There was no upset. SKT T1 S adapted completely to the preseason changes and defeated the best amateur team, Team NB, 2:0. As the first set of LoL Champions games in the Preseason Patch, the match came with a lot of expectations and anxiety, but they claimed a clean victory like pros.
Below is the interview with Easyhoon and Bang.
Q: How do you feel about the victory?
Easyhoon: We got the points that we had to get to advance to the quarterfinals. Despite the big burden, we are happy that we won.
Bang: I’m happy that the games went as we practiced.
Q: This was the first match since the Preseason changes. How did you prepare?
Easyhoon: We spent the majority of our time in solo que. We individually needed time to adjust to the new meta.
Q: Did practicing in solo queue help a lot?
Easyhoon: In solo queue I’m able to experience many kinds of opponents and strategies, so I think it helped a lot.
Bang: We had a discussion as a team after the Patch. In that discussion, we thought of champions we thought would be good, and practiced those champions in solo que. After we adjusted, we practiced as a team.
Q: Were you surprised to see Team NB ban Anivia?
Easyhoon: I didn’t think it was a problem. I don’t think it’s always good to have many champions to ban. Even if there were no champs to ban, we could’ve adjusted our ban-pick strategy to the situation, so we weren’t too worried. Honestly, the bans deviated a little from what we expected.
Q: What strategy did you originally prepare?
Bang: We originally planned to ban Annie and then react to the bans of the opponent. The opponents’ bans didn’t really affect us. We think the games went well for us for that reason.
Q: How are you after moving teams?
Easyhoon: The level of synergy with teammates is similar, since both teams have really good players. In the end, I think the most important thing is to work hard myself and be a better player.
Bang: I moved over from Xenics Storm. In that team, I lived a bit complacently. After moving teams, I was humbled, so now I’m working hard. I feel I grew up a little (laughs). The atmosphere also is a little more serious.
Q: The SKT T1 K team needs to beat CJ Blaze for you to advance to the quarterfinals. Any words for your brother team?
Easyhoon: The K team plays really well, so I have no doubt that they will 2:0 Blaze. We plan on practicing hard for the next game.
Bang: K team said they will 2:0 them for us. Even if that doesn’t happen, I will accept the result. We will practice hard for a potential tiebreaker.
Q: In the SKT T1 battle, you lost 2:0. You must’ve felt terrible.
Bang: We felt even more terrible after our match against CJ Blaze. We would’ve been at peace if we won 2:0, but we split 1:1.
Q: Is there a reason why you stick with the ID ‘Easyhoon’?
Easyhoon: Even from a long time ago, I didn’t care that much about my ID. It’s a familiar ID I’ve been using for a long time, so I’ve stuck with it.
Q: Any last words?
Easyhoon, Bang: We thank all the fans who continually cheer for us. Even though the team has only been formed recently, we will practice hard to respond to our fans’ cheers.
Source: Inven
Translated by jpak