Pre-game interview with Fnatic before their Final match against IG. Hylissang was absent due to being sick for this conference.









Q: (To Caps) With the meta being around top and mid lane, do you feel more pressured from this?





Caps: I think strong midlane champions were discovered pretty late in the meta as well as most of them being flex picks, so that’s why top and mid are important roles right now. I don’t really feel pressured in anyway, I feel the same as always. It’s not only up to me to win so I will just play my best. We play as a team so even if I don’t win midlane, I’m pretty sure we can still win.





Q: (To Everyone) Where is Hyli ssang? What does it mean for all the players to make it this far?





Coach: Hylissang has been sick this week but he should be fine for tomorrow. His condition is very important so he is resting this morning. He wishes he could be here

As for being in the finals, it’s a big accomplishment being the first Western and European team making the finals for the last 7 years. We are just all very focused on winning.





Q: (To Caps) After the Semifinals you said you were looking forward to facing RooKie, what are his strengths and weaknesses?





Caps: His strength is his lane phase, he plays really well and plays aggressive champions. He focuses hard on getting big advantages and snowballing. That’s also his weakness, if he doesn’t get the advantage or does not use it well; his champions are usually weaker because they are strong in lane. That’s his main strength and weakness





Q: (To Everyone) Have you ever thought of having any special ceremony for winning the championship or plan for it?





Broxah: We don’t have any specific plan for a ceremony if we do win. We take it one step at a time. We believe we have a good shot at winning and holding the trophy. We just need to stay competitive and stay calm and see what happens if we win.





Q: (To Everyone) Is there a specific player or champion you are keeping in mind for the Final?





Coach: I cannot talk about specific champions for the sake of our draft tomorrow. However everyone is aware RooKie and TheShy are strong players that IG likes to play around.





Q: (To Everyone) Viktor top is a big part of the Semifinals. It seems like IG doesn’t really use it. So it seems FNC has an advantage. Are there any pocket picks you guys have in mind? What are your comments on Viktor toplane?





Bwipo: I think IG banned Viktor, they might think it’s a strong champion in the toplane. If they leave it open that means they have a counterpick for it so it’s not really an advantage that we have. I should be expecting a lot of cheese picks.





Q: (To sOAZ and Rekkless) This is your first time going so far after being in FNC after Season 2, what does it mean to you to make it to the Final?





sOAZ: It’s different in a sense that it’s an achievement but I didn’t get to play too much since Group stage. If I get to play in the Final it would mean a lot but in the case I don’t it’s an achievement but it’s not the same.

Rekkles: I’m just here to win.





Q: (To Coach) Who do you think will perform the best in the Final?





Coach: One of the biggest advantage over IG is our jungler and botlane. I think Broxah.





Q: (To Coach) During Semifinals many Twitter comments were saying “The West is with you”, how do you feel about that?





Coach: I know all of the European fans, most of the NA fans and a lot of Korean fans are cheering us on and it feels amazing. Many different people from all over the world are supporting us so we will try harder to win.





Q: (To Caps) Many people say IG have strong mechanical players, what are your thoughts on it and what are your plans to lane against them?





Caps: RooKie and TheShy are both very strong mechanical players and IG heavily relies on them. If they don’t show up or show up but can’t snowball well to win the games. I’m pretty comfortable going up against IG in the Final, I think they won’t get the advantage they need to win.





Q: (To Rekkles) As a veteran pro, people witnessed your playstyle evolve during Worlds, what do you think about that?

Rekkles: I think I’ve always been a smart rather than mechanical player. The longer I play the more I can use that to my advantage. My strength is not my outplaying them in the laning phase or in teamfights but rather use my game knowledge to my advantage. This Worlds allows me to play smarter and it won’t be different in the Final.





Q: (To Rekkles) In previous interviews you said you will shave when you win everything, what will happen to your beard after your win? Shave or keep it?





Rekkles: I originally wanted to keep it until next Worlds, but my family is flying out for the Final. My mom has already been flipping out on me for it so I will probably have to shave it after we win. I will remember the power of the beard and bring it back next year as well.





Q: (To Bwipo) People realize you are enjoying the game a lot from your emotions. Most LPL players are overstressed or pressure. What would you suggest to them to keep enjoying the game.





Bwipo: It’s the same for all players, criticism is scary but at the end of the day I am the one who criticize myself more than anyone else. That’s how I improve. Instead of focusing on the criticism from others, remember you can do better and enjoy.





Q: (To Bwipo) We feel like you bring a lot of laughter to the team to relieve the pressure off of your teammates. What is the state of the team right now and what do you do to relieve the pressure?





