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T1 South Korean top-laner Zeus has just qualified for the Worlds 2024 knockout stage in Paris. We caught up with the current Worlds 2023 champion after T1’s win over European hopefuls G2 on what’s next, reflections on G2’s playstyle, his thoughts on London and more.
Can I have your first words after the match again today against G2?
Playing against G2 was really tough and there were a lot of ups and downs for our team, but then we got the 2-0 so we’re really happy. Now we’re moving onto Paris and have a lot of time to prepare for the quarterfinals so I’m really looking forward to that.
[#Worlds2024 Swiss Stage M4 vs. G2]
— T1 LoL (@T1LoL) October 11, 2024
역시나 이변은 없습니다.
T1이 Knockout Stage로 진출합니다!👊
It was inevitable.
T1 heads up to the Knockout Stage!👊#T1WIN #T1Fighting pic.twitter.com/1kIR8jwO9u
Fans were excited by your Gragas pick. Can you tell us a bit more about this pick into Jax?
In terms of the laning phase, they each have strong points and weak points, but until you get to the teamfight section, I think Jax has really less [a way] of getting involved in teamfights compared to Gragas. I think Gragas is a better teamfight champion, so I felt like we picked him in order to counter their teamflight tactics.
For any fans trying Gragas against Jax in solo queue now, is there any advice you’d like to offer to help them perform better?
Okay, so, if you’re facing Jax one-on-one it’s going to be really difficult. So if you want to [go against him] do a teamfight. Actually no teamfight, just call your jungle. [laughs] Any AD jungle champion is going to be good for it.
Are there any top laners that made quarterfinals that you would like to face?
I think T1 traditionally did really good against Chinese teams, so I’d personally want to meet Chinese teams. But I mean at Worlds you can meet any team. It is going to be difficult to [predict the outcome, whoever we face], but I’m always ready and always confident to get to that next level, whoever we’re facing.
A topic that is usually brought on during Worlds or international tournaments is the gap between Eastern teams and Western teams. What are your thoughts on this topic, especially after today’s match against G2?
G2 have been probably the one of the top Western teams throughout the years, so I think they’re really up there.
Compared to other Western teams, FlyQuest are a really interesting team. They showcase their own playstyle well and when the individual players focus on what they’re good at/pick their favourite champions, they perform well and I think they have potential.
I feel like they’re lacking a gameplan as far as the macro game is concerned. When the game goes to the middle game, to the late game, I think they just do not have the gameplan to win the game or [know] how to win the game. But once they figure it out, I think the games can be much more diverse and really challenging.
Do you think Western teams can reach that level of understanding and close the gap? And are there other factors you believe could help Western teams close the gap?
I’ve never [worked with] any teams outside of T1, so I really cannot tell. But if I could just guess and assume it, I think they need to figure out who’s the one person that would win the game for the team, whether that’s going to be an ADC or mid laner [or whoever]. But also if they can find out that everyone can just really be that factor, that’d be great. But obviously I haven’t really been in their shoes yet, so it’s really hard to tell.
About your words in the trailer leading up to the match, you said that ‘heavy is the crown and Faker has to carry the weight of it’ and you want to support him in that. Is there any other metaphorical crown for you that is heavy to carry when you come to international stages?
To be honest, all the pressure is really towards the fans. Just really being able to give fans the results they wanted is probably the heaviest thing, but other than that, as far as at Worlds right now, we are clear favourites in the quarterfinals, so I think we have really nothing to lose, and as far as I know the teams who have nothing to lose tend to be really, really scary teams. So I think we’ll put the mentality towards that.
You’re going to Paris next, but what about the finals in London? How would you describe your road to London?
My first goal before leaving Korea was to get through the main stage and get to Paris because Paris is a romanticised and fantasised place. Looking back on our journey as T1 to get to the next stage, I feel like the whole story and narrative is pretty much the same compared to last year. So I’m feeling really confident about that [and reaching London] as well.
What are you excited about the most in terms of potentially coming back to the UK and London?
I definitely saw it as a challenge to get the crown at MSI last year, and obviously the result wasn’t what we were looking for. So I think it’s really about resetting the mind and getting to that stage [the Worlds 2024 final].
Is there something about yourself that fans don’t know but you would like to share with them?
I think my personality as a person, compared to in-game personality, is completely different. So I think, I don’t know how I’m going to actually portray that to other people, but I think this is really one of the points that’s really stood out to me for fans to know.
Thank you so much for your time. Really appreciate it.
Related article: T1 documentary ‘T1 Rose Together’ drops in time for Worlds 2024
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.