Note: The answers for the interview were re-organized and edited for better readability. Olleh spoke Korean for some questions, in which the answers were translated into English.
Hi, Olleh and Doublelift! Welcome to Korea. How has it been; arriving in Korea and settling down, with jetlag, in the new environment?
Olleh: This is my country! It’s my home, I’m comfortable here. Everything’s written in Korean so it feels homely to walk around. It’s good to be back in my home country.
Doublelift: I’ve spent 2 years of my life in Korea. 10% of the time I’ve spent on Earth has been in Korea. I’ve been coming to events in Korea since Season 1 for OGN Invitationals. It feels good, it feels natural to be here.
You’ve just arrived in Korea as the first seed for the NA LCS; after sweeping Cloud 9 3-0 in match score.
Doublelift: I was kinda disappointed because I usually want my matches to be tough. It’s more fun to watch, it’s more fun to play that way. I’d rather a best-of-5 match to go to Game 5, make a clutch play, do something crazy and turn the game around. When we’re stomping, it’s just boring. If you are winning NA LCS, I would rather it be spicier.
Doublelift: I don’t think the way the end-score was, reflects our current position in the NA LCS. I actually think we are pretty close to other NA LCS teams in terms of skill.
Olleh: I played the finals with a mindset that it doesn’t matter how good or bad the other team is, as long as we play well for ourselves. The finals itself was an easy win, I don’t think the opposing team put up too much of a fight. I had already expected that we would win. Everyone else is telling me that it would have been more exciting to be 3-2, but it was a stomp. I’m just really looking forward to going up against international teams.
Maybe you could shed some light on the Dragon Ball pose that Team Liquid did at the 2018 Summer finals…
Doublelift: I actually got that idea from watching KOO Tigers. Those guys were the originals.
Olleh: I was like, why are we doing silly things like this? My pose really strained my knees and it hurt, but I think I’m glad to have done the pose.
At the beginning of the split, people deemed this split to be one of the toughest. As the regular season drew to a close, Team Liquid seemed to naturally rise to the top of rankings. What do you attribute the growth and the eventual success of Team Liquid to?
Doublelift: I think the coaching staff was the most instrumental in (Team Liquid) making this progress. If you are not progressing every week as a team, you are actually falling behind - because performance is relative and you are probably getting worse than your competition. The coaching staff were crucial for us staying ahead of the rest.
Doublelift: Also, (Team Liquid) have experienced players. A rookie would walk away from a win thinking “oh, that was a nice win” and a loss with “well, that sucks”. For us, winning or losing doesn’t matter as we are more focused on the end goals - qualifying and performing at Worlds as well as winning the NA LCS. We have long-term goals because we are veterans, while a rookie’s goal would be to prove himself in the immediate game.
Olleh: I’d also give credit to our coaching staff. We have a review session after every scrim, and our review sessions are the most stressful, in-depth sessions I’ve had in any team so far. Even if it’s a small detail that will be overlooked in teams I’ve been in before, they will dig in and give strong feedback.
The coaching style of Team Liquid that you’ve just described - Strong feedback that goes into detail - are what people consider as “The Korean style”.
Doublelift: Cain and Dodo, I’m sure they brought back a lot of coaching techniques back from Korea. They are extremely good leaders, and I’d say I’ve learnt more about leadership from than anyone else in my life.
Olleh: I agree! Our coaches are the best.
Speaking of veterans, Doublelift, you are currently playing with Xmithie and Pobelter who were also your teammates back from the CLG days. Does any of the team synergy from your CLG days carry over to your current success at Team Liquid?
Doubelift: Not really. Xmithie and Pobelter are completely different people from when I played with them during CLG. We’re homies and we get to hang out and eat out, so that is a nice inheritance from the CLG days. However, as players, we’ve all grown. Myself, I used to be a good laner but an awful teamfighter and someone who didn’t make calls, but in Team Liquid my role has changed.
Doubelift: Back then, we were just bits and pieces of players but now in Team Liquid we are all complete players.
