Interview with Elyoya of Mad Lions Koi: Homegrown talent ready to keep proving sceptics wrong at Worlds 2024

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The opening match of the 2024 League of Legends World Championship set the stage for an exciting tournament as VCS’ Viking Esports (VKE) faced off against LEC’s Mad Lions Koi (MDK) in Berlin.

But while VKE, competing on the international stage for the first time after the rebrand, put up a surprisingly strong performance, MDK ultimately secured a 2-0 victory.

For the LEC representatives this Worlds appearance is both familiar and fresh. While the organization has qualified for the competition multiple times in the past, this roster is largely untested at this level, with only Javier ‘Elyoya’ Prades Batalla, the team’s jungler, standing as the only veteran in a line-up otherwise composed of rookies. 

The four rookies have already shown their talent by reaching the Worlds’ stage, and now they must bring the same level of performance—if not more—to prevent MDK from another early exit in the Play-Ins. The team’s progress will hinge on how quickly these rookies adapt to the global stage and how effectively Elyoya leads them through the challenges ahead.

After their victory over Viking Esports, Cecilia Ciocchetti caught up with Elyoya to discuss his role as the team’s captain, the preparations that went into Worlds, and the expectations resting on the shoulders of MDK’s young line-up.

Cecilia Ciocchetti, for Esports News UK: In both games you had two drafts that were very similar. Why do you think Viking Esports left you everything open again?

Elyoya, Mad Lions Koi: I honestly don’t know. I think it was a mistake by them. If we show that we are confident in game one, probably they just thought that they misplayed some occasions and that they were confident playing into this draft.

We gave so much priority to these champs, we got the same three. So yeah, it was a little confusing.

You said on broadcast that your team, despite them being rookies, are very confident. What was the preparation like with them going into Worlds? 

I think we did a really good job in Madrid in the bootcamp that we did. We settled our objectives, we settled our common objective between the five of us and we are striving to the same way, to the same goal. 

So that was our preparation coming into this Worlds: that everyone would have the same objective, the same expectations [of what] we would do. 

What can go wrong at Worlds, what can make us not improve as much? We covered all of these things. And I think this was the best preparation we could have coming into play-ins and Worlds, because at the end of the day, even if you prepare really well against one opponent, you might get the situation that you play one day, you lose, and the next day you have to prepare for a different opponent. So we prefer to be really well prepared ourselves instead of preparing really well against one opponent.

In your next match, you’re probably going to go up against PSG Talon. What do you think of their play style?

Well, I think their best players are the jungle (JunJia) and mid (Maple). I think those are two players to keep an eye on, and I think I’ll have a lot of pressure in this game, because I think whoever swings the jungle matchup would favour his team a lot.

I am really confident in going up against him. I think he’s going to be the first really strong jungler I face this tournament. So for me, it’s a really good challenge.

Why should fans look at MadLions Koi as a competing team that not only will go after Play-ins and the Swiss stage, but potentially reach the finals?

We are the only team that beat G2 in best-of-five this year, domestically. So I think that’s quite a good reason already. I think when we play good games, we play the best games.

We have really good fundamentals, but I’d say our problem is our inconsistency. So that’s what I feel, even myself. I know that when we play good games, we are the best team in Europe.

And what about the fact that there are four rookies and some are sceptical about MDK because of that?

They’ve been sceptical about it for a whole year. We kept on proving them wrong, so that’s not a concern for me at all.

Now, I know that we’re at Worlds, but because of the fact that you have four rookies and most of your team is Spanish, I’d like to ask you this question. There are going to be a lot of changes in the ERLs next year, and not only your teammates but also other players in the LEC came in from the ERL scene. Why do you think it should be important to keep the system as it is, if you think it should be important?

I think it’s basically what separates us from others. The fact that we have a really good ecosystem to grow players in our ERLs, because at the end of the day, if you watch the North American teams, I think all of them have Koreans. 

So it’s a reality that they don’t really [foster] their own players and they don’t grow the talent, they just go to other regions and usually get them. 

I think in Europe, it’s completely different. G2 have no Koreans, we have no Koreans. We use our talent [from Europe]. Four of my team come from here, from the ERLs. I think it’s just the best way to develop talent right now in the world.

During Play-Ins, is there any player or team specifically that you really want to keep an eye on because they might be a wildcard?

Weibo, I want to play against Tarzan the most. Oh but from play-ins I think PSG. I think PSG are going to be the toughest opponent.

What would it mean to you to reach the Worlds 2024 finals in London?

It would be insane. I don’t want to imagine these things yet because I know I will be let down in case I don’t reach something like this. I know it’ll be insane.

At the end of the day, it is what I pray for, what I am working for the past three, four years. So the feeling would be just too good. So yeah, we are everyday thinking on and towards it.

Is there anything you’d like to share with your fans? You might have heard a few chants from inside the arena today.

Thank you to every little rat in the Twitch chat. Thank you for supporting us. For us it is a big motivation to have that support, so thank you so much.

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Cecilia Ciocchetti

Hi, I’m Cecilia! A freelance writer mainly focusing on League of Legends and its esports scenes. Find me at events interviewing anyone who has a story to tell, from players to the talented people working behind the scenes. Do you also have a story to share? Reach out to me via Twitter.