The buried but now reborn mid laner for Clutch Gaming in the NA LCS, Febiven. Eager to put himself back in the spotlight, we reminisce on his long fought journey  and answer why we can expect the 2015 Fnatic Febiven this year.

Leaving a majority of his career spent in the EU LCS behind, Febiven has opened a new slate in the NA LCS to remind people why he should be considered one of the best mid laners in the west. While not much was said about Febiven during 2016 and 2017, Febiven decided to resurface with a new goal in sight. With Clutch Gaming starting off its first season out with a win, InvenGlobal seized the opportunity to interview one of the carries for CG, Febiven. Giving insight in his transition from the EU LCS into the NA LCS, Febiven tells us his goals for not only as a mid laner but also as a member of Clutch Gaming for this season.

Curious of how well an EU LCS player, such as Febiven, could reinforce NA in order for it to become a region to be reckoned with, let’s see what Febiven has to say.

¤ How do you feel about winning your first game of the season?

Feels really good to win the first game of the season. I kind of expected this. Our practices were not going very good, but I could feel that we were improving. We had the mindset of ‘we are losing but we are actually winning’ because we learn from our mistakes when we lose. I am really happy to be performing on stage because it is always different to play in scrims and on stage. I felt like we translated pretty well. I think Golden Guardians are one of the weakest teams in the league. They are not that really good but at least we showed everyone that we could beat them. That is the first step for us.


¤ Do you feel a difference in transition coming from the EU LCS to the NA LCS?

Obviously, it is a bit different for me playing in America. In some aspects, it is the same. Of course, my team and my house is different. It is not really hard for me to adapt. I already have played in other parts of the world. I feel like there is not that big of a difference. Although the ping is pretty high, I prefer to play in NA solo queue compared to EU solo queue because I think it is better. The overall quality is better.

I think NA has better mid laners as well. It is pretty easy for me to adapt. It is just basically going to another country and sitting down to play your computer right? I am pretty good at adapting.


¤ This is your first time in the NA LCS going up against NA mid laners. Which mid laner do you want to go up against the most?

I don’t think there is a specific mid laner I want to face. Obviously coming here, I was really excited to vs against Jensen, Pobelter, and Bjergsen. I want to vs Fenix as well. I haven’t gone up against him yet. These guys are all really good players. They are all players I can learn something from, and they can learn some from me as well. I am not necessarily scared of them. I am just really excited to go against them on stage. This is because, I have been playing against them in scrims and it is going really well. I don’t think I will get out performed by any of them. I am really confident.

¤ Since you have came from the EU LCS, do you think you have a need to prove yourself in the NA LCS? Or do you think you have already done that through the EU LCS and Worlds?

I think I already proved myself as one of the best mid laners in the west. For me, I think many people will think I am still really good. I still think that about myself as well. However, I want to obviously keep performing at that level. Going to Worlds in 2015 but not being able to go for 2 years is kind of a downgrade in my career. I don’t really feel a lot of pressure on the outside, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to stay good and keep improving. I feel like if I am not contending with the best players or the best teams, I’m not improving. I have to make sure I am constantly grinding. I am sure I will keep performing at a high level.


¤ What is your goal in Clutch Gaming for this season?

The goal I always have is to reach rank 1 in NA solo queue. Also, I think the most important thing for me is to learn as a team and not to solely focus on myself. I think if you keep learning as a team, you will keep growing. You will be able to get to a certain level if you have a really high skill cap, and I think we have that. Obviously, my goals are also to get to the playoffs and win the finals. It is going to be really hard, but I think we just need to keep practicing. I believe we are a really strong team. The last two weeks have been a pleasure to work with my entire team. I am really happy and confident. Even if things will go bad, we will learn from them and come back stronger. We will be a really strong team for NA. I really want to go to Worlds with an NA team and show the world that NA is actually a good region. I want to represent my region.


¤ What were your first impressions of your team?

I kind of heard a lot of things from the scene. Obviously, my bot lane was doing really well alongside my jungler. They are solid tier players which are now in my roster. They are saying that I am an upgrade from the last mid laner that they had. They said only good things about me. There were a lot of trash talks going around about my top laner. This is because he has never been consistent in the LCS and proven himself. Meanwhile, my other teammates have already gotten recognition from the fans, etc. Overall, it was really nice when I met all of them because they are all really friendly. Whenever we have dinner or post game discussions, everyone is serious but yet having fun at the same time. I feel like I can talk to anyone in my team. I really feel comfortable around them. This is because, I am usually the mood maker and I try to have a lot of fun.

I didn’t really have that much expectations for my team. This is because if I have expectations and they don’t meet, I could get a bit sad. I just had an open mind. I just wanted to see how everyone played and go from there.


¤ The mid and jungle synergy is incredibly important. You and Lira seem to have really good synergy together. What do you think about this?

I really like Lira actually. I feel like every Korean jungler is very efficient. He knows when to farm, when to gank, and when to go for the right play at the right time. He is a very well rounded player already. Obviously, he has his weaknesses. However, he can work on that in order to make the team better. I am really excited to grow with him. He is strong mechanically and so am I. We are really strong 2v2. I am kind of player who always wants lane priority and he provides it. He is a carry jungler, and I really like it when I have a carry jungler. This is because, I can always rely on him to make plays not just in my lane but also on the side lanes. It is really nice working with him because he is friendly. He isn’t really talkative, but we are working on it. It is hard for him because he is the only Korean on the team. He is getting English lessons though.

¤ What are your thoughts on Apollo? He played really well in today’s game.

I think Apollo is a really cool guy just like the rest of the guys. So far, I got a pretty good relationship with him already. I feel like I have a better relationship with him compared to other members of my team but not by much. I can tell he will be my ‘buddy’ for the rest of the split. This is because, we are kind of the same. We are both trollish and like to do the same activities. He is a really skilled player as well. I really respect him. Since I didn’t have any expectations, I was really surprised how good he actually was. I was really happy on how my team was playing, especially Apollo. Overall, it is just really nice to be around him and everyone else as well.


¤ You just recieved player of the match award for today’s game. Do you think it is safe to assume you will grab the season MVP as well?

Of course, I am aiming for that. It wasn't actually in my mind. I think it is something that is great to accomplish. It is definitely a great achievement. I don’t think I can get it if I don’t perform as well with my team. Since, the players who work best with their team are most likely to get the reward. Because of this, I need to make sure I keep performing with my team. Otherwise, Bjergsen will just take it (laughs).


¤ As you may know whenever a player joins a new team, they get the team logo and team jerseys. How do you like Clutch Gaming’s jersey?

I am really happy on what Clutch Gaming is designing. Even outside of the regular jersey, we have hoodies, caps, and pants. Hopefully, we will get matching shoes as well. The design team is doing an excellent job.


¤ Any last words you want to say to your fans?

I want to thank everyone who watched our game. I think there was a lot of hype because of the basketball team rivalry. I want to thank everyone who came here to watch and also the people who watched online. I want to thank all the people for supporting us. Also, a really big thanks to my entire team for practicing really well and having good spirit.