The finals of the 2020 League of Legends World Championship between DAMWON Gaming and Suning is only a few days away, and before the culmination of six weeks of competition in Shanghai, both teams sat down with the media for the second half of Riot Games' pre-finals media day. 

 

 

The full transcript of the press conference featuring DAMWON Gaming and Suning can be read below:

 

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SwordArt, DAMWON Gaming comes into the finals as the heavy favorite. How do you feel about that?

In the quarterfinals, everyone thought JD Gaming would beat us. In the semifinals, everyone thought Top Esports would beat us. It’s the same here in finals, so hopefully we can show people the power of Suning.

 

Nuguri, Bin had a lot of good performances so far at Worlds. What do you think of Bin as a player?

 

I often watch a lot of Worlds games outside of my own. Bin is a very aggressive player and does a lot of things very well. He was only born in 2002, he’s a great player and I’m looking forward to facing him.

 

Bin, after hearing Nuguri's assessment of you, how would you assess your own play?

 

I’d say I am proactive. I try to utilize individual outplays to help lead my team to victory.

Ghost, your playstyle has been compared to huanfeng’s. What are your thoughts on facing him this weekend?

 

I also think that our playstyles are pretty similar in some sense. I know huanfeng is a rookie, and being able to achieve such a surprising and good result as a rookie is amazing to see. However, I think my experience is more sufficient, so I think I’ll be able to win.

 

huanfeng, has the prestige of Chinese AD carries at previous World Championships helped you reach the Worlds 2020 final?

 

There are a lot of AD Carries in China like JackeyLove, who have good mechanics and an aggressive style. I think an aggressive playstyle is better in most situations.

 

 

ShowMaker, how do you feel about Worlds being hosted in Shanghai and how is your mood in China these days?

 

I already had a good impression of China, and I was glad this Worlds was held in Shanghai. Hopefully, I’ll be able to return to China again soon.

 

Angel, Suning is the 3rd seed from the LPL and made it to the final at its first World Championship. What’s your biggest point of pressure?

 

I think by making it to Worlds 2020 I was able to play against a lot of different mid laners. I was able to experience a lot of different champions and playstyle, and I was able to use elements of what I learned to improve my own play.

 

SofM, the final will be the first event with a live audience since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. What are your thoughts on adjusting to this environment?

 

I think it’s a good thing that there’s a live audience for the final. I feel that the audience should make it a good experience.

 

Spark, as the Head Coach of Suning, can you give us your prediction for this series?

 

DWG is a similar team to us in playstyle, but I think we’re playing pretty well currently and will win 3-1.

 

Zefa, as DAMWON Gaming's Head Coach, can you do the same?

 

Considering previous experiences, I also think it will be a 3-1 series, but we will win. I think Suning’s players have been performing very well so far and all of the players are very excellent. The player playing the best for them right now is SofM.

 

 

ShowMaker, what do you think the biggest change has been for yourself during Worlds 2020?

 

I think our in-game coordination has greatly improved. As far as my physical state, the lifestyle in China is suited to me, so I haven’t felt uncomfortable at all thus far.

 

Coach Daeny, how is DAMWON Gaming preparing for the finals?

 

We actually haven’t practiced that much this week because we don’t have much time before the match. We’ve been focusing on our thought process and VoD review of previous games. We’ve already played a lot of scrims, so I think if we play our best then it will be all good.

 

Coach Chashao, how is Suning preparing for the finals?

 

Our training hasn’t changed at all. We play ranked games and research our opponents everyday. For the finals, we only have to play against one team so we can research them in-depth and design specific playstyles to use against them. Throughout the Worlds 2020 knockout stage, we have been utilizing specialized strategies to beat opponents, so we will do the same here.

 

 

ShowMaker, last week you ended an LCK nightmare by defeating G2 Esports in the semifinals. What are your thoughts on ending another LCK nightmare by bringing the Worlds trophy back to South Korea?

 

As long as we prepare enough for the finals and reduce the number of mistakes we make, I’d say we have a 90% chance to end this nightmare. If we accomplish this goal, I’ll feel very good about it.

 

huanfeng, everyone is impressed by what you have achieved personally - to qualify for a Worlds final after beginning your career in a house with no lightbulbs or parents around - have you had a chance to sit by the sea before the final and reflect upon your journey?

 

This road has been very hard for me, but because it’s the Worlds final, I want to grasp this opportunity and value. I want to handle future opportunities in the same way, too.

 

 

Zefa, how ready is DAMWON Gaming for the possibility of a five-game final? It doesn’t feel like DRX or G2 Esports took you to your limits.

 

We haven’t played a full five-game series since the 2020 LCK Spring Playoffs, but I believe in our players. If it comes to a fifth game in the series, I don’t think we’ll have any problems.

 

SwordArt, Suning was 11th in spring, 4th in summer, and now is headed to the Worlds final. What has been the biggest factor for Suning’s rapid improvement this season?

 

I think our success isn’t random. Our team has a lot of good elements — we have a lot of experience and a lot of really mechanically talented young players. Our goal is to take a lot from every failure, so we grow from every loss and learn from it. We’ve learned a lot of tactics and strategies from other teams in the LPL, so I think we’re one of the LPL teams who can beat Korean teams.

 

SofM, what would you like to say to people who thought Suning wouldn’t make it to the final of Worlds 2020?

 

I think it’s pretty normal. We have a lot of chances, and as long as we can show more of the Suning playstyle, we will be fine.

 

Ghost, as the youngest player on DAMWON Gaming, how has your first World Championship experience gone? Have your teammates helped you during this tournament?

 

I may be the youngest on the team, but I’ve had a great experience and I’ve learned a lot from my teammates.

 

Chashao, what do you think is the main aspect that defines Suning’s chances at beating DAMWON Gaming in the final this weekend?

 

Our team has never won a championship. We’ve had plenty of experiences with failure, and that’s deep in everyone’s mind. We’ve played against a lot of teams both in China and from other regions, so I think it is our rate of improvement.

ShowMaker, you will be playing in front of a live audience for the first time in 2020, and previously, DAMWON Gaming has acknowledged stage nerves affecting the team’s performance. This time around, how do you think the live audience will affect you and your team?

 

All of these things are in the past. I don’t think I’ll be very nervous about this match.

 

 

Does either team have any last words for one another before the match?

 

Nuguri: I hope that the finals will be exciting.

Canyon: I hope that the finals will be very interesting.

ShowMaker: I hope that the finals will be very fun and will make viewers happy to watch.

Ghost: I’ve heard the story of huanfeng before, but he is so young...let me win this time! *Laughs*

BeryL: Please give us a lot of experience.

Bin: I’ve played a lot of ranked games against Nuguri. I hope we can both perform our best when we meet in the finals. 

SofM: I said before that Suning and DAMWON Gaming are similar in playstyle, so we want to determine which is the lesser.

Angel: I hope that ShowMaker will pick champions that are aggressive like I do.

huanfeng: I hope that after Worlds 2020 I can learn a lot from Ghost and become friends with him.

SwordArt: We have a good relationship with Ghost. He’s given us a lot of tips, so I hope that before the match, we can take him for some tasty beef noodles.

 

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