In the upcoming interview, star mid-laner Jeong "Chovy" Ji-hoon of Gen.G opens up about his journey leading to Worlds 2023. Chovy touches on the unique experience of competing in Korea, his reflections on past performances, and his perspective on the prevailing competitive landscape, including the constant comparisons between LCK and LPL.

Considered by some to be the best mid laner in the world, Cholve delves into the intricacies of varying playstyles, the universal quest to grasp the ever-evolving meta, and his thoughts on formidable opponents from all regions. Chovy also gets candid about his historical matchups, the growth in his gameplay and mindset, and the ever-present competitive spirit in his professional journey.

You have a lot of experience in international tournaments. Is it any different playing in Korea this time?

It’s good that I don’t need to adapt to a new environment since we’re playing in Korea. It feels like playing comfortably at the plays I’ve always played in, so I believe I have an advantage.

You were so dominant during the first part of the year. Afterward, your performance wasn’t the best at MSI. What have you been doing to make sure that this doesn’t happen again?

We didn’t understand the meta well enough as a team during the MSI, and we didn’t pick the champions we used to pick during scrims. The tier list wasn’t proper for us, so we weren’t able to show our best performance.

Worlds this year is similar to last year. LPL won MSI, and heading to Worlds, the LPL is getting high evaluations. Do you feel that they’re dominant as others have said?

LPL is definitely a good league, but I’m not scared of them or neither do I think they’re dominant. Since the LCK and LPL are both good, I don’t think either league is dominant.

What’s the difference between the LCK and LPL regarding playstyle?

The LCK prefers getting sure benefits rather than to create variables through skirmishes and teamfights. I’m not sure if it’ll continue to Worlds, though. As for the LPL, I think they prefer getting benefits from skirmishes.

How do you feel about the two regions’ understanding of the meta?

Rather than each region having different interpretations of the meta, regardless of the region, there will be teams that understand the meta better. Eventually, teams that understand the meta better will get better results.

Which of the mid laners currently stand out as the most difficult to face?

It’s not just one person. I think all the mid laners of the LCK and LPL are really good. There are good mid laners in the west as well, so I don’t think there are any easy players to face.

Are any of the minor region mid laners impressive in any way to you?

Since it’s Worlds, I scrimmed against Caps. After facing him, I felt that he stands out particularly among the players in Europe.

You lost to Faker in last year’s international event, but you had good results against T1 this year in best-of series. What do you think about the matchup against Faker?

Early in my career, my performance wasn’t as good, so I often lost to him in best-of series. After I improved over time, the difference was only paper thin when I lost. Recently, I had good results against him in best-of series, so I’m not worried about it.

You’ve been considered one of the top players in the world, but now you’re considered one of the best. What has changed?

It might sound weird, but since I’ve been “bad” before, I worked harder to get better, so I believe my mindset changed.

This interview was condensed and edited for length and clarity.