On Mar. 26, Gen.G defeated Hanwha Life Esports 3-1 and had a good start in the 2023 LCK Spring Split playoffs. They will move on to the winners' bracket to face T1. After the match, Gen.G head coach Go “Score” Dong-bin and jungler Han “Peanut” Wang-ho joined the media room to talk about the match and their upcoming match as well.

How do you feel about today’s win?

Score: I’m happy that we won 3-1. I’ve been to Jamsil Arena when I was a player, and I’m glad to be there again as a coach.

Peanut: When it was decided that our playoffs matchup would be against Hanwha Life Esports, I was confident that we could win and prepare well. I’m happy that we won, and since I’ve played in Jamsil before, I think I’ll get a good vibe playing there again.

Hanwha Life Esports’ performance against Dplus KIA was good. How did you prepare?

Score: It seemed that Hanwha Life Esports played compositions that we often used when they played Dplus KIA. I think that made it easier for us to prepare.

Peanut: As I watched Hanwha Life Esports play Dplus KIA, they both looked quite good, but after watching T1 vs. KT, they looked relatively weaker, and I thought we could win.

How has the patch affected the gameplay?

Score: Right after the patch, each team had its own unique style of drafting. As the playoffs went on, teams adopted each others’ styles and made improvements, so they all have become quite similar. The diversity decreased.

Why did you pick Pantheon support in game 3?

Score: The patch was one thing, and we had good results during practice playing Pantheon, so we played him. In the game, the result wasn’t good. I think we need to rediscuss him after getting back home.

What did you think watching T1 play KT?

Peanut: I kept saying that they’re both really good as I watched. Watching the last game matchup between Faker and Bdd, I said, “That’s championship DNA.” Still, I believe we can win if we play with the thought that we’re better.

Score: All lanes were great in that match, but Faker’s last game performance was extraordinary. I think the mid lane will be the key point in the match against them.

In game 4, you picked Vi instead of Lee Sin for LeBlanc’s partner.

Score: We thought the opponent’s damage balance was a bit off, so the more items Vi builds, it would become sturdier in the late game compared to Lee Sin, with its own shield and HP recovery in Divine Sunderer.

What are your plans to face T1’s objective-focused macro?

Peanut: T1 has extremely good teamwork, since they have the same members for multiple seasons. We need to prepare better, and we need to play better. I think we should deal better with T1’s laning capacity and sharp draft skills, more than their macro.

Any last comments?

Score: Doran hasn’t been feeling well for the past few days, but I’m thankful to him for doing so well that it felt like he was in perfect condition. The other players also looked after him well and played well, so as the head coach, I was proud and thankful.

Peanut: Game 3 was an important game for us. The game was blown up in the early game, but we were able to throw a few counter punches as we sought chances to turn the game around. Considering that, I think we’re a strong team with perseverance.

All images by LCK Korea