PCS’ #1 representative PSG Talon has finally assembled a complete team to compete in the 2021 League of Legends World Championship. PSG Talon’s start did not go as they hoped, taking a loss against RNG on day 1 but that’s only the beginning of their campaign. 

Inven Global had a chance to talk with Kwon "Helper" Yeong-jae, the head coach of PSG Talon, to discuss his team’s journey to Worlds.

The game against RNG was unfortunate. How do you evaluate RNG and how will you redeem yourself for the next match?

We knew that RNG play aggressively, but we made too many mistakes throughout the game. I think we lost because our players were nervous and couldn’t keep our pace. I will give feedback on how we should keep our game pace on a big stage like Worlds.

WORLDS 2021
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The last time you were in Iceland, the team’s bot laner, Unified, could not make it due to his health. Can you give the readers an update on his health and how he’s doing at the moment?

After Unified was diagnosed with pneumothorax, he kept on working out and caring for his health. He is very healthy now, but he could be more nervous and more pressured because he did not get to play at MSI.

Was there anything special that you said to help Unified get used to Iceland?

I just told him not to get too nervous. We spent more time focusing on the Worlds preparation itself.

How much did PSG Talon change from Worlds 2020 and MSI 2021?

When I first joined the team, I tried to make the team more aggressive than the year before. There have been more misplays lately, and the games weren’t going as we wanted. So we will try to focus on playing the games at our pace.

Could you tell us more about the team’s pace?

If we can minimize the number of misplays like today’s game, I don’t think there is any team we can’t beat. But we can only prove this by how we perform in the game. We know how well we can play, and I think the best performance is when we keep pace.

It’s not necessarily about how fast we play the game. It’s the tempo that we can be most comfortable with so that we play the game we want. 

Is Syndra top something that threw the players off their game plan? What did you tell them once the pick was locked in during the draft?

RNG is a team that often drafts Twisted Fate and focuses their gameplay around the top lane. We knew that they would play an unorthodox champion, even if we banned the meta top lane picks. We didn’t expect Sydnra specifically, but I think it was within our expectations and it could be dealt with. 

The loss against RNG didn’t have to do with the pick. It was just because of our own shortcomings in our performance.

Group C feels like a group of parity. Where do you rank yourselves among Fnatic, HLE, and RNG?

We came to Worlds believing that we would be the best if we could play the best we could. But given that we lost against RNG, I think Group C’s rank, from strongest to weakest, is RNG, PSG Talon, HLE, and Fnatic. We need to play with the conviction that we are the best. 

Which team are you most excited to face at Worlds this year?

DWG KIA and Gen.G are the two teams that immediately pop up in my mind. For DWG KIA, we want to take revenge for not getting a win against them at MSI 2021. As for Gen.G, there is a long history between the team and me, so I think it will be a fun match.

WORLDS 2021
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From performance standards, where does PCS stand among the major four regions?

I think the teams at the lower half of the PCS are weak. I think the top PCS teams can go toe to toe against major regions. But I think PCS players have a lot more inconsistencies compared to the major region. They have yet to fully show themselves because of those inconsistencies, but they have excellent skills.

What is the goal of PSG Talon and yourself for this Worlds?

It could be a dream, and I could be hoping for a miracle here, but I joined this team with the goal of getting top 4 at Worlds. I might be too optimistic, but I thought we could win against any team during the preparation. 

All in all, I want us to really show what we can do and have fun while doing it. I don’t want to end our run without showing what we can do.

All images: © 2021 Riot Games, Inc. Used With Permission