With the upcoming 2018 NA/EU Rift Rivals, NA’s 100 Thieves announced a rather surprising lineup; the team’s starters, Ssumday and Meteos, were replaced by 100 Thieves Academy players Brandini and Levi. Although Rift Rivals is thought of as an ‘event match’, the change was unexpected since the tournament is still directly connected to the traditional rivalry of “NA vs EU”.

As the controversy over their decision shook the LoL community, we had to hear about the player’s own thoughts. The Academy players, Brandini and Levi seemed excited to perform for the 2018 Rift Rivals.

Levi

Q. How do you feel about going to the 2018 Rift Rivals?

I am excited because I can play against the best teams in the EU, but I am also worried at the same time; it has been quite a long time since I’ve played in an international tournament.

Q. You have been in the Academy team for over half a year now. How has it been? Were scrim results favorable?

Everything was new for me, like the people I’ve met.  The language and the lifestyle in general were new as well. I'm still learning English in order to be better at the game. We weren’t really performing well in our scrims, but i think we’re getting better day by day.

Q. Did you ever feel the need to compete in the NA LCS?

I think you have to be ready to compete anywhere. Once you stop practicing, someone who has practiced more than you will soon take your spot.

Q. Which team or players are you excited to face at Rift Rivals?

I want to meet Jankos. He is a super good Jungler and he a really nice person as well.

Q. What are the goals you want to achieve in NA?

My goals will probably be the same as other players: perform in the LCS and claim the trophy.

Q. Lastly, is there anything you want to say to your Vietnam and NA fans?

I want to say sorry to my fans. You guys must have been really disappointed with me.  I’d like to say I’m trying my best every day to get better. Thank you so much for supporting me and once again, I’m truly sorry. I’ll be trying my best to improve. Thank you.

Brandini

Q. How do you feel about going to the 2018 Rift Rivals?

I’m pretty excited to go against some big names; those Top laners that are idolized across the world. I’d especially like to go against ‘Wunder’. I really like the way he plays. It’s going to be exciting to play against a player like him.

Q. Do you feel any pressure to perform in Ssumday’s stead?

I had that kind of expectation before, when I was in Echo Fox and I played over Looper. But… I really don’t feel that pressured. Obviously the fans would like Ssumday more than me, and he is a better player as well. I just want to show what I can do with Levi at this Rift Rivals.

Q. What are some of your personal goals that you really want to achieve at Rift Rivals?

I just want to show that I can still compete with some of the best Top laners. I think me and Levi have a lot more to show, but we didn’t have the chance since we were playing in the Academy.

Q. Have you practiced a lot with the team that’s participating in the Rift Rivals?

We’ve just started getting into practice because things were a bit hectic. We had to prepare for our Academy schedules, so we had to finish that before we began.

Q. Is there any difference between practicing in an Academy team and practicing with players that are performing in the NA LCS?

Practice is at a higher level. I could tell that the players performing in the NA LCS are more experienced than the players that I was practicing with in the Academy. I’ll naturally learn by playing with them.

Q. Is there any particular team that you are excited to face off against at Rift Rivals?

G2.

Q. Are there any interesting picks that you are willing to use in your Rift Rivals debut?

That’s probably going to be a secret. (laughs) Well… at least a secret for now.

Q. Any last remarks?

I want to thank my family for supporting me. Also, I want to thank my past teammates that I really worked well with. For example, ‘Looper’; he taught me a lot back then. I’d like to thank all my fans that have supported me so far as well.