On January 24, day 10 of the LC21 Spring 2021 split occurred, with kt Rolster and T1 going off in the first game of the day. In the history of Korean esports, when these two groups disappeared, the game became known as ‘The Telecom Wars’ [KT and SKT (T1) are the two biggest telecom companies in Korea]. KT never managed to beat T1 once in 2020, but the losing streak came to an end tonight, as KT won 2-1 against their telecom competitors.
Tonight’s win on T1 made a lot of sense for KT support player Jang “Zzus” Joon-soo. Although he is a player who spent years in the LCK as a substitute, Challengers Korea, and even some time in Turkey, this is his first season as a starting member on the LCK roster.
I (the author of this interview) share an interesting relationship with Zzus. We were once on the same team at Challengers Korea, where I looked at him as head coach. As many expected and filled with pride during the interview, Zzus shared his thoughts on the game, his thoughts on ‘Moonstaff’ and utility supports, and his goals for 2021.
First, how does it feel to take the win tonight against T1?
Despite our recent game against HLE being very successful, HyBriD and I did not do as well as we should. After that game, Lee “HyBriD” Woo-jin and I had a lot of discussions about how we can improve at laning level, and as a team, we talked about different team writings in preparation for tonight’s game. Our win against T1 tonight seems to be overcoming a major hurdle, and giving us great confidence.
While you’ve been in the Korean LoL scene for a long time, this season is your first season in the LCK. There has to be a lot on your mind.
That’s right. I’ve been a part of the Korean Challengers lately, and I even played in Turkey for a while. I come in this year as if this was my last chance to do well in the LCK, and I am grateful to my coaching staff for the opportunity. I’ve been working so hard this year, and I’m always thinking about how to get over the hurdle I face.
How did you react when T1 chose Vayne twice in this series?
Samira vs Vayne matchup is pretty common in a one-on-one queue, and people have been saying that Vayne is doing well into Samira, so I kinda expected it. However, we didn’t have too many chances to play against Vayne at practice time, so we were left confused, and played too tolerably in game 1. We could have been more proactive, but the fact that we did not and did not make wrong decisions was one of the biggest reasons we lost game 1.
What kind of feedback did the theme get from the tutors, and how did you think the team was able to kick back?
We immediately watched the replay. Our coaching staff, along with other substitute members of the team, agreed that we played too tolerantly, so they told us to be more confident, the fights we have to take, and be more proactive with the plays we do in games 2 and 3.
What was the impact of the team when HyBriD got caught in game 3? Was the team in emergency mode after it happened?
“Ucal” son Woo-hyeon’s Twisted Fate pushed out sidebars, so if we were a little more patient, we could have gained a lot more benefits with IT. However, HyBriD got caught up in it, and the game became a lot harder than it should have been. However, it also allowed us to remember ourselves and refocus on the game.
With engage-heavy supports taking control of the custom meta in the LCK, I know how to look at the custom support meta.
Personally, while I think contact tank support heroes are great right now, I expect more resource support heroes to be selected in the next patch.
Speaking of resource support, the debate on the feasibility of “Moonstaff (Moonstone Renewer + Staff of Flowing Water)” is discussed about much in the Western community (the debate led by your old coach, Nicholas “LS” De Cesare). Can you share your thoughts on these things? Do you feel that these are the things that make convenience a strong support for the next patch, and is it the second coming of Ardent Censer meta?
Convenience items and heroes get buffs. I’m not sure if it’s the second arrival of the Ardent Censer meta, but I feel like Riot is heading in the right direction, at least, for convenience support. If the meta moves because of it, not only will the level of bot lane blades get much stronger, I’m guessing more rocks will occur on the bot side of the map.
There was nothing but praise for your performance in the LCK. Overall, how would you rate your game tonight against T1?
In terms of my own performance, I would give myself a 5/10. It was not good. I didn’t make a right place when I was engaged and I made a lot of wrong decisions in the game in game 1. While I felt like I did okay in a game 2, Ucal’s work on Yone made things easy for me to follow. Although we won game 3, I feel there is a lot of room for improvement.
What kind of player do you hope to develop in 2021? Please share some of your personal goals this year.
Leading my team to victory is a given, but for me, this is the beginning of something I’ve been dreaming of, so I want to build my career right from the ground up. Making it to Worlds is our team’s goal for this year, and my team’s goals align with my personal ones.
The next game is against DRX. Given that you will be up against a team that is performing significantly better than people initially expected, what do you think is the main point of the game?
For now, our goal is to perfect our own gameplay, rather than trying to strategize against our opponents. While nothing remains to be seen, I feel that HyBriD and I need to do particularly well in series, and make DRX play at our pace.
Finally, is there anything you would like to say?
It was a hard win, but very meaningful. I am so grateful for the support of our fans, and please continue to celebrate KT.