Referred as the player that grounds the team by Flame and coach Ssong, Xmithie is one of the most consistent and methodical players in LCS. As the regular season winding down to a couple weeks, we caught up with Immortals' jungler to talk about things that made the team so successful this split, thoughts on the current jungle meta and plans for the playoffs.

You’re tied with CLG for first place since TSM lost today. How do you feel?

I’m pretty indifferent. I’m not really looking for standings mid-season. It’s just a preview for playoffs.

What would be the focus of the match against CLG tomorrow?

For the tiebreaker tomorrow, the focus would be on how we play the first game against them. We'd just have to play our own style and make sure their shotcaller Aphromoo is contained.

Why do you think IMT is doing so well this split?

I think we realized every game is different. There's going to at least one person that’s going to sacrifice every game. People just have to accept it and try to work toward the game plan or the big picture. Obvious, y no game can be perfect, so what we can do is to strike to improve.

How’s life in IMT different compared to CLG?

I was surprised that life outside the game in IMT is more laid back. During scrims it’s pretty much the same. Everyone is strict about what we can do. We mainly focused on communication in CLG, but we’re focusing primarily on what we can do better as an individual here.

You're one of the more experienced players in the scene. What do you want your legacy to be?

I haven’t really thought of that yet. I mainly go with the flow and hope I can individually perform at my highest. Since the main reason I’m in LCS and playing this game is the competitive nature. That’s what I strive for. If I don’t feel I can perform that anymore, maybe then.

Even though you lost, your Rumble in Game 1 was quite impressive. Was it something you guys prepared for this match?

I think that was one game out of the last month. I only mained Rumble four years ago. I could’ve probably played better, but we didn’t have a frontline. We weren’t really used to it, which showed in our plays. We just need to work on that particular playstyle.

Aphromoo said Olleh is one of the few support players in LCS who have playmaking genes. How do you like playing with him?

I think Olleh is one of the best supports I’ve ever played with. He barely misses and is vocal during teamfights. If he sees a play, he goes for it without any hesitation. He's one of the best mechanical players I've played with, not just in his role.

What are your thoughts on jungle meta right now?

I don’t really like the meta right now. Maokai and Cho’Gath are the strongest ones right now. Teams can literally turtle for 30 min and win in late game just because their composition is better. I like the playstyle before this patch. You could play Lee Sin, Elise, Gragas or any other tank. You can snowball it but it was quite volatile. For example, if you misplay on Elise early game, that’s it. Your game plan is gone because you’ll get outscaled.

It's highly likely that you'll be in the playoffs. Are there any strategies you’re working on?

Not mainly strategies but improvements. We still need a lot of work in communication. Sometimes language barrier gets in the way.

With a couple weeks left in the regular season, what do you hope to achieve?

My main goal for the remaining split is to improve and go to Worlds. My main goal every year is to do well in Worlds. I hope it's this year.