DWG KIA had the unenviable task of taking on their bogeyman LCK in Gen.G in the League of Legends Worlds 2022 Quarter-Finals. Going into the tournament, DWG KIA had yet to win a series against the reigning LCK champion all year, each going all the way in terms of games.
Unfortunately, as with the rest of the year, today didn’t go DWG KIA’s way, and General G walked away victorious. However, while DWG KIA may have lost today’s fight, he can at least take solace in knowing that he was in one of the finest series the MOBA Gaming World Championship has ever seen. seen.
The bloody best of five was initially looking to be a quick 3-0 – mirroring the results of previous quarter-final games – after General G took a 2-0 lead. However, DWG KIA fought tooth and nail – led by their core duo of Heo ‘ShowMaker’ Su and Kim ‘Canyon’ Geon-bu – to equalise. Back and forth, game after game – and believe us, there were absolute belts – DWG KIA and Gen.G traded blows in the deciding game until only the first seed remained Korean.
After the game, we sat down with ShowMaker to discuss the series and why DWG KIA vs. Gen.G is still going the full month. Plus, ShowMaker reveals his favorite moment from this year’s campaign and what it’s like to star in a series that will undoubtedly go down in LoL Worlds history. Oh, and you’ll also want to read on to find out who he thinks will go all the way and win the Summoner’s Cup in San Francisco.
The Loadout: ShowMaker, thanks for joining me and commiserations for the loss. I just wanted to start by getting your general opinion on today’s games.
Showmaker: In fact, I was expecting today’s game to be pretty much neck and neck, and it turns out that Gen.G’s players are pretty good. It was pretty bloody and a hell of a competition, and it’s really a shame that we lost today.
This year, DWG KIA and Gen.G always went the full distance when you went head-to-head. What do you think makes it such a close game every time?
Gen.G is a very strong team, and I think the reason we always go to Game 5 is that they are very hard to beat. One of their strategies is that they usually prepare a very diverse draft, which catches the opponent off guard.
Although we lost all the best of five [we played against them] this year, I will make sure to win against them next year.
I can not wait to be there ! Thinking about the surprise picks in the draft, we saw Jeong ‘Chovy’ Ji-hoon pick Ryze – a champion we had yet to see at Worlds this year. I would just like to have your opinion on the selection.
Since Chovy is a good Ryze player, I wasn’t too surprised. It made sense to pick Ryze, especially since I was playing Lissandra, and we were all playing close-range champions.
Another choice that I – among other things – was surprised to see coming to the Rift today was Yuumi. What was the thought process behind letting Yuumi go through the ban phase in games one and two?
Internally we had a lot of talk about Yuumi, but in the end the ultimate conclusion was to leave her open and try to play her. Since the results didn’t quite go as planned, we ended up banning her later.
Thanks for your insight. Perhaps turning away from the game and towards happier times, what was your fondest memory from this year’s tournament?
It was actually today’s game, because every time we won, we could hear and feel the energy from the crowd. It’s really something that makes you so proud to be a professional player. I had a lot of fun.
For us as viewers, the series was definitely an emotional roller coaster. For you who experienced it, what was it like to switch between games?
Obviously it would have been much better if the results were good. It was electrifying and fun at times, and sad [at others], but overall it was a really, really good time. I think this is probably going to be one of my memories that will last a lifetime.
Thinking more broadly about your year, even if you haven’t lifted the World Cup trophy yet, what did you think of 2022?
So since the Spring Split, we had high expectations from everyone, but I think because we didn’t meet those expectations, it was a very difficult year.
I know it may be too early to think about it now, but where do you think you and the team need to focus your energies heading into the offseason and beyond into 2023?
I feel like we have so much left to discuss [regarding what’s going to happen next year]. League of Legends is going through so many changes, so I’m not sure what to say about the future.
For now, I think I should really focus on resting and making sure to fill my head with optimistic thoughts.
Looking a little closer to the rest of the tournament, who do you think will win the Worlds and why?
So far I have a feeling it will definitely be one of Gen.G, T1 or DRX. I feel like compared to JD Gaming or EDward Gaming, the LCK is just better at this point – I really expect an LCK vs LCK final.
Before I let you go, do you have anything else to say to the fans who cheered you on?
The only reason I’m here today is because of the fans. So to all those around the world who encourage us and watch me: thank you very much.
For next year, I want to work even harder, and despite today’s result, I want to make sure I deliver more exciting games, like the ones we played today. And I will work even harder to transfer that good energy and make sure you enjoy every game I play.
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