T1 is one step away from its fourth League of Legends World Championship title. In the Worlds 2022 grand final, T1 must defeat fellow LCK team DRX to lif the trophy once more. Ahead of the great clash, T1 answered questions from international media in a press conference. Due to a cold, top laner Choi “Zeus” Woo-jee was not present. All questions have been sorted by whom the question was asked.
Note: During the press conference, on-site translators only translated answers to English if the question was asked in English. Questions asked by Korean-speaking media and Chinese-speaking media could therefore not be included in this article.
Oner
Q: After the win in the quarterfinal, you told me you would win 3-1 against JDG. You also predicted that the focus would be on the top side with Zeus and you. Can you predict the score for the final and also the point of focus?
A: Thank you so much for the question. I was also happy that my predictions were right. The DRX series will be a pretty easy 3-0 for us. The important matchup will be the bottom lane.
Faker
Q: Most of the people here in this room consider you the best League of Legends player of all time. How much do you want this fourth title and what would it mean to you?
A: Winning Worlds is a goal for every professional player. Making it happen is the biggest accomplishment one can make. Challenging for my fourth Worlds title will mean a lot to me because it’s been pretty long since I won Worlds. So, I believe it’s gonna mean a lot to me.
Q: Bengi changed position recently and came back to the team more. Is it a thing that you can only win Worlds with Bengi by your side, maybe?
A: Bengi is definitely our lucky charm, he is the totem of us winning Worlds. I think the question was pretty logical.
Q: Did you ever imagine you’d be back on this stage after the emotions of the last time we saw you in the Worlds final? What gives you the motivation to keep fighting after all these years?
A: It’s been pretty long since I last played Worlds in NA. Thanks to all the support from the fans, even after such a long time, I was able to stay motivated and do my best. But not only that. I think the biggest motivation as a professional player is the desire to win. With that desire, I was able to reach up here.
Q: Mapo High School now has two Worlds 2022 finalists [Faker and Deft]. Do you expect more to come out of the high school and are you the greatest Worlds finalist to come out of Mapo?
A: They have new students every year, so it’s hard to predict, actually. Also, I didn’t finish my high school. I actually didn’t graduate from Mapo High School, but I will do my best to become the most popular person in Mapo area.
Q: In your post-game interview in the semifinal, you mentioned that you believed that the LCS is the region in the world. [Laughs] Now I believe the responsibility to make that a reality falls on you. What are you going to do to make that happen?
A: I really wish LCS can become the best region in the world. I’ve been playing a lot of NA solo queue around here and it’s harder than Worlds. So, I think it’s gonna happen next year for sure.
Gumayusi
Q: A few weeks ago, you were asked if you know anything about Poland, and I wanted to check if you have learned anything new about it.
A: I didn’t really look it up but I think they have something to do with soccer.
Q: What is the motivation to be at this stage and how big is it for you guys to be here?
A: I will be able to step on the Worlds final stage—something that I only imagined so far. Last time, I got denied in the semifinal. I’m pretty happy and satisfied with the fact that I actually made progress and have developed as a player. Now I can achieve something more than that.
Coaching staff
Q: T1 and DRX are the only teams remaining, both from South Korea. The pressure of having to represent your region has somewhat subsided. What is the team’s mindset at this point?
A: DRX made it to the final and a lot of people actually viewed them as the underdog. But they played quarterfinals and semifinals. They have displayed a huge amount of potential. They never give up and they always play the game until the very end, so we will not let our guard down.
Q: After such a long career, you are on the verge of making history once again. You could win your fourth world championship, but it would be your first as a coach. What are your thoughts on making this possible, also with your long-time partner Faker?
A: At first, I thought that joining T1 as head coach would be a really tough journey. But I’m really relieved that our results turned out to be great. I’m back together with Faker and we came to Worlds, back at the final. I really wish we can get the fourth title together and end this journey on a good note.
DRX gave a press conference before T1. Four Riot Games executives also gave a press conference to discuss the future of League of Legends esports. You can find the full press conference here. The grand final between DRX and T1 starts on Nov. 6, 1 AM CET and wil be streamed on the official LoL Esports site.
