On the 7th of August (KST), kt Rolster came victorious over Hanwha Life Esports 2:0. Creating the illusion that it was not a fair match, considering the rank proximity between these teams, kt easily swooped Hanwha. Seeing the Smeb that we all fell in love with, Smeb’s Kennen created the momentum and atmosphere needed in game 1 to carry his team to the 2:0 win.

After the games, kt Rolster’s top and mid, Smeb and UcaL, was interviewed by SPOTV.

¤ How do you guys feel about the win?

Smeb: It feels good to win. Since it has been awhile, it also feels good to be on the leader role for my time.

UcaL: My goal was to secure a spot in the finals and watch the playoffs while eating popcorn. It seems I am one step closer.


¤ You guys have successfully completed the test to quality for the finals. How did you guys prepare?

Smeb: I felt a lot of pressure to play this set. Removing the pressure, I worked on focusing more on the plays we were making.

UcaL: Although this series was important, I didn’t think about it too much. I believe this is why it worked out so well.


¤ Smeb, this is your 400th game. Congratulations! How do you feel?

Smeb: Despite playing competitively for an extremely long time, I have not been able to win that many games. I will win this Summer Split.


¤ In the 1st game, kt started out rough by getting double killed in the early game. However, the fight at Baron suddenly gave a direct route to win. It almost feels like the fight at Baron was initiated a bit later than it should have. What are your thoughts on this?

Smeb: Since Hanwha is a team that likes to start Baron often, we predicted them doing this. Although our initiation was late, we knew that all we had to do was win the fight. While stealing was beneficial as well, we discussed that it was higher priority to win the fight.


¤ It was prevalent that kt’s draft was full of confidence. It is common for lanes with no CC to have a difficult time coming back when behind early. With this in mind, how was the draft planned out?

Smeb: We are good at making plays that provide us with priority. Already discussing it with our coach, we picked champions that can allow easy priority. I believe we just played the game really well.


¤ Did the atmosphere from the 1st game translate directly onto the 2nd?

UcaL: Because I felt Hanwha’s mid laner (Lava) fall back, I was more confident in with my pick during the 2nd game. Also, I trusted in the safety that Tahm Kench provided me with.


¤ In the 2nd game, UcaL 1st picked LeBlanc. The enemy Leblanc in game 1 was bad. Why did you pick her in the 2nd game?

UcaL: I picked LeBlanc because I was confident in no matter who I faced. My coach also suggested the pick to me.


¤ People have been saying that every member on kt is able to hyper carry the team. With one more set left, what are your predicts?

UcaL: Our last game is against MVP. To my knowledge, if we beat MVP 2:0, we will have a confirmed spot in the finals. I believe our only enemies are ourselves. I will try my best.

Smeb: Although they say we will make it to the finals if we beat MVP, I feel a lot of pressure. Trying not to think too much on that pressure, I will try my best to display our plays.