Yesterday, League of Legends (LoL) representative Damwon KIA (DK) from South Korea was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Championship (Worlds). Despite losing the first two games, DK fought hard to push the opponent to the fifth game to decide the fate of the match. Even though they tried their best, the third seed from the LCK region still suffered defeat and was eliminated from Worlds 2022 this year. After that, mid-laner ShowMaker had an interview with reporters to share his feelings after the match ended.
Reporter: ShowMaker, thank you for joining me and sharing after being eliminated from Worlds. How do you feel after the recent loss?
ShowMaker: The match was really a balanced fight, and it showed that: “The members of Gen.G are very talented.” Yesterday’s battle was incredibly tense, competitive, but unfortunately, we lost.
Reporter: This year DK and Gen.G often played all 5 games when they faced each other, what do you think about the match-up that is always thrilling?
ShowMaker: Gen.G is very strong, and I think the reason for going to game 5 is that they are truly difficult to defeat. Gen.G’s ban/pick phase is very diverse, which causes surprises and makes the opponent let their guard down. Although we lost all our Bo5 matches this year, we can defeat them next year.
Reporter: Thinking about the surprising picks in the ban/pick phase, we saw Chovy use Ryze – a champion that has not appeared at Worlds this year. Please share your thoughts on this pick?
ShowMaker: Since Chovy is an excellent Ryze player, I’m not too surprised. That choice makes perfect sense as I was playing Lissandra and both of us were playing champions with very short skill ranges.
Reporter: Another surprising pick used today was Yuumi. What did you think when you allowed Yuumi to slip through in games 1 and 2?
ShowMaker: Internally, we discussed a lot about Yuumi. In the end, we decided to try not banning that champion. However, the plan did not go smoothly, so we decided to ban her in the following games.
Reporter: Thank you for your insights. Looking back at this year’s tournament, what made you happiest at the 2022 Worlds?
ShowMaker: That was yesterday because we always heard the cheers from the audience every time we won. When becoming a professional player, everyone feels proud to hear their cheers. I gained a lot of joy from the crowd.
Reporter: For those watching this match-up, we felt like we were on a “roller coaster”. What was your experience like as a player in the match?
ShowMaker: Everything would have been better if we had won. Sometimes the match brings happy emotions, and sometimes it brings sad feelings, but overall those moments are incredible. I think this could be an unforgettable memory throughout my life.
Reporter: Thinking a bit further, even though you didn’t lift the Worlds trophy, how do you view this year 2022?
ShowMaker: Since the spring tournament, we received a lot of expectations from everyone. However, we did not perform well this year, so 2022 was a challenging year for Damwon KIA.
Reporter: I know it’s still early to think about that, but where do you think you and the whole team need to focus to prepare for the break and for 2023?
ShowMaker: I feel we have a lot to discuss for next year. League of Legends always has changes, so I’m not sure what to say about the future. Right now, I think I need to focus on the break and think positively.
Reporter: Looking ahead to the tournament, who do you think will be crowned champion of Worlds and why?
ShowMaker: At this point, I’m thinking one of the three teams Gen.G, T1, or Dragon-X will be the champion. I feel that the LCK region is a bit ahead of Edward Gaming, JD Gaming, and I look forward to an internal LCK battle in the finals.
Reporter: Before we end this conversation, do you want to say anything to those who have supported and cheered for you?
ShowMaker: The only reason I am at Worlds 2022 is because of the fans. Therefore, I want to send a message to all the fans around the world: “thank you very much.” Regardless of the outcome in the quarterfinals, we assure you that there will be many more exciting matches than the previous match-up. I will work harder to bring positive energy to those who follow us. Thank you!