The night was growing darker, and we neared our goodbyes.

Locodoco seemed quite disappointed; not because he had to leave soon... but because of his past experience as a player. As we neared the end of our meal, we started talking about the past - and I again felt his massive passion for esports.

④ A rough and reckless professional player, Choi "Locodoco" Yoon-Seop

Do you still keep in touch with the old MIG players?

Not really... but I want to talk with CloudTemplar again. I really respect him. If I visit Korea, I want to buy him food and drinks, and even babysit his kids. (To CT) I'm going to Korea in October, please call me.

The person I respect the most from MIG is CloudTemplar. 2nd place will be Ambition, and 3rd, Madlife. 

...Why?

It's really amazing how Ambition and Madlife could remain as pro players after so long. And Ambition even ended up marrying a beautiful girl! That's really cool. Everyone is walking their separate paths, but CloudTemplar and Ambition nailed both work and love. I want to hurry and get married too.

Have you ever thought that maybe your pro career could've gone better?

Yes. I even think from time to time if I should return to playing. But of course, I never think that I could do well again, so I don't do it. 

This might sound like nonsense, but there were a lot of difficulties for me as a "1st generation" player. It might sound funny hearing that from me now. But there was something that I always put emphasis on. Snowballing. Long ago, when my team and I were playing in the Finals, there was an internal conflict in the team. Our head coach, CloudTemplar, and Woong liked playing their games safely and reliably. But I always wanted to take early advantages and snowball by taking vision control around winning lanes and playing from there.

Even a caster at the time made a joke. "Locodoco's favorite ball is a snowball." I received a lot of criticism from fans because of that - that I was selfish and self-centered. But at the time, Madlife and I more often than not won our lane dominantly. I also believed that it was important to take vision control and dive the enemy laners who you have taken advantage of in order to snowball. So as different ideas clashed within the team, it became a big conflict.

In my honest opinion, I think my intuition was above most other players at the time. You can see why from observing Korea right now. But I was still foolish for ignoring and trying to override my teammates, not caring about their feelings. Maybe if I was older at the time, and maybe if I was a bit wiser, I would've gotten along with the coach. If that was the case, I think my career would've lasted longer. I really hate myself for having been so rough and reckless. 


I see... let's change the subject. You used to play as an ADC. Who do you think was and is the best in that role in the entire history of the LoL scene?

I think PraY is at the top of the ADC position. The length of his ongoing career, the number of times he's reached the top, and how he has climbed up from the bottom... he's really amazing. Back then, when he left Najin, he was standing on the path to retirement. And for most players, they would retire if they were in such a situation. But he reached the top, again! It's really incredible. He's definitely something big. Mechanics, brain, and experience, he's perfect in all of them.

If I was to pick the top 5 ADCs, it'd be: PraY, Bang, Deft, and the 4th and 5th will be split between Imp, Piglet, and Doublelift. And personally, I watch almost all of PraY's and Bang's games.

⑤ An esports personality that believes a game is an art.

Do you take interest in other games too? Do you stay up to date in terms of reading articles?

I often read OverWatch articles. Korea is very exceptional at that game too. I think Ryujehong is amazing. When I watch Ryujehong, it feels like I'm watching Madlife when he was in his prime. He's like a mix of Madlife and CloudTemplar.

I also think 'Fl0w3r' is one of the best. There is nothing that he's bad at as a DPS player. (To Fl0w3r) Hey, if you want to come to NA, call me. You've been under stress because of wrist problems, but please take care of yourself. The OverWatch scene will continue to grow, and I think you will be a necessity for the Korean esports scene.

And if I was to pick another game, it'd be StarCraft 1. I really, really love that game. I still often watch Jaedong and Flash stream.


If you keep talking about other games, it might be removed from the article. (Laughs)

No. I don't care about other games, but please include StarCraft 1 in your article. I'm here because of that game. Let's be honest here, if there was no StarCraft, would the Korean LoL scene have gotten to where it is today?

Your love for esports seems tremendous. Also, we're nearing the end of the interview, and this is the only question that I can think of: "what's your definition of esports?"

The definition of art is "self-expression". Even if you wipe feces all over a wall, if it's a form of self-expression, it can be treated as art. I think the same applies to video games and esports. 

Faker's sharp and aggressive playstyle is a form of self-expression, so in a way, it's his "art". Khan also has a very unique and aggressive playstyle, different from most other toplaners. I'm pretty sure that the mentioned two players feel a sense of accomplishment from being so successful while expressing their unique and personal style. I also think that this not only applies to pro players but ordinary players as well. Ultimately, what I want to say is this: League of Legends is a form of art.