On the 13th of February, in the first game after the Lunar New Year break, Gen.G Esports clashed against Hanwha Life Esports. A close contest was expected in the match, but Hanwha Life Esports managed to dominate Gen.G. Park “Thal” Kwon-hyuk delivered exceptional performance at top lane playing Vladimir and Yorick, and Kang “Tempt” Myung-gu’s performance on Zoe was also extremely good. Meanwhile, Gwon “Sangyoon” Sang-yun accumulated his 1,000th kill in the LCK.

After the match, Thal and Tempt were voted MVP and were interviewed.

Q. You gave the fans a satisfying win. How did you spend the break?

Thal: I was a bit uncomfortable since we lost the last match before the break, but now I’m happy that we won today.

Tempt: I was also depressed because of that loss, but I recovered after spending time with my family.

Q. It seems that your teamwork and synergy is better after the break. When did you start practicing again as a team? 

Thal: As soon as the Lunar New Year’s was over, we returned to the team house and started grinding. I think that’s why it seems that our teamwork is better.

Q. Did you predict that Gen.G will use the ‘Frostmancy Karma’?

Thal: It was a predictable pick and we had practiced countering that. We did well in Game 1, but we really didn’t know they’ll play it again in Game 2. I also prepared the Phase Rush Vladimir specifically for it. When you play against Frostmancy Karma, she steals money from you which is a bit annoying. But if you just ease your mind and let her hit you, it’s not that bad.

Q. In Game 1 at 21 minutes, the Baron attempt was really good, and Vladimir dealt a lot of damage in that fight. Who called for Baron?

Tempt: I don’t remember exactly, but I think the call came from jungle or bot.

Thal: Honestly, I feel like I can’t lose when I play Vladimir.

Q. You’re rapidly gaining more nicknames recently. Which nickname is your favorite?

Thal: I like all nicknames since they’re all given to me by the fans. (Q. Still, if you have to pick one, which would you pick?) I think Light-hal is my favorite.

Q. Do you have a message to deliver to Sangyoon who hit the 1,000 kill milestone?

Tempt: Congratulations, and let’s eat something tasty with the money.

Q. What’s your goal for the rest of the season, or the rest of Round 1?

Thal: I’m happy that we won the first match after the break. I’ll make sure we win the remaining two games and finish Round 1 with a 6-3 record.

Tempt: We’ll do our best again in the next match, so keep cheering for us.

*Sangyoon appears

Q. And a word from Sangyoon?

Sangyoon: Why did you call me to the stage so late? I guess I’ve been playing quite long now. I’ll continue to do my best. I’d like to thank my father who always comes to my games to cheer me. Mom, dad I love you!