On day 38 of the 2022 LCK Summer split, Gen.G defeated DWG KIA 2-1 after a very back and forth battle between the two titans. With this victory, Gen.G’s one step closer to finishing in first place of the regular split, and have a chance to be seeded into the playoffs as 1st seed.

The following is a post-match interview with the bot laner and the head coach for Gen.G, Park “Ruler” Jae-hyuk and Go “Score” Dong-bin respectively, 

Thoughts on the victory?

Score: I’m thrilled that we won 2-1 tonight. We always go to game 3 against DWG KIA, so I’m relieved I was able to get the clutch victory in the end.

Ruler: We had a lot of confidence and momentum behind us recently, so I think that’s why we were able to win tonight. I’m really happy that we won.

Gen.G had a 17-game win streak up until game 1 of the series, but after losing game 2, the team failed to set a new record.

Score: It might be a bit disappointing that we didn’t break that record, but it doesn’t mean that our performance has dwindled. As long as the team continues to play well, I’m not too concerned about any records.

Ruler: I agree. Our goal is to win, not set a new record. I was just focused on winning.

As stated earlier, whenever Gen.G plays DWG KIA, the series always goes to a game 3. What do you think the reason is?

Ruler: It’s because they’re a strong team. Each player on that team are all good players. By saying this, I don’t mean to discredit the other teams that we 2-0’d, but DWG KIA just prepared that well against us.

What are your thoughts on the surprise Karthus pick in game 2?

Score: We really didn’t expect Karthus to be picked in game 2, because he rarely gets picked in the current meta. The Skarner pick wasn’t necessarily a counterpick to Canyon’s Karthus, and we didn’t ban him out in game 3 because it’s really hard to form a team composition around Karthus. We simply didn’t feel a need to ban him.

Starting this season, Gen.G started working with an analyst named J. What’s his role within the team and how has he helped with the team’s preparation process?

Score: He started working with us in the Spring, but he and the team worked on different floors in the building. However, starting this Summer split, I felt that his role within the team is more important, so we brought him to our floor to work with us more extensively. He pays attention to more on the finite details, like items and changes from each patch. Whenever players have questions, he also serves the more traditional analyst role, helping them figure out the things they want to solve.

What’s the reason behind choosing the keystone rune ‘First Strike’ over ‘Press the Attack’ on Lucian?

Ruler: I think First Strike fits him very well. You can’t really utilize Press the Attack inside the laning phase. I feel it’s better to earn gold through First Strike and buy your items faster. Also, the extra damage on First Strike in the late game isn’t weak, so I like it on Lucian. I expect other players to use it as well.

Gen.G played Lucian-Nami against Amumu.

Ruler: We felt confident playing Lucian-Nami into Amumu. We felt that Yuumi wouldn’t be that good into Amumu, so I suggested that we play Lucian-Nami. I’ll have to rethink about the matchup.

In game 2, Gen.G showed signs of life after falling behind quite a bit in the early game.

Score: I feel that the fact that they were able to catch up to DWG KIA was incredible on its own. I wasn’t disappointed, but rather in awe at how well the players were able to play.

Ruler: It’s definitely disappointing that we couldn’t win that game, but during the game, I thought to myself that game 2 was incredibly fun. I was very satisfied with that game.

Peanut always shares in his interviews that he receives a lot of inspiration from the LPL junglers. When you monitor the games from other leagues, what are some of the things you’re looking for?

Score: The one thing I focus heavily on is the team compositions. Based on the comps, I figure out how they play out the teamfights and allocate which champions in which lanes. From the fights, I try to figure out how well they can function.

Ruler: I look at the picks and how they’re especially played in the laning phase. I also look at how they transition out of the laning phase.

Gen.G locked in their spot for round 2 of the playoffs. What do you consider to be the most important factor when it comes to Bo5s?

Score: Obviously, the preparation process is very important. In Bo5s, you can’t just have one or two game plans prepared; you have to have different strategies prepared. Also, the most important thing is to figure out the flow of things on the day of the match.

Ruler: As someone who won and lost a lot of Bo5s, having that unwavering mindset is important. Even if you lose game 1 of the series, if you have the same mindset, upsets can definitely happen. Basically, don’t mental boom; if I can keep myself collected, I believe we can become champions.

Ruler just mentioned the importance of keeping himself mentally collected. Is there any methods that you’ve learned in how to care for the players metnally during the Spring split?

Score: The players are all veterans within their own rights, so it’s very easy to take care of their mentals. The most important thing is trust between the players, so the players kinda figure that out for themselves.

Lastly, is there anything you’d like to say?

Score: Round 2 of the Summer split is the last neck of the regular splits in the season. We’ll make sure to continue to put on a great performance until the very end, so please continue to support the players.

Ruler: There’s only a few games left until we can secure 1st place in the standings. I personally think that while we did very well so far, there’s been times where we did slip up. I feel that I can do much better; I want to really make my fans happy.