Doublelift, I remember watching your videos when Olleh first joined Team Liquid. The two of you, just figuring each other out, and Doublelift was even teaching Olleh some rude words (Laughs) How has the relationship between you two developed both as a bot-duo and as friends?
Doubelift: When I first began to play with (Olleh), I thought he was the most stupid player I’ve ever met. (Olleh Laughs) We had some terrible moments over the year. I was frustrated at Olleh, while Olleh was stressed and losing confidence because I was always yelling at him. In the end, Olleh became stronger as a person while I also changed the way I gave my feedback, and I think we are closer now (as a result).
Doubelift: Also, Olleh has become much better as a player and we are playing much better. In the beginning, we were the worst part of the team and Impact, Xmithie and Pobelter made better contributions to the team. However now I think we are a help to the team as a bot duo, and it feels good to have improved.
Olleh: It’s true. When I first started playing for Team Liquid I was “f**king boosted” (Laughs). I hadn’t learned how to play around objective or build synergy with Cody Sun. In the previous regions I had played, like Taiwan and Brazil, I just had to play by myself. Then I came into Team Liquid, and I was the boosted one. I had to learn how to play Thresh, Alistair, Bard and carry the entire team and not just myself. I learned a lot from Doublelift on how to play as a duo and how to actually have synergy.
Olleh: I’ve grown a lot from the feedback Doublelift gives. I’ve also changed a lot as a person, and now I love feedback from him. Previously, he’d give me strong feedback and I’ll be like “Oh, why you hurt me?” Now I’m like “Oh, I love it! Give me more feedback! Punch me! Please shoot me! I love it!”
Doublelift: I’ve turned you into a masochist!
Olleh: I can’t do this with any other person besides Peter. “Give me more!” Now I’m happy to talk. “Give me more! Say more! What’s my problem?”
Doublelift: This is the kinkiest interview I’ve ever done.
Would you change your bot-lane partner for someone else?
Doublelift: I don’t think there’s anyone else. I think Olleh went from being pretty bad to by far the best support in NA.
Olleh: Me too! No one else. I was with Cody last year…ugh…(Laughs)
Doublelift: "This is the kinkiest interview I've ever done"@TLOlleh and @TLDoublelift discuss Korea, how the experience in MSI made them overcome their mental blocks and their predictions for #2018Worlds!https://t.co/4klMY9ttDt #LeagueOfLegends pic.twitter.com/wmz7WSjRds
— Ashley Kang @Worlds2018 (@AshleyKang) September 21, 2018
When MSI didn’t go as anticipated, people expected it to impact Team Liquid’s performance going into the Summer Split. What lessons did you take away from MSI?
Doublelift: MSI was like a mini Worlds, and I’m glad we had that international experience. It revealed not only Team Liquids weaknesses but ceilings too. When we were playing good, we were beating teams like Flash Wolves and RNG, and I saw what the team could become when we play consistently. MSI also showed our weaknesses which we could then fix. The experience was worth it.
Olleh: I figured out my personal problems such as confidence during MSI. I think MSI was a very important event in my life as I grew a lot from the results of that event.
And there was that fateful tiebreaker when you had lost to Fnatic…
Doublelift: That sucked. But let’s be honest, if we got out of the Group Stage we would have probably lost to RNG in the next round.
Olleh: I didn’t play Rakan well during that match, so I felt really bad. That’s why I practised tons of Rakan during the off-season.
What’s been the most memorable moment throughout this year?
Doublelift: Probably MSI. MSI was the time when I overcame a lot of my personal demons; that I always play shit in an international competition. I always had a defeated attitude - that all these teams are so much better than us. I’d never play to my own strengths, but instead do something crazy in my twisted logic; play only scaling or laning comp. I’d just let my thoughts eat me up, and even in an even match-up, I won’t be able to play well.
Doublelift: From MSI, I decided that I should grow some balls and now I just pretend that they’re NA team. If I do play well at Worlds, that would be because I reflected a lot about MSI.
In Korea, we speak of the Elite Four AD Carries around the world. Doublelift from NA, Rekkles from EU, Uzi from China and PraY from Korea. This year, PraY won’t be making it to Worlds. What are your impressions on PraY and Kingzone DragonX missing out on Worlds this year?
