Long time no see. Mind briefly introducing yourself to our readers?

Hello, I'm Eonyoung "Impact" Jeong. It's been three years, but I have finally made it back to Worlds after transferring from NRG eSports to Cloud 9. Gwang-jin "Piglet" Chae sent me an envious text as soon as my spot was secured. [laughs] It was a proud moment.

Congratulations. You sure had one rocky road to Worlds.

For most of the season, I did not think about Worlds at all. I only focused on playing as well as I could. Knocking Immortals out of the playoff semifinals, however, made me think we actually had a good chance. TSM did beat us in the grand finals with their higher level of meta knowledge, but we headed into the gauntlet with renewed confidence; EnVyUs was never really a concern for us, and Immortals now felt beatable. It's a bit embarrassing to brag, but my performances in the series were key to our victory. [laughs] I had a good grasp on the toplane meta then, and was able to utilize it to dominate lane and push advantages.

A deserved return. How did it feel?

A bit dumbfounding, actually - it had been three years since I last qualified, so the whole thing just felt unfamiliar at first. I still was happy, though, because by qualifying for Worlds, I felt as if I had repaid C9 for investing in me. Owner Jack [Etienne] probably was happier than the players! [laughs] Before the match, Meteos kept saying that we would make it to Worlds because I'm 'destined' to qualify once every three years... it was uncanny when we won.

Team Impulse, NRG eSports, Cloud 9. You've gone through three transfers already.

Coming over to North America, my number one priority was to make it to Worlds. Team Impulse turned out to be the wrong place for it, however - external issues such as XiaoWeiXiao's boosting incident made it difficult for the team to concentrate solely on the game. I considered returning to Korea for 2015, but then NRG eSports approached with a great contract and a large say over their new roster. I took it and tried my hardest, but things just didn't work out.

Desperate to make it to Worlds, I decided to look into blending into a preexisting powerhouse instead of believing in the potential of a fresh roster. I also missed interacting with Korean fans. Going home seemed to be the right choice for me. But then C9 approached. As I considered their offer, it dawned on me that I had yet to accomplish anything in North America. I knew I would be ashamed of myself if I left without giving it one final go.

So did Cloud9 feel different from the get go?

When I first started out as a pro in Korea, I was full of confidence. I knew I was good; I knew there were good things in store for me. Since moving to the States, however, I became less and less sure of my skills, and could never depend on teamwork to make up for my deficiencies, real or imagined. A large part of why I signed for C9 was Sneaky and Jensen; League of Legends is a game that ultimately comes down to your carries' performances. I felt if I joined C9 and carried my own weight, I would at least be able to make semis.

How much does Head Coach Han-gyu "Reapered" Bok help?

Owner Jack [Etienne] asked me if I could recommend a good coach, so I picked Reapered. Reapered was hired after performing well in his trial run. Being an outgoing and unfettered person, he had an easy time adjusting to the North American lifestyle. He and the players got into a few arguments at first, but we soon found a happy balance that could make everyone feel respected. He goes into great detail when discussing drafts or rotations.

Did you want to play alongside Rush?

Jensen isn't an NA resident, so I knew either Rush or I would have to sit out. It would've been nice if we all could play together, as I had great fun playing alongside Rush on Team Impulse, but that wasn't possible. Rush is really smart out of game, but is reliant on animal instinct in-game, so I used to play a lot of Shen to help him out. Rush could become a phenomenal player if he were to spend a year on a Korean team and learn their approach to the game.

Why did the team falter early on in the season?

Some of it was because I took a while to adjust to the team, and some of it was because my English was not up to par. To add, we all weren't in great physical health. We started a curfew of sorts by shutting down our internet after a certain time of day, which helped us stay better conditioned. We did improve by quite a bit as my English started getting better midseason.

Indeed you did. What changed?

Heading into the playoffs, my lane opponents seemed to get worse with each passing day. It was probably due to my playing better, of course, but that's how it felt... it was funny. I still remember Huni and Reignover diving me over and over with Riven and Rek'sai. I just tried to hold on as much as a Gangplank could, and eventually won. Immortals are entirely reliant on their top and jungle duo - if the two fail to carry, they lose.

