On the 20th, at the Busan Bexco Auditorium, the 2018 League of Legends World Championship Quarterfinals match between LPL’s Invictus Gaming and LCK’s kt Rolster took place. Both teams played their hearts out and pushed the match to a full 5-game series. In the end, however, IG came out on top with a score of 3-2, eliminating Korea’s 1st seed out of the tournament. IG’s top laner, ‘TheShy’, who played in games 1, 2, 3, and 5, was able to hold his own against Smeb and heavily contributed to his team’s victory.

The following is an interview with IG TheShy.

Congratulations on your Quarterfinals win! Please tell us how you feel.

KT Rolster was a big tournament favorite. I’m very happy that we won.


As you said, KT was one of the biggest tournament favorites. Weren’t you nervous going in?

We didn’t struggle against KT during scrims, so I didn’t feel pressured. Also, I’m a player that doesn’t get nervous playing on stage, so I went in with an easygoing mindset.


In game 4, you were subbed out for Duke, despite your phenomenal performance in game 3. Why?

Our team likes to switch things up when we lose a game. The main purpose of the switch was to reset our mentality.


You guys were two auto attacks away from finishing the series 3-0. What do you think the problem was in game 3?

There were some communication issues throughout that game. Also, gameplay-wise, I think our bot lane losing their lane was a big factor in our loss.

I think maybe if I had killed Irelia and pushed faster, we could’ve ended the game. That part was a bit regretful.


Smeb for a long time was regarded as one of the best top laners in the world. How was it going against him?

I’m very confident in my laning prowess, so I didn’t feel any pressure during the laning phase. However, Smeb is a player that focuses on creating opportunities for his team through map presence and Teleport. I prepared for today’s match with that in mind.


You’re regarded very highly by other top lane players. What do you think about that?

During scrims, I play very aggressively. I think that’s why the other players feel pressured playing against me. Even if I die making a bold move, I learn about the other players’ playstyle and other elements.


I’m very curious about the Fiora pick.

To tell you the truth, we had run into a problem during picks and bans. The picks the coach had drafted and the picks the players wanted were different. As a result, the top lane was given the short end.

I asked the team to give me a pick that I can win my lane for sure with, and that pick happened to be Fiora.


How about the Lissandra pick? Coming into the Worlds Play-In Stage, she started seeing a lot of play.

In my opinion, I think she started seeing a lot of play recently as she acts as the niche counter to Akali.

She’s a good champion to blind pick, and her CC is very useful in the early game to take the lead. Her point-and-click hard CC is also great for the late game. She’s a champion who is very easy to build around as well-- I personally see her as a top-tier pick.


Who are you expecting to face in the semifinals? Who do you want to face?

RNG is a very strong team, so I’m expecting to see them in the semis. Our scrim results against them aren’t too bad either. If we prepare well, I think we could win.


Who was IG’s MVP today?

Although everyone did well, if I had to pick someone, it has to be our bot lane.

As for Rookie, he always does well. I'm also very helpful for our team -- as long as I don’t make a mistake.

But for today’s series, I think our jungler and bot lane takes the MVP prize.


Any last words for the fans?

But I don’t have too many fans… (Laughs)

I hope that more people watch and enjoy my plays. I hope that in time, I’ll gain more recognition.