As much as the fight to reach the playoffs is extremely close, the fight to avoid going to the relegation/promotion match is also very fierce. On the same day, Hanwha Life Esports and kt Rolster each defeated their opponents, putting them with the same number of wins. After their win against Jin Air Green Wings, kt Rolster ADC Kim “PraY” Jong-in joined us to talk about the old days and GorillA.

Hello. Congrats on today’s win. You must be tired.

Yes, I’m a bit tired today.


You’ve taken a step further from the relegation match. How do you feel?

Before our match, Hanwha Life showed their strengths and beat SKT. Because of that, it feels more like chasing the team that’s ahead of us rather than taking a step away from the relegation match.


I’d like to go into some old stuff today. PraY is now a player that has been active for a long, long time. You probably remember how you were when you were a rookie. What has changed from then?

Back then, I only had my vigor. It might sound positive… I used to think, ‘Whoever comes, I’ll beat him. I’m the best’.


That means now…

Over the years, I felt that I need to be a bit more careful, and now that I think more, I don’t have that type of vigor anymore. Maybe I’ve matured in that matter.


It seems like neither a positive nor a negative change.

I try to think of it as a positive thing. (Laughs)


On the other hand, is there anything that you’re trying NOT to change?

I haven’t thought of that… But if I do… I think the mindset that I am good. I try to stay convinced that I’m better than the opponent.

LoL has changed a lot as well. What do you think has changed from the old days?

If I look at the old screen, the graphics are weird, illustrations are weird, brushes are kind of lame… But to come to think of it, back then, I used to think ‘This game is really fun. It’s really top-tech stuff’. What I’m thinking now is that this game is… aging with me.


I remember when they first changed it to the current graphics. I thought it was kind of dark.

I know. I also thought, ‘why do they want to change such a great piece of work?’


Have the virtues changed as an ADC from then to now?

The ADCs weren’t complete then. What we needed was to see how to deal damage properly from the back and understanding the flow of the game was just a plus. As time passed, the game required more and more knowledge on macro, so now the ADCs are becoming more complete, being fulfilled with the macro knowledge as well. When I watch old videos of myself, I would seem so raw… I’d think, ‘why am I playing like that?’ Back then, we really just needed to know how to squeeze in damage.


The young players are all around the Rift this year. How do you feel?

I don’t know if there are any more players that haven’t been discovered yet. Watching the players that used to be amateurs being refined into a player, I would see that he was a player with vision.


The younger players nowadays would eventually become a veteran someday. Do you have any advice for them to survive as long as you did?

That’s a difficult question. Having a stable mentality and you always need to have the mindset that you can do well. Don’t give up. If you keep an attitude that you’ll get back on your feet when you fall, and if you want to play for long, you can, and you will. Even through slumps.

Some analysts say that it’ll be difficult for the PrillA duo to get back together since you two played together for so long and that everybody knows your style extremely well. Do you agree?

I agree. We’ve played for such a long time as a duo. Everybody, all the coaches would know our tendencies and styles. And as much as we’ve grown used to that style over such a long time, it would be difficult to fix. Both of us changing styles at the same time would be even harder.


Have you ever talked with GorillA about getting back together?

Not that I recall. After GorillA decided to go to the LEC, and after I decided to retire, we thought we would be split apart anytime. I think it’s enough if we can congratulate each other when we get on a great path. Of course, for special exhibition matches, I’d love to participate.

While GorillA was away, I had too long of a break that it was difficult to figure out the LCK meta. In that matter, we helped each other a lot, discussing in-game stuff. It’s because I thought that we wouldn’t meet as enemies.


He has come back to Korea, but you haven’t met him because you’re in the middle of the season, right?

We’re both busy, and since I seldom go out, it’s hard to meet up. If I’m not working now, I would have, but at this time, I don’t think I have enough time.


Then you would probably be meeting him in the offseason or as GorillA says, a gathering where everybody comes.

 Yes. I think I’ll be able to see him when everybody gathers up in a good mood.


Lastly, a word to the fans?

We have two matches left. Although Hanwha Life Esports’ is on a good roll, I’ll do my best so that we won’t be behind… I’ll do my best to make them be chasing us. Please cheer for us.