Some people have said Huni's form had dropped, but I disagree. His form was fine; it's just that mine was better. Huni's problem is racking up needless deaths due to greed. He would be a very good player if he could cut that down.

What brought about your sudden spike in individual form? Your Gnar was nearly perfect.

I started to pick the champions I wanted to pick, and play the way I wanted to play. For example, we used to play Trundle top a lot, which struggles against Gnar. I felt I could do much better on Gnar. After a particularly frustrating game, I told the team I needed autonomy regarding our toplane picks. I've been playing League of Legends for six years now; I'm past the point of wanting to pick a champion "for fun"... [laughs] I can do that in solo queue. I play what I want. And I want to win.

Thoughts on "Top Die"?

Proper English isn't of value in-game as long as the message promptly gets across, so I just kept saying "top die" instead of "I solo killed the enemy" whenever it happened. [laughs] Meteos let everyone know of it in one of his interviews, so it caught on as a meme. as It's a positive meme, so I'm happy about the attention.

Many great toplaners will be playing at Worlds. Who are you looking out for?

Smeb and Looper. Both are strong, smart, and creative in lane, especially Smeb. They know exactly how to apply pressure in a winning lane - as much as it sounds like untimely bragging, playing against them felt like playing against myself! [laughs] I was not impressed by anyone else, but I definitely will not let my guard down. The fact that they all made it to Worlds is enough reason to stay on my toes.

Could you elaborate on your "C9 Impact > SKT Impact" statement?

I used to play a very supportive style when I was on SKT. I didn't look for solo kills. I was focused on being reliable and consistent. But now, I take a decidedly proactive approach. I look for solo kills. I take initiative on roams. And when I take those risks, take those picks, it works out more often than not.

My approached to the game dramatically changed when it struck me one day: 'Why am I playing defensively when I'm the better player?' In terms of individual skill, I don't think there's too much of a difference between C9 Impact and SKT Impact. But in terms of how much I influence the game, there is a clear gap.

How will Cloud9 fare in the group stage?

Leading the group will be difficult, but we have a very good chance of placing second to advance. I'm not saying this because I think I'm going to be hard carrying games; after all, most players play more conservatively when so much is on the line. Purely individual triumphs such as solo kills should be even rarer than usual. I will be playing for the team. If we play smart and snowball leads, we should be able to take second.

While SKT look to be the favorites of the group, their recent form has been disappointing. I saw their leaked scrims against TSM, and TSM looked to be the stronger team. Of course, that scrim took place right after their week off, and scrims are merely scrims... but still, I'm not too sure. I think we could give them a run for their money if we improve a bit more as a team.

Is NA really the second best region this year? Is it finally safe to have faith?

Throws have drastically decreased and vision control has improved. The general level of play clearly has gone up. There is a lingering problem, though: overly prioritizing Baron. Even the top teams make bad decisions around Baron. [laughs] The one game TSM lost against SKT in the leaked scrim was purely due to a Baron throw, for instance.

How strong is Cloud9 compared to TSM?

We haven't scrimmed TSM recently, but I would say we're around 70~80% of their strength. While we're quite even in terms of individual skill, TSM control objectives very well and know how to set up advantageous situations through map movement. Those are areas that our team is lacking in. We came to Korea to improve in such areas.

Are there any sleeper OPs you expect will make a showing?

All teams have cards up their sleeves, but I am not going to leak any. As for a truly out-of-the-blue pick, I do think Kled has the potential to surprise everyone. He's strong in lane and has a great ultimate for diving backline carries.

Has Korean solo queue changed much since you left a year ago?

A champion's strength in solo queue used to transfer quite well to organized play, but nowadays the two games are too far apart. Solo queue is still a good tool for keeping mechanics up and the basics down, though. I'm usually worn out by the end of our scrim blocks, but plan to play as much as I can.

Any last words for your Korean fans?

It's been a very long time since we last met - you all might have forgotten me already! I promise to give my all at Worlds. I'm okay with you rooting against us when we play a Korean team, [laughs] but for the other matches, please cheer for me! Your support means a lot.