“The biggest strength of our players is that we have great individual performances.”

Wednesday kicked off the 2023 LCK Spring Split with the first two games of the regular season. After a relatively tight matchup, Faker and T1 won 2-0 against the current Korean league champion, Gen.G. After the match, head coach Bengi and midfielder Faker went to the press room to answer questions from media representatives.

How do you feel after today’s victory?

Bengi : It was our first game of the season and I’m glad we started 2-0 against Gen.G. They say a good start is half a job well done, so I feel we are halfway through a successful season.

Faker : Being the first match, it was very important for the pace. I think it is very important that we win 2:0.

In the second game, you benefited from skirmishes, and it seems that Lissandra played a big role in those situations. How would you rate Lysandra?

Faker : All our players perform well when the conditions are set, so it went well in the 2nd game. Since there was so much to see, we also had some good games.

Why did you build the Ion boots in the first game?

Faker : I had to overcome a bit of an inauspicious start to the game and make up for lost time.

During the media day, teams chose Dplus KIA and T1 as favourites. What were you thinking while watching the Dplus KIA game before your game?

Faker : Dplus KIA performed well in its first game. Since we beat Gen.G today, if we also beat Dplus KIA, we will have good results.

You kept the same team as last year. Is T1’s style heading into the Spring Split? What do you think needs to be improved?

Bengi : At Worlds, we were a team that was good at both teamfights and macro, especially teamfights. I think we’ll have a similar style to last year since the meta hasn’t changed much. What we need to improve is the understanding of the meta, as there have been changes in patches. Even the next patch will have big changes, so it’s important to understand that.

Faker : The biggest advantage of our players is that we have excellent individual performances. Continuous improvement with heart and passion is essential for us to continue to perform well. For this we have to work hard individually while coming together as a team.

You always said that your goal was to be better than before. What do you think you have improved the most compared to last year?

Faker : After losing so many finals, I thought a lot about what we could have done better to win. I thought I should make up the things we missed when we had time. My goal this year is to learn and apply what I learn.

You were the only player to pick Gen.G as the favorite during media day. Did their performance meet your expectations?

Faker : When it comes to laning or macro, Gen.G is just as strong as last year. But I got the impression that their teamwork is not yet organized. We won 2-0 today, but they are still a strong team that can perform well.

The rules for MSI have changed. Two major league teams will go. What do you think about these changes? What are the advantages and disadvantages of participating in MSI?

Bengi : With two teams from each major league, the entire tournament was as tough as Worlds. Giving more teams a chance is a positive change. The benefits of participating in MSI is that you can save your Spring Break form through the Summer Break through MSI. On the other hand, the schedule is very tight. There are going to be a lot of teams that are tired of this schedule.

Faker : Two teams going to MSI is very positive because more teams can gain international experience and fans can watch more variety of matches. As a professional player, the more races there are, the better the chances of finding meaningful results. Experience playing against and analyzing foreign teams is a huge plus. The downside to going to MSI is that there isn’t enough rest compared to other teams. This can be different for each player, but it can be negative.

So far, T1 has not been able to participate in the world championship held in Korea. What are your plans for this year?

Bengi : I’ve never thought about planning an entire year, but T1’s goal is always to be the best team. Our goal every year is to become the world champion. We missed all the world races in Korea, but there were only two. We will achieve satisfactory results this year.

(to Beng) You’ve seen Faker since his debut. What do you think about him?

Bengi : Faker has been around for a decade now. He’s been there since his debut and he’s still there, performing at a high level. He is always eager to improve and I think he is a role model for other professional players.

Source: InvenGlobal