Bwipo: I feel like most of us are very confident. None of us feel like we are outclassed on stage. Everyone understands their role in the team. Even if the game goes in their favor, we understand that it’s not the end. We know that we can come back. We have the resilience that allows us to come out on top no matter what. It’s hard to imagine us losing, and that’s what relieves the pressure the most. Even if game 1 and 2 go bad, as long as we know what to do, I think we will be able to take it home.





Q: (To Coach) We are sure that you have been watching a lot of IG’s replays and study their game. What is IG’s greatest strengths at this Worlds?





Coach: Their individual skill through all 3 lanes. To win winning lanes are their greatest strength.





Q: (To Caps) Your dad was pretty stressed saying he wanted to find a place to hike to relieve himself. How is your dad doing now? Are you feeling stress yourself?





Caps: My dad is more stressed than I am. He’s very supportive and tries to understand LoL as much as he can. It’s new for him so it’s hard for him to understand when we are winning or lose. It can be stressful for him to watch such important games because he knows how much it means to me. I’m trying to calm him down saying that we can win this. I just hope we get a good result so he doesn’t get too stressed out.





Q: (To Bwipo and sOAZ) As the veteran and rookie of the toplane, what do you guys learn from each other?





Bwipo: The greatest thing I learn from sOAZ is learning consistency and what it takes to be consistent. I would always take on a challenge in an unfavorable matchup and pull out ahead anyway. It’s been valuable for me to be more consistent and a more reliable source for my team in the top lane rather than the X-factor.

sOAZ: For both of us it has been mutual. We talk on the days of the matches. The thing we learn the most is watching each of us play and things we do differently. We have different playstyles so we pick up small things that can help each other. We try to complement our own playstyles.





Q: (To Rekkles) This is the most exciting Worlds in recent years but many say the level of play is lower than before. What are your thoughts on that?





Rekkles: Every team in this tournament has played the best of their abilities. Korea wasn’t dominating and from scrims it seemed like China was the region to beat. We were also doing well so it wasn’t surprising we made it so far. Something that was surprising was slow people adapted to the meta. We were actually one of the best teams to adapt and that’s not easy to say for an European team.





Q: (To Caps) Former LCK Caster Last Shadow said you don’t rival against RooKie. How do you feel about that and how do you think you will do against him tomorrow?





Caps: RooKie was playing very aggressively the last time we played and had big cs leads. I was far behind but it was a best of one so I was playing passively. I wouldn’t go for CS because I would have gotten ganked and may end up throwing the game. Going into a bo5 I can take more risks and have more opportunity to get a feel of my opponents. I think the Final will look a lot different than what we have seen so far.





Q: (To Rekkles) You said prior that you would like to experience playing on a Chinese or Korean team. You are playing in the Final for a Western team tomorrow, do you still feel the same way?





Rekkles: At some point in my career I would definitely like to go to a Chinese team. I had a great time last year. They already have imports so it wouldn’t be a new thing for them to speak English in some team. I would like to play in China at some point but I don’t think I have reached that point yet. Until then I would like to stay in Fnatic and perhaps do my last year or two in China.





Q: (To Bwipo) Your mother is Brazilian and you have a lot of fans in Brazil, did you expect so much support from them?





Bwipo: I didn’t expect so much support from Brazilian fans because I don’t speak Portuguese very well. My mom is arriving here and hopefully we can do something for the Brazilian fans. I am very grateful for everyone that supports me. We promised to win before we got here and being here now shows that with the right mentality and the right players, you can make it to anywhere you want.





Q: (sOAZ, Rekkles, Bwipo) With G2 and Fnatic being in the top 4 of Worlds and FNC in the Final, would you say that Europe is the best region in the world?





Rekkles: If RNG and G2 play again, RNG would never lose that series. I personally don’t see us as the best region in the world. I think it’s quite lucky that are facing IG in the final because RNG would be much scarier than IG. Playing against a team we already beat feels nice and makes us the favorites, so I am pretty happy.





Bwipo: I don’t think this Worlds wasn’t defined by what OP champions and how good a team can play them. I feel like G2 was more proficient at the solo champions than RNG was. I think their unwillingness to prioritize these champions was their downfall. I think China is a better region than EU.





sOAZ: I think the meta fit G2 very well. Their botlane being the weak link allowed their other players to make plays to win. RNG played way too safe and didn’t take risks. Korean didn’t send their best teams to Worlds. Griffin would do very well at this Worlds. I don’t think we are the best region, I think we are the best team but I think the best team from LPL or LCK can rival us.





Q: (To Caps) You have been playing professionally since you were 15. How did you convince your parents of this as a full time career?





Caps: I got to Challenger since I was 14 and I always said to my parents I would go pro. They didn’t want me to do that and wanted me to finish school. When my dad went to Turkey with me and saw all the fans watching me play in the TCL Final. This is when he realized this was a big thing, when Fnatic made me an offer to join knowing how much it meant to me, they were supportive of me.



