On June 2, the LCK teams gathered to talk with the press about the upcoming 2021 LCK Summer Split. A coach and a player from each team attended to answer questions from the media.

The media day kicked off with goals and resolutions. T1 head coach Yang “Daeny” Dae-in said, “We finished spring with regrets in 4th place. Our goal is always to win Worlds,” he said,  “From when I joined T1, I thought the spring season was time to prepare. The summer season is on the path to getting good results at Worlds, so obviously, winning the summer split is also our goal. I’d like to prepare well to get good results.”

Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok also responded, “It was regretful that we didn’t get good enough results compared to our expectations. I’ll work hard so that we could get the results of our expectations in the summer.”

When asked which team is the favorite to win the summer split, most of the teams picked DWG KIA. Daeny had his reasons. “I chose DWG KIA because not only are they individually great players, their experience during MSI will definitely send them in a new direction.” Daeny also mentioned Gen.G as one of the favorites while he expressed his ambition towards the summer championship. “Gen.G also has a great chance to win because they’re fundamentally strong, but honestly, I hope that we win the split.”

As DWG KIA came in 2nd at the 2021 Mid-Season Invitational, the LCK was given an extra ticket to the World Championship. “It’s really fortunate that there are four tickets to Worlds this year. I thought we would get four tickets after I won Worlds last year,” said Daeny, “It’s a great chance for us and a great chance for the LCK as a whole as well.”

One of the sensitive issues was about T1’s roster. T1 had been rotating their 10-man roster round and round during the spring split. When asked about that issue, Daeny answered, “To me, this is war, so tactics will always change depending on what we’re dealt. The prestige that comes from the name T1 means there are much higher standards for us, so our goal was always to win Worlds. I wanted to give everyone on the roster a chance to play and wanted to see how they do in matches.”

Mentioning that T1 will always do their best, Daeny said with confidence that there will be a clear starting lineup in the summer. “Spring split was a split of trial and error; the starting five have now been set for this split. While there may be substitutes here and there if the situation arises, there won’t be any major changes.”

Another question was asked to the players about which position is sought to be the most important, and who they predict to perform well. Faker was confident in this matter. “The mid lane will be the most important, and I think I’ll play quite well.”

The LCK will return to LoL Park this summer, and fans will be at the scene. “I always liked playing in the arena,” said Faker, “And I like meeting fans as well. Being able to play at the arena is a big motivation. It’ll be a much more interesting season.”

Closing the conference, Faker spoke of his resolutions for the season. “I’m quite sure that we’ll be able to show a better performance in the summer. I hope you keep your expectations high.”