MSI champions G2 Esports took down 'scrim gods' DAMWON Gaming in the 2019 LoL World Championship Quarterfinals. In a 4-game match, G2 was the better team in the end, advancing to the semifinals to face SK Telecom T1. After the match, the players and coach of G2 Esports gathered in the media room for a press conference.
There has been a lot of hype about DAMWON. Do you think they performed up to the level you expected today and how good do you think they'll be in the future?
Perkz: I think they're pretty good in scrims. On stage, not bad. But on stage, they take far less risks than they do on scrims. That also makes their plays kind of easier to play against. You just know their plays LCK style, around vision. This is just my perspective, I don't know about top or mid, because I don't play against them. They're far less scary on stage than their scrims.
(To Jankos) You said that DWG was the one team you don't want to face in knockouts. But now you've beat them, how do you feel? You also said that you really want to play SKT in the knockouts, and you've got them for next week.
Jankos: I'm really happy that we did beat DWG. Back in London, I was memeing about it. I feel that we can beat any team. It doesn't matter if we'll play quarters against SKT or DAMWON or any other team. I would still be as confident going to the game. But obviously, our scrim results against DAMWON were really bad. Having even like three games out of ten, fifteen, or even twenty. Today on stage, they were pressuring us way less than they were in scrims. I felt like Perkz mentioned, they didn't really play aggressive, they didn't take a lot of risks and I feel like we had our game plan. I think about three good ideas and draft, so I think we played well.
And about SKT, I'm really happy that we can face them again. MSI was very exciting and we won. I really want to play against SKT again becuase they're just such a great team, and it's going to be really fun.
(To Perkz) About a year and a half ago, the most popular ADC in NA and EU challenged you to try playing ADC. They also said switching roles are very difficult. One season later, you've made it further at Worlds than they did playing this role. Reflecting back on that challenge they gave you, what has this experience been like?
Perkz: It's not easy to transition roles because it's a huge shift in mindset and the way you practice, the way you play with your teammates. I guess every role is different in its own way. This role is a lot different compared to mid, but it's similar in a way because you still have to be the reliable carry. I feel I'm good when I'm playing from the carry position, so I think it still fits me a way. It's still a lot team-reliant; I have better mid jungle support top, so I won't, but if they are worse, then I'll probably do. Better team wins, you know (Laughs).
(Caps) We heard from Perkz his little message to Faker next week. What are your comments to Faker?
Caps: I don't have any comments for him. I think it's going to be a tough series. We beat them before, and I know they improved a lot, but we improved a lot, so it's going to be fun to see how we stack up. I hope we can get that win.
(To Perkz) A lot of ADCs are trying to play non-marksman champions, I think it's because of you. Today, you just played a lot of marksmen and won with them. How do you feel like making the other ADCs go out of their comfort zone?
Perkz: I think a lot of non-traditional champions at bot are pretty strong right now, and they probably were before in the past as well... Just no one was really pulling out there. I might have pushed people to do it, but champions like Garen Yuumi or Sona... That stuff wasn't really me. There are other stuff that come into bot lane that aren't mine. But definitely some mages there, I'm probably the only one that can play them. If you don't play them to a level that an experienced mid laner should have the ability to play it, you can't just play it for 50 games or 100 games, so that's definitely an advantage I have.
(To Perkz) Last Worlds, you played as a mid laner, but now as an ADC. Which one do you like better?
Perkz: I think playing AD is more chill because the better team wins. But playing mid is more exciting because I'm often more scared of the matchups. I feel in bot lane, I just auto win every lane whereas in mid lane, I have to think what every mid laner likes to play or how to play against it and stuff like that. It's more exciting in a way but playing bottom is also fun because winning is fun.
(To Jankos) Perkz mentioned that losing to Griffin actually helped you locate where the weaknesses are. In your opinion, what is the difference between the G2 that lost two games against Griffin and the G2 that won against DWG today?
