During the fifth weekend of the League of Legend European Championship Zdravets "Hylissang" Iliev Galabov opened up about his competitiveness with his siblings and having a twin brother that helped him out in his League of Legends career.
So, I know you have two brothers, but one of them is your twin, and he also plays League of Legends. What was it like to grow up with your siblings and playing with them?
I have a twin brother that is five minutes older than me.
Five minutes? That’s very specific, Hylie…
Yes, five minutes, that’s what I’ve been told. I have a brother that is five minutes older and he kind of brought us into video games and he taught us how to use a computer and play certain games, I think we started with GTA 2 or something, it was really bad. We were still struggling so he was getting a bit pissed because we were not really good at it, so we really tried to perform on the game. Then he brought us to another video game called Heroes 3: Might and Magic and I really like it… but we didn’t have a computer.
So console gaming only?
No, we had a computer at my grandparents.
I can imagine that it wasn't a great computer, huh?
It was a fine computer without video game, but we could go only on weekends to play, and we were really hyped, at least I was, and I couldn’t wait for Saturday and Sunday so I could play video games. And that’s how I got into video games.
And how about competitive video games? If you have two brothers that play video games, I’m sure at some point you guys were competitive against each other.
That's true actually. My twin brother, in the beginning, I think was learning faster than me, but I think I was playing way more than him. I played League of Legends, but even though I started before him, I think he was even better than me. I actually never told him that, but I was always trying to surpass him.
That’s twin rivalry!
Exactly, so I couldn’t be the worse twin, so I was always trying to get better than him, and maybe that’s why I was playing a lot and trying to improve and learn from my mistakes. I had a goal in my life and maybe not all people have this rivalry, but it helped me.
And at what point did you both encounter professional League of Legends?
I guess he didn’t encounter that much professional League of Legends, he played some tournaments in Bulgaria, I guess I had an event in London, my first event Insomnia 51 with Unicorns of Love.
Before that, how did you get into the scene?
I was playing a log of Go for LoL and Face It tournaments with my team, we beat almost everyone in the weekly tournaments and that’s how I think everything started, then I went to this London event. I brought my brother because my English was really bad at that time.
And his was really good?
He was way better than me, I had to bring him for my own confidence. So if I didn’t know something I could ask my brother. Funny story: when I went to this event, people actually thought he was Hylissang because he was more with the group, and I was shy, on the side. There were some forum posts with him saying the picture was Hylissang.
And it doesn’t help you guys are twins, right?
He actually looks very different than me, maybe other people see some similarities.
Literally the same person.
No, not really. It can’t be true.
So, he subbed for you at an event, right? (In Hylie’s Leaguepedia, there is a trivia question mentioning they have played in the same team in the past)
I actually don’t remember, maybe it’s true I have a really bad memory.
Does he still play?
He plays a bit, he tried to go pro in Bulgaria, but it’s really difficult. He would play tournaments, but he didn’t find it worth it, so he stepped down and plays for fun.
And do you still play for fun with your siblings?
I don’t really find time…
Do you not find time or do you not find it fun…?
*laughs* For sure I have a lot of fun playing with my brother. If I want to win everything…
I mean, you probably do win everything, you play for FNATIC, do you really have to try that hard?
YES?! If I don’t play solo queue I feel like I let my teammates down, at least that’s how I feel, at least in my head.
I meant, against your brother! Of course at the LEC you have to try hard!
If I have a break I’ll play with him and other friends and I love it. But during the split I try to not play any other games than League.
And do you have a special word for your brother?
I call him Sasho, actually, it’s so stupid, it’s Alexander in Bulgaria is called Sasho, and he calls me Zus.
Well, I mean if you have a special message for your brother?
What can I say… I like when I go to Bulgaria, he is actually my personal cook, he cooks really good food and I didn’t ask him to do that, so “Благодаря” ти which means thank you in Bulgarian. I am really happy that he is my twin brother.
You have no choice right? *laughs*
Yes, but I am glad he is who he is and not like…
He’s the one that is the twin…
That’s so cheesy!
- Lara Lunardi
- Email : laralunardi@gmail.com
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