On the 29th, Afreeca Freecs defeated Nongshim RedForce 2-0 in the 2021 League of Legends Champions Korea Spring Split and stopped their losing streak. In both games, there were many fights, but Afreeca Freecs showed better performance in the late game teamfights. After the match, Kim “Kiin” Gi-in joined Inven for an interview.

It must have been a satisfying victory.

It’s true that it’s been a while since we’ve won 2-0, but there are still regretful moments in our performances. In game 2, I wasn’t satisfied with my Gnar in laning and in teamfights.

What lacked, and how do you evaluate Gnar?

It’s not exactly tier 1, but it’s good to pick first. It’s pretty close to tier 1. The matchup was Gnar vs. Gangplank; in this situation, Gangplank is better in the early game but the later it goes, Gnar gets stronger. I wasn’t able to prove the pick at the timing when I was strong. That was what was regretful.

Afreeca Freecs’ performance wasn’t that good lately. What was the problem?

The laning was alright, but after 20 minutes, we had problems in dragon fights or controlling objectives. We’re still trying to fix it. I know that it’s difficult to fix in a short term, but we keep talking about it in scrims during feedback.

Your expression seemed unsatisfied with your own performance as well.

We’ve been losing a lot, so I think that came out. I’m also not that satisfied with my form. There are several reasons, but the biggest reason was that we were losing.

Rigby and LirA are “rookie” coaches. How are they?

As much as they’re not that older than us and they both have experience as a player, they try to understand how players feel more. I think that’s different from other coaches.

You picked Sylas in game 1, which isn’t picked that often.

I picked Sylas because they had Alistar. If I steal its ult, the damage is good and it’s hard to tie. I picked him for teamfights. But of course, I can’t always pick Sylas when there’s Alistar in the opponent. The biggest weakness is that Sylas’ laning is weak. The laning should be in a comfortable situation to pick Sylas.

What would be the source of the turnaround in game 2?

The turning point was probably when we cut Rell off. I also didn’t pay attention too much to the teamfight that went on below, it seemed that Viktor and Olaf kept dealing damage well. They did well.

Udyr keeps appearing very casually.

It can’t deal damage in the late game, but since it’s really fast, it can create more variables. I don’t know if it’s a tier 1 champion — it depends on the jungler’s style.

Some people say that Sterak’s Gage is OP.

In the next patch, Goredrinker and Sterak’s Gage are getting nerfed. I just think what should have come is coming. In the current competition version, they’re too strong.

You’re facing T1 next. Should we expect you to start a winning streak?

T1 is a team that’s consistently good. We should keep on our toes while we prepare.

Any last comments to the fans?

We’ve been underperforming lately, but we’re really practicing hard every day. I’d like to repay you for your support. Please don’t be disappointed in us and keep cheering for us.