Jankos: I think that after we lost against Griffin, we took scrims way more seriously. I feel that way, we improved a lot as a team. But I think the main issue is that I was running it down against Griffin I feel that Mikyx was alsy running it down (Laughter). Since support and jungle are so important in the mid-game, both of us were playing pretty bad, so they won. At the same time, I feel that we play way better in Bo5s than we do in Bo1s. I'm really happy that we had a wake-up call from Griffin.
What are your predictions for the score for the IG vs FPX?
GrabbZ: I would like to meet IG just to meet them again and take revenge.
Mikyx: Same. IG, 3-2.
Perkz: IG 3-1 top difference (Laughter).
Caps: I think FPX will win 3-1.
Jankos: I think probably IG. I would like to play IG.
Wunder: I think 3-2 FPX, super carry Doinb.
(To Mikyx) Ocelote said on twitter that you guys had a team dinner last night and he gave you some encouraging words. What was his 'pep talk' like?
Mikyx: Basically, he told us to have fun. No matter how it goes, that they're very proud of us. It was very appreciative.
(To Wunder) Ocelote also said that G2 is a team that's absolutely untiltable. Is this true and if so, how do you guys remain untiltable?
Wunder: I think it's pretty true that we're less tiltable than other teams. We just realize what went wrong in the games and we don't really dwell on it. We move on to the next one whereas our personalities don't really like to clash in a way where it becomes an issue for us. Especially during a series. In scrims, we have our tilt moments as well, but I think we all know when the pressure is on and when the series is going on, I think we all just want to win it. So it doesn't really matter what happened last game, it's all about the next game. I think that's what matters.
(To Jankos) What has made Europe have such a global impact for the last couple of years?
Jankos: I think that my team, where I started my career isn't as strong as G2 right now, so I feel that I improved every year as a player. I don't feel I'm playing mechanically as good other super top tier junglers at least on some champions. My Qiyana was disgusting. But I feel since I know so much about the game right now, I know what to do in every situation and even if I don't, I can count on my team to help me out. We're all working together, and since I improved so much over the past few years, I feel it's just easy to play the game because no matter what is thrown at me, I know how to answer it and I don't think there's anyone in the world, even Tarzan although he beat me last game, that's better than me. I can play against everyone I can do well. If I run it down a game or two, it sucks, but I would accept it and just try to do better the next time.
(To GrabbZ) Before, you had said that the gap between the east and west hasn't closed at all, and that there were outliers and that you guys are positive outliers. Do you feel that you got confirmed now that the quarters are done?
GrabbZ: How to judge from the games, I feel in fact they look good, how Splyce played against SKT. I think it's more about the whole of the regions. NA or EU can have one or two good teams but I think if you just practice against the best in the world every single time, in Korea, there's like 7 good teams, and then China, 7-8 good teams. We literally have to build the EU super team to compete. I think that takes time. I really hope that the teams in Europe do not think that Europe is super strong now because G2 won. That's not the case. We also did a mistake of not going to Korea or China for bootcamp because we actually thought also we were so good. And the first week, we played DAMWON and realized we're not that good and had to learn again. I think the gap's still there, but of course, it's a long process.
A lot of the western teams say that it's difficult to play against eastern teams. You don't seem to have that problem. Do you feel the difference or do you think it feels different?
Jankos: Something that I can say from the jungle side: I feel a lot of the western jungles are bad compared to eastern counterparts. I feel playing against any eastern team with a good jungler is so much harder because they know so well about what to do on the map and they're way more aggressive. They know how to punish you from jungle side. Meanwhile, playing in Europe or in NA, it feels like even if you should get punished, you would not, or you can at least easily counterplay it.
(To Perkz) You had said that you want to make a team with five mid laners. Faker, Rookie, Caps, yourself. Who would be the last person?
Perkz: Doinb.
(To Perkz and Caps) If you two swap positions, do you think G2 will become stronger or weaker?
Perkz: Weaker.
Caps: You'll have to see next year (Laughs).
- David "Viion" Jang
- Email : viion@inven.co.kr
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