Doublelift: I’m considered one of the Elite Four in the Korean community? That’s pretty sick. I thought Korean fans would think that I’m a shit player because I always play terribly at Worlds.
Doublelift: I watched the last game that PraY had played (against GEN.G); man, he got destroyed. Whenever I play against PraY and GorillA, they play a winning match-up and play really well. I know that some people think PraY and GorillA aren’t as good as they used to be, but I still think they are really good players. In Korea, there are 5 good teams and only 3 get to go to Worlds; while in NA there is one good team and still, 3 get to go to Worlds (Laughs) It’s a shame. Thank God that Riot Games is an NA company.
Olleh: All pros respect Faker and Pray, and I feel a little guilty for making it to Worlds while they haven’t. I’ll do well instead of them.
PraY is out, but LCK still brings some strong bot-lane duos such as Deft-Mata and Ruler-CoreJJ. The strength of bot-lanes of LPL is also something that’s not to be overlooked.
Doublelift: Mata ruined my 2016 so I give a lot of respect to him. Also, he’s one of the older players just like I am, so he gets extra respect from me.
Doublelift: That being said, I’m not scared of any bot lanes from other teams. There are just some that are harder than others to play against. Uzi and Ming; even though we’ve already beaten them before (at MSI). If we can beat Uzi and Ming, the best bot-lane in the world, then we can beat any bot-lane.
Olleh: I’ve met all of them in Korean solo Q before. The last time I had faced them, I wasn’t a good as a player that I am now. If I’m matched against them again, I’ll do well based on the experience I’ve gained this year.
LPL had a very dominating year on the international stage. What are your personal thoughts on the strong performance of Chinese teams in 2018?
Olleh: LPL is spending a lot of money. RNG has swept all tournaments this year, and it looks like RNG is funnelling even more money into the team as a result. If someone doesn’t put a stop to RNG this year, no one will be able to stop them next year. Everyone, we must unite to stop RNG!
Olleh: Ming’s a bit like me. He also became paired with the best AD carry and grew as a player. He laughs like me! I think we’d have a similar personality.
Doublelift: I’ve always figured that LPL will overtake the world one day. They have the largest population of League players in the world. When you have such a large population, you’re bound to find more gems that are mechanically gifted, which then can be coached and developed.
Doublelift: I also feel that LPL has a unique style on their own, where they strive for mechanical outplays. LCK play calculatedly; slowly eating away the game through macro plays. For LPL, it’s more about getting lane matchups and snowballing. But I don’t think LPL and their style will be unbeatable.
So maybe LCK might have a good chance against LPL?
Doublelift: Yeah, I think LCK could win. Or NA. (Laughs)
Olleh: LPL gave every other region hope. Oh, LPL can beat Korea? Maybe EU can, maybe NA can. This Worlds will be crazy!
What’s the likelihood of Team Liquid winning Worlds, out of 100?
Doublelift: 50. We either win or we don’t.
There is always a perception that NA underperforms on the international stage, hence the meme “NA LUL”. As the first seed representative of the NA LCS, do you personally feel responsible to change this perception of NA?
Olleh: I’ve worked so hard to improve myself this year, not just as a player but also as a human being. I’ve read self-improvement books, even tried drinking. This time, I need to show everyone what I’ve achieved so far. Even after MSI, I told my fans that you can hate or you can criticize, but that I will eventually prove myself. This Worlds is when I will be trying to prove myself.
Doublelift: I’m always the first seed for NA so I always feel responsible. It sucks because I also never deliver.
A final question - What are your ultimate goals for 2018 World Championship? What’s the bar for you?
Olleh: I want to win Worlds. It’s a crazy dream, but I must try. If I keep saying to myself that we can’t beat LCK or we can’t beat LPL, we will never be able to do so. That’s the professional mindset.
Doublelift: Oh yeah, exactly what Olleh has said. You have to set your bar high, just believe that you can beat anyone; because you can. There’s no point with a defeated attitude where you tell yourself that you can’t win because there are better teams out there. Just believe in yourself; you’ve put just as much time as them, so why should they have an advantage?
