On December 9th, Inven Global got to interview Faker – the mid laner for LCK’s All-Star team. Joining the All-Star team with an incredibly high voting rate, Faker contributed greatly to LCK proceeding to semifinals. This interview, held right before the semifinal match, was held as a joint interview with other Korean presses.

Below is the full text of the interview with Faker, the mid laner for LCK All-Star team.

Q: How does it feel participating in All-Star Event (ASE) yet another year?

It’s an honor to be able to come once again. However, for this year there is a competitive atmosphere to the event, so I feel a bit more pressure on my shoulders.


Q: So, we saw that Zoe has been OP so far in this year’s ASE. Is banning Zoe the only option? Which other champions would be the 1st tier champions at the moment?

When new champions first come out, they often are pretty unbalanced. Many players have analyzed her since she came out so she has become one of the best champions. I think she definitely needs to be nerfed soon. The current meta for the mid champions is not that different from the previous one.


Q: Yesterday you lost the 1v1 match against Bjergsen. How do you feel?

I tried and was hoping to make it to the upper rounds this time, but unfortunately, I didn't make it. It’s a bummer. It seemed like Bjergsen prepared for the match quite well.


Q: What was the reason behind not using SKT T1 Ryze or Syndra winner skin?

I was planning to use them, but I forgot every time. For Ryze, I was going to use the skin but I ran out of time. I will try to use the skins from now.

Q: How do you like this year’s All-Star uniform?

I like it a lot.


Q: You have a match against LPL All-Star team coming up. What are your thoughts about playing against them?

We do have a semifinal match against LPL, and they have already shown great performances during Worlds. I expect this matchup to be the hardest one throughout this All-Star Event. We are practicing as best as we can to face such a strong opponent.


Q: You were constantly focused on by Karsa’s Kha’Zix when playing against LMS. How did it feel?

Karsa played very aggressively during the games and I made some mistakes. I think I will have to be more careful to minimize the mistakes.


Q: Whereas the group stages were best-of-1 matches, the semifinals and the final are best-of-3’s and a best-of-5. Do you think this is an advantage?

I’m a lot more comfortable with best-of-multiples than a single game match. Unless the opponents have whimsical tactics that we fail to respond to, I think the LCK team is at an advantage.


Q: Coming to LA annually, what are your thoughts on this city?

I come to LA quite a lot, so it feels very familiar. The city makes me feel very calm, and I think it’s because the weather is always so nice and that there are a lot of houses instead of tall apartment buildings.


Q: While All-Star is an “event,” there still is that feel of international competition. How do you feel about your fans’ expectations when you participate in these types of events?

For me any competition puts pressure on my shoulders, but it is true that this year’s All-Stars, it’s even more. But other players would be feeling the same way, so I’m really just trying my best to show my fullest potential. Other players too are hoping for good results in this All-Star Event.


Q: This NA LCS Studio has two different halls, Battle Arena and Battle theater. How is playing in this studio different from playing in Korea?

While the studio has two different halls, they are pretty similar so there isn’t anything uncomfortable. The stadiums are much smaller here so I think many players feel less pressure playing here.


Q: How are you getting along with the other 4 players in LCK All-Star team?

We spend most of our time practicing, so there isn’t a special story. Everyone is practicing very hard.


Q: How does it feel to come to All-Star alone from your team? Who do you get along with the most out of the LCK All-Star players?

I don't think there is a specific player that I do or do not get along well with. Every player has his own personality, so they are fun to be with. I feel pretty comfortable being with them.


Q: During the KeSPA cup, SKT T1 seemed not quite complete. What are your plans after this All-Star?

For now, we have lots of time so we are trying out different tactics and practice styles. While I am attending ASE, my teammates in Korea are doing lots of personal practice to improve their skills.


Q: For this year, the coaching staff went through some changes – kkOma as the head coach, and PooManDu and Bengi as coaches. How does it affect you?

When PooManDu first came in as a coach in 2016, I didn’t have any specific impression about it. This year Bengi came as a coach too, but again, I didn’t have any special feeling. When kkOma was a coach I called him kko-ch, but he now became the head coach so I don’t know what to call him anymore. Other than that, I don’t think there is any special change.


Q: Is there any champion you had planned to use for 1v1 matches, but didn’t get to?

I prepared many different champions for the 1v1. There were a lot of champions that I thought were good for 1v1 matches. Rengar and Zoe were some of them. I tried to use them but I wasn’t able to do so.