On 15th of June, Afreeca Freecs upset the previously undefeated Kingzone DragonX. Even though Kingzone DragonX took the first game of the series away, Afreeca reverse swept the best-of-three series driven by the team’s new-found fast-paced playstyle.

After the victory, the LCK press room interviewed Afreeca’s top laner, Kim “Kiin” Gi-in.

Congratulations on the victory, Kiin. How are you feeling at the moment?

Kiin: I’m quite glad that we defeated Kingzone DragonX, a strong opponent of ours. It’s nice to know that things worked out in the end.

Kingzone is showing us great performances this season. What were some strategies that you prepared in order to defeat them, given that they have a wide range of champions to pick from?

Kiin: We were going up against a team that can play a wide selection of champions. So we prepared by focusing on what we can achieve on our own, instead of looking to counter them.

Was there a specific champion or team comp that you were most concerned about?

Kiin: We did not specifically ban against him, but we struggled against Karthus. So we kept him in mind for the rest of the games.

Deft has been showing a strong performance in the LCK as of late. It seemed that Afreeca was targeting Deft at the drafting stage, but curiously, you did not ban his Sona.

Kiin: Deft is very capable at his role as an AD carry, and we thought he will be effective on other champions anyway. We were not very worried about Sona.

Morgana was another surprise pick from Kingzone at today’s series.

Kiin: We didn’t expect Morgana to be picked. While we thought we would play it out well, we, unfortunately, did not. It was disappointing.

Have you tried playing the Mordekaiser after the rework?

Kiin: Yes, I have. He’s a strong champion on the one on one situation, but I’ll have to play him more to get a grasp of him.

Would you say that he’s broken?

Kiin: I think he’s pretty good so far. I think he would be played top or jungle.

Look at the flash, look at the moves, Kiin what was that Kiin brushes off a 3-man gank from Sona, Sylas and Taliyah, securing the Baron for @Freecs_LoL #LCK pic.twitter.com/vJMHfHnkd2 — Ashley Kang #LCK (@AshleyKang) June 15, 2019

Ryze has gone through many reworks over the history of League, yet you have always made your name on your performance on Ryze

Kiin: It’s definitely different from the old Ryze that I am used to, so I’ll have to play him more to say anything for sure. As of now, I can’t really figure out how to play him right. For now, I consider the changes as a nerf.

Ucal took the MVP for the second game. Do you think maybe you deserved the MVP for your performance on Ryze, perhaps?

Kiin: Winning is all that matters in the end. MVP has been something that’s nice to have, but just a little disappointing not to get.

You didn’t have a great start during the spring splits, but with your victory against Kingzone, you’re now in a position where you can aim for the very top of the leaderboard. What is your goal for the summer split?

Kiin: Although we defeated strong opponents, it’s still early on in the season and we can falter anytime. Instead of having a goal, I think it’s more important to focus more on sustaining our performances. We’ll have to keep doing well.

Next, you will face SANDBOX Gaming. In which areas do you think you’ll face difficulty when facing them?

Kiin: Their top and jungle are very difficult to deal with, so I expect lots of skirmishes over there.

Are you confident?

Kiin: [laughs] Yes, I am confident.

Your fellow teammates say that your presence allows them to feel less pressure in the games. What’s your thought on this?

Kiin: League of Legends is a game where lanes have to do well in order to succeed. As the team ends up playing around a lane that does well, the other lanes are bound to get less attention.

You have defeated the previously undefeated team, Kingzone DragonX. What is next for you? What team are you concerned about the most?

Kiin: Instead of focusing on specific teams, we have to focus on our own skills and issues. As long as we don’t falter throughout the rest of the split, I believe we can be successful no matter which team we are matched against.

Thank you for the interview. Do you have anything else to add?

Kiin: We are on a 3-win streak and I hope to continue performing well to keep the win streak. Thank you.