldn’t you have a better chance if you laugh it off and try better next time, rather than gloom and doom? Besides, I wasn’t in no position to put the blame elsewhere because my mistakes often cost games.

Do you feel pressured at all about the upcoming Rift Rivals?

I’d be lying if didn’t feel any pressure playing against EU. Two continents’ ego is on the line. I think fans from each region have a really strong rivalry. Since I’ll be representing NA, I’ll do my best to not let people down. As long as I keep up the practice and prepare accordingly for the next two weeks, I think we’ll be able to show good results.

EU has many strong contenders. It won’t be easy, but I don’t think it’s impossible either. European ADCs tend to draft some creative champions like Twitch and Kog’Maw. I’ve always wanted to play against EU ADCs, so I think this is a good chance for me.

Since you regained your confidence, how do you feel about your next matchup against Team Liquid?

If we keep up this trend of steady improvement, I think we have more than enough chance to beat them. Oh, that reminds me… I’ll lane against Piglet. From what I’ve seen of his play, he seemed hell-bent on bullying the opponent in lane phase. I think we can either fend him off or give him the taste of his own medicine. I don’t think we’ll be a pushover.

Will you say a few words to your fans who stood by the team during hard times?

I was quite surprised to see fans from so many different parts of the world. Some cheer us on from Brazil, Germany, and other places I’ve never thought would know us. I’m grateful for the support and would like to repay their kindness by showing good plays.

You’ve now shown other teams on LCS that P1 is more than meets the eye. Is there anything you’d like to say to top teams currently leading the league?

We’re already down 6 games, but top and bottom teams have swapped places in the middle of the last split. Just you wait, we'll be sure to drag one of them down.