The 2022 LCK Summer finals is scheduled to take place on Aug 29, at Gangneung, South Korea. Gen.G will be facing off against T1 once again; T1 had the momentum behind them during the Spring split, which led to their Spring split championship victory against Gen.G. This time, not only is the LCK Championship trophy on the line, the results will also decide the seeding for the upcoming LoL World Championship.

 

The 2022 LCK Summer finals media day took place on Aug 23, at the LCK Arena. Hosted by LCK announcer Yoon Su-bin, all five players plus the head coach from each team were joined by various media outlets to answer questions.

The following is the Q&A session from the 2022 LCK Summer finals media day.

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Gen.G predicted a 3-0 victory, while T1 predicted a 3-1 victory. How come?

Score: Our player’s level of performance is at a very high level right now, and their level of confidence is also very high. I believe we’ll win 3-0.

Polt: Based on our playoffs experience, it’s hard to see a 3-0 victory. That’s why we predicted a 3-1 victory.

 

 

Throughout the split, experts have praised Peanut’s innovative jungle pathing. What are thoughts from both of the head coaches on this?

 

Score: Not only does Peanut have an extensive career, he’s always been good. He continues to put in effort and time in researching the jungle, and continues to showcase variety. I’m proud of him and his continued improvement.

 

Polt: Based on what I’ve seen from him, I also believe that he puts in a lot of time in his research. However, while he might showcase great performance, it doesn’t mean he’s without weaknesses. We’ll be sure to exploit them.

 

 

The current meta is all about the bot lane. What are the mindsets of both the bot laners heading into this split’s finals?

 

Gumayusi: I believe that Ruler’s the best bot laner in the LCK this Summer split. This finals is a chance for me to beat the best bot laner of the split, so my goal is to beat the best.

 

Ruler: The bot lane has definitely gotten more important in comparison to the Spring split. I’ll make sure to perform better than I have throughout the split, and be better than how I played in the playoffs.

 

[To Gumayusi] I’ve heard that your older brother [StarCraft II Pro INnoVation] will be attending the finals. During the Spring finals, you told the press that you wished he was there to cheer you on.

 

Gumayusi: It’s true that my older brother is coming. I went to watch his games live a lot in the past, and I thought it was really cool to see him play. It’s a weird feeling to have him now watch my match, and I want to perform well for him.

 

 

[To both top laners] Although this meta is centered around the bot lane, top lane is still very important. How do you both foresee the matchup?

 

Doran: Zeus always played well, and he was also chosen as the LCK First Team’s top laner. While there’s no denying that he’s done well this split, I plan to beat him at the finals, as it’ll lead to great reviews on my performance.

 

Zeus: I think Doran’s a really strong top laner. In the current meta, I think that there’s a very low chance of getting solo kills in the top lane, so it’ll be a very sweaty battle.

 

[To both head coaches] How do you evaluate your opponent’s level of performance right now? Who’s the one player from each team that you need to be especially wary of?

 

Polt: Because we lost the last time we faced off [during the regular season], I believe that Gen.G’s a bit better than us in the sense of performance level. However, we’ve been preparing for the playoffs very early on, and if you add that to our experience of beating them in the Spring finals, I believe we’re at even footing. Personally, I believe that Peanut’s the player we need to be wary of.

 

The most tricky role to prepare against, especially for this finals, was the jungler. Since this finals directly leads into Worlds, how we perform will also impact our Worlds performance as well.

 

Score: I always thought that T1’s always been a good team. They’ve played well this split as well, so they’re never easy opponents. I believe Oner will be the one that can create the most variance.

 

While all 10 players playing in this finals are all very good, I believe the jungler can create the most variance. Our players’ goal was always about winning the championship, so I believe that our players will find the solution that they need.

 

[To Lehends] There have been a lot of surprise picks in the T1 vs DWG KIA series during round 2 of the playoffs. As you're the player who's known for playing off-meta picks like Singed support, can the fans expect these new picks in the finals?

 

Lehends: I'm definitely down to play surprise picks in the right situations.

 

 

[To Faker & Ruler] While winning the finals is important, winning the split will also decide the seeding for Worlds.

 

Ruler: I have a lot of experience going to Worlds through playing the regional qualifier; from my experience, the matchup in groups is very hard as the third seed, while the knockout stages become a bit easier. Truth be told, I never went to Worlds as the first or the second seed, so I can’t speak on the pros of the seeding.

 

Faker: Since the seeding only influences who we face at Worlds, I don’t think it’s too important. What’s important is how well we can perform at Worlds. Right now, I’m only focused on doing well at the finals.

 

 

[To Faker & Chovy] How do you foresee the mid lane matchup?

