T1 along with the teams in the LCK region are rushing to attend Worlds 2022 taking place in the US with the goal of winning.
Only 1 week left until Worlds 2022 will officially kick off. Two representatives from the VCS region, GAM and SGB, have partially completed the visa application and only gave the full date for the whole squad to go. Teams from two regions, the LCK and LPL, have also completed the visa application process and are also preparing to leave to settle down and compete in US time. T1 is no exception, Faker and his teammates are also busy preparing to go to the most important League of Legends tournament of the year. But before that, the LCK area had a media day showing the determination of the 4 representatives, let’s see what T1 members said and how to set goals at Worlds 2022.
Let’s start the press conference with a question to share with everyone: What are your thoughts on participating in this year’s Worlds?
Bengi: This is my first time coming to Worlds as a head coach. I feel a heavy responsibility on my shoulders, so I will do my best.
Faker: This tournament is the tournament that closes the 2022 season. I will give it my all.
Keri: I think I’ve “worked” hard up until now, so I hope to reap “good harvests” from this year’s Worlds.
Zeus: It’s the stage that everyone dreams of playing on. I will try to do the best I can.
Oner: This is my second time at Worlds, so I will show a better performance than last year.
[Tới Zeus] You’ve made it to the top of some of the best top laners rankings at this year’s Worlds. How do you feel about those reviews? Is there a top laner that you think would be formidable?
I think both the LCK and LPL top laners are very good, so I try not to think too much about each person’s power rankings. But I think top laners can adjust themselves at Worlds to perform at their best. All of the LCK and LPL top laners are good, so they’re all in my sights.
[Tới Bengi] How would you rate the team’s current form and from the head coach’s perspective, what needs to be fixed in order to win the World Championship?
I think based on our performance throughout the season, we are definitely championship contenders. Since the Worlds update will change the meta, we’ll need to figure out our picks and analyze the opponents well to optimize the macros of the squad.
[Tới Gumayusi] How do you predict your performance at this year’s Worlds when you return to the Worlds stage for the second year in a row?
Last year, I think we really had a chance to win Worlds. I’m going back to Worlds with three of my teammates this year, so I think as long as I focus, practice and stay in shape, we’ll definitely win.
[Tới Faker] As someone with a lot of international experience, how have your past experiences been different from this year? What have you focused on preparing for this year’s Worlds?
You have to play against teams from other regions, so I think the most important thing is to analyze their play and how they play.
[Tới Keria] Thresh was buffed in patch 12.18, which was the Worlds version. What do you think about support buffs having less impact on the game?
Buff supports dominated the summer meta, so it’s frustrating that I can’t influence my team’s wins and losses. I think we’ll see more support variety at this year’s Worlds, so that’s exciting.
[Tới Bengi] You are suddenly brought into the position of head coach. I’m curious how you feel when you hear this news. Also, now that the team has had some time to prepare, rest, and spend time analyzing the other teams, which LPL team do you think will be T1’s toughest opponent?
It is true that I felt a lot of pressure when I was first offered the position of head coach, so I decided to take the responsibility and take the position. When it comes to LPL teams, there have been plenty of 3-2 wins in the Summer Playoffs, so it will depend on how and how they play that day.
[Tới Faker] What results do you expect from working with Bengi? Also, there’s a lot of “travel” at this year’s Worlds, so as someone with a lot of overseas experience, how do you control your physical health and focus?
He’s someone I’ve played with since the time we were still playing. Bengi and I will definitely have an advantage in terms of communication and understanding. I think that as long as I can make good use of my time, there won’t be any problem in managing my physical and mental condition.
[Tới Gumayusi] You’ve expressed in the past that you’re tired of not getting a break during the season. Now that you’ve had some time off, how will that affect your gameplay? Also, what do you think of your summer performance?
Personally, I think I can tap into my potential when I have enough time. So now that I’ve had some time to rest, I think I’ll do well at Worlds. Summer is a bad time. I communicated more with my teammates and I think we all fixed a lot of problems in the summer period. I will do my best in the upcoming matches.
[Tới Bengi] Can you tell us how you prepared for Worlds after the summer break?
When we discussed it after the Summer Split, we realized that there were a lot of communication problems due to the lack of rest throughout the season. Communication will continue to be the focus of our discussions at Worlds.
[Tới Faker] T1 will face EDG again in the group stage, just like in 2021.
EDG are the defending world champions, so they’re definitely a team we need to watch out for. Going against them in the group stage will give us a chance to see how our level can go, so I think that’s good in terms of testing. It will be fun if T1 beat EDG 2-0 in the group stage
[Tới Faker] What does competing on the Worlds stage this year mean to you?
Just like last year, this is a period where I can test myself, so it will be a good opportunity to improve myself. My plan is to focus on mental control to go into a match with a better mindset than before. I’m trying to make the best use of my time and focus on my practice through a variety of methods.
[Tới Bengi] Worlds is being played on a completely new version. What are T1’s strengths in the new meta?
For me personally, there won’t be too much of a difference in the meta itself, because the only thing that’s changed is champion balance. I still think the meta will focus heavily on bot lane, and since a lot of our favorite champions haven’t been nerfed, we’ll just have to try them out and use them in matches. Right now, we feel very confident.
[Tới Oner] Hecarim has received a series of positive changes in recent versions. Although update 12.18 has nerfed Hecarim a bit, it’s still a pretty good champion to use. What do you think of this champion?
I think every player and team will have different views on champions in the meta, personally, I don’t think Hecarim is S-tier in the current patch.
[Tới Zeus] How would you rate each LPL top laner at this year’s Worlds? Also, what do you think about the top laner having more influence on the game?
I think each of them has their own unique style of play, but it’s hard to describe exactly how they played until I played against them. Champions like Jayce and Kennen have been buffed, they’re champions that I’m good at, so I’m happy to hear this news. I’m coming back from a long break, so I’m still adjusting things. I’ll need to play more to figure that out.
See also: Top champions with the worst gameplay design in League of Legends ever
[Tới Gumayusi] Another team that T1 faces at this year’s Worlds is Cloud9. Kim “Berserker” Min-cheol, former T1 Challengers bot laner, is C9’s outstanding bot laner. Do you remember what kind of player he was?
I think the match will be fun because both teams have excellent bot laners. I was happy to face him, because I remember him as a man with great skill and big hands.