On Aug 19, DWG KIA took the 3-2 victory over kt Rolster in round 1 of the 2022 LCK Summer playoffs. WIth DWG KIA taking game 1 and 2, and KT taking game 3 and 4, it all came down to the final game. DWG KIA was able to take the clutch victory in the end, and is slated to face T1 in round 2 of the playoffs.

The following is an interview with the head coach for DWG KIA, Yang “Daeny” Dae-in.

Thoughts on the victory tonight?

I was really scared that we might lose, but I’m thrilled that we won tonight.

It looked like the team prepared a lot for tonight’s match. When the match was 2-2, what was the game plan heading into game 5?

We had a sizable lead for most of game 4, but we lost. We panicked for just a bit, but we drafted around comfort picks for game 5, and I’m glad the draft worked out.

I think DWG KIA proved that the team’s different in Bo5s. Except for CloudTemplar, everyone predicted KT to win the series tonight. Thoughts?

If you look at the POG standings, you can clearly tell that ADCs are very important in the current meta. I wanted to prove everyone’s predictions of an easy KT victory, and the bot lane practiced very hard for this series. Even if a bot laner’s good, it’s important to play systematically. I think there’s still much more room for improvement, and I feel that we’ll need to work on what to do after the turret plates go down.

What’s the reason behind benching Nuguri for Burdol, even when the team lost game 3 and 4?

In the current meta, it’s more important for the bot lane to get their first core item over the top laner getting their first and second items. Nuguri’s a very good player, but I feel that Burdol fits the current meta better. The team also played around the bot lane in the Spring split, so that’s why Burdol started tonight.

What can you tell us about the Corki pick in game 5, and letting the enemy take Zeri, Yuumi, and Taliyah?

We were thinking of playing Corki in game 2, and it felt like it was time in game 5. ShowMaker is already good on Corki, and he fit the team comp quite well, so we picked him.

Thoughts on playing T1 in round 2 of the playoffs?

Every player on the team is individually talented. While we’ll do our best in preparing for the match, there’s no denying the fact that they’re really tough opponents. However, game 1 of our last T1 series was winnable if we reduced our mistakes. It’s definitely possible to beat them, and since we’ve yet to beat them once this split, we’ll prepare well and win.

How much do you believe the team has improved since the regular split?

In a Bo5, it’s important to figure out how the team’s playing that day, so game 1 is critical. I think we were able to do well because of our game 1 victory tonight, even with ShowMaker struggling due to the after effects of COVID. We’ll make sure to take care of him well and end the season on a high note.

Lastly, a word to the DWG KIA fans.

Our players got really sick during round 2 of the regular split. Despite trying our best, we couldn’t perform, so I want to apologize for our underperformance. I’m relieved that we were able to show up at least a bit through our victory tonight, and we really want to beat T1 and head to Gangneung for the finals. We’ll work hard to prepare for the series.