 

Faker: During this year’s Spring finals, I wasn’t at my 100%. This time, I think I’ll feel much better than how I did back then, so I’m eagerly looking forward to the matchup. Also, right now, game fundamentals have become very important in the mid lane. I hope that we can play a great series this time.

 

Chovy: I did lose to him last time, but I have a good feeling about this Summer finals. I hope to play a great match.

 

 

[To both head coaches] Side selection is very important in a Bo5. Which side will both teams prioritize?

 

Score: For us, it isn’t that important. However, since we played too many games on the red side, I believe we can showcase a variety of strategies on the blue side. I think the blue side is better.

 

Polt: Both the blue and the red side have their pros and cons. However, considering everything, I think the blue side is better.

 

Both Score and Polt have spoken about the importance of the players’ conditions on the day of the finals. Can you speak more on that importance, and how you manage the players’ conditions?

 

Score: This split, not only is the finals taking place in Gangneung, the starting time of the series is also different. We’ll have to adjust our sleep schedule starting this week and continue to monitor how the players feel.

 

Polt: Because the finals start earlier than usual, we’ll be adjusting our practice regimen accordingly. Also, because Gangneung’s very far away, we’ll be going there early for the players to get used to everything.

 

 

[To Ruler] Gen.G took a clean 2-0 victory against T1 in round 2 of the regular split. What was the team atmosphere like at the time, and how will that victory influence the upcoming series?

 

Ruler: At the time, we weren’t confident that we could beat them due to our negative win record against T1. However, because we beat them and played well, the morale within the team was at an all time high, and gained the confidence that we needed. We’re confident we can beat them.

 

[To Faker] After T1’s loss against Liiv SANDBOX in round 2 of the regular split, you stated that you’ve hit an all time low. How much has the team improved since then, up to the point where T1 beat DWG KIA in round 2 of the playoffs?

 

Faker: While we might be playing much better than how we played against LSB, there are still things that we lack. If we can fix such things and manage our physical condition well, I believe we can play the finals well.

 

 

[To Keria] You told the press that you struggled with health problems since July. How are you feeling now? How do you think you’ll be during the finals?

 

Keria: There’s still a bit of time until the finals, and we’ve been preparing for the Gen.G matchup from very early on. I think that as long as I manage my physical condition well up to the finals, I think I’ll be able to play the series well. Also, depending on where we end up sleeping on the day before the finals, it’ll determine how I physically feel on the day of.

 

 

[To both head coaches] The upcoming finals is essentially the starting line for both teams’ runs at Worlds this year. How do you foresee your team’s run at Worlds this year, and do you believe that you can win Worlds this year?

 

Score: Worlds is a very important stage for our players, while it’s the most exciting time of the year for the fans around the world. We always practice with the goal of becoming a strong team on the international stage. We’re confident that we’ll do well at Worlds, and that we can perform at a level where we can win Worlds.

 

Polt: T1 has made it this far with the goal of winning Worlds this season. I believe we have fully prepared well so far, and we can definitely win Worlds this year.

 

 

[To Peanut and Oner] Oner, how do you evaluate Peanut’s jungle pathing, which has been praised for its innovation? Peanut, how do you evaluate Oner’s performance?

Oner: Peanut has showcased innovative pathing in the early-mid game. It was very surprising to see such pathing, but there were a lot of LCK junglers that said they learned quite a bit from him. I also researched a lot, so I’m confident that I’ll do well in the finals.

Peanut: I just think I was the forerunner in all that. Oner’s also a really good player, so there’s a lot I need to factor in. He’s especially good in skirmishes, so that’s something to be wary of as well.

 

 

[To both junglers] How confident are you in your abilities to win Smite fights?

Peanut: I’m always confident in every match. Throughout my career, I always played with the mindset that there will be days where I just get unlucky.

 

Oner: Truth be told, Smite fights are always 50/50. It depends on lady luck that day. I feel I’m pretty lucky, so I’m confident in Smite fights.

 

[To Chovy] Back in 2018-19, you stated the reason behind your losses in the finals is because there were things you lacked. What are some of those things you lacked back then, and have you managed to fill those gaps?

 

Chovy: At the time, the deciding factor was that I played worse than the enemy mid laner, and my influence on the team was smaller than that of the enemy mid laner. I have improved a lot since then, so I’m expecting great results. If we lose, then I’ll blame it all on Score [laughter].

 

 

Lastly, what are the resolutions of both team captains?

 

Faker: The Summer finals this year are taking place in a different region, so I think it’ll be fun. I always think that we just need to thoroughly prepare the things we need for the series; we worked hard in the preparation, so I believe we’ll do well in the upcoming finals. We’ll work hard to produce great results in the finals.

 

Ruler: I believe that winning the finals will lead to performing well at Worlds this year. We’ll prepare well for it and make